Use Of Imported Granules Planned

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 6

Use Of Imported Granules Planned

It is expected that D.D.T. granules will be available from the Hornby works of Kempthome, Prosser and Company’s New Zealand Drug Company, Ltd., after July 1, according to a statement

made this week by the business manager for the firm in Christchurch, Mr G. A. Claridge. He had been asked what action his organisation was taking to meet the position arising from the prohibition of the use of D.D.T. and D.D.T. mixtures ip dust forms. Mr Claridge said his firm had imported from the'United States two shipments of material for trial purposes. This comprised small, hard granules of D.D.T. in a wettable form manufactured by the Sauffer Chemical Company. It was intedded that they should be mixed with superphosphate. This had already been done on a test basis and there had been no break-down of the granules.

Mr Claridge said that Mr J. M. Kesley, of the Entomology Division of the D.5.1.R., would be testing the granules in his current series of trials. It was expected, he said, that they would be slightly slower acting than wet-mix D.D.T. superphosphate. At present Mr Claridge said that treatment of pastures with wet or dry-mix D.D.T. superphosphate mixes cost about 10s an acre. It appeared as though the costs using the granules of 30 per cent p.p.i. grade would be about 25 per cent higher, or about 12s 6d an acre. In the meantime it is not expected that ’ there will be any • difficulty' in supplying wet-mix D.D.T, superphosphate up • until the end of June subject to permit. A shipment of D.D.T. ordered before Christmas is now in hand at the works and another shipment is coming.