U.S. Scientist To Study Grass Grub

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31384, 1 June 1967, Page 1

U.S. Scientist To Study Grass Grub

Dr. A. Howitt, an entomologist at Michigan State University, will spend 10 months in New Zealand studying the porina and grass grub problem. This was announced at the annual conference of North Canterbury Federated Farmers in Christchurch yesterday.

The senior vice-president of Dominion Federated Farmers (Mr A. C. Begg) said Dr. Howitt, who had a distinguished record in research into insect pests, would visit New Zealand under a Fulbright scholarship from August to June. In his annual report earlier in the day, the provincial president (Mr R. H. Bedford) said hundreds of thousands of acres of pasture had been affected by grass grub and porina, and farmers had been faced with a cost of about £1 an acre for the control of porina alone. The effect on production in Canterbury of these two pas-

ture pests could not be accurately estimated at this stage, but some farmers had already been forced to reduce their flocks because of decreased carrying capacity. The position was extremely serious and a committee representing North, Mid and South Canterbury had made specific short and long-term recommendations to the Agriculture Production Council to alleviate the situation. Last week a deputation had visited Wellington to see the Associate Minister of AgriI culture (Mr D. J. Carter) and make further representations on the control of grass grub 'and porina.