Kapai 67 Much Superior

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31440, 5 August 1967, Page 11

Kapai 67 Much Superior

'THERE has been quite a x severe virus attack in turnips at the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lincoln this season and it has given an opportunity for the assessment of the relative resistance to virus of Kapai 67 in comparison with other varieties. The picture Is very clear. Virus resistant Kapai is infinitely superior. York Globe and Green Globe are virtually a write off. At this stage their bulbs are a rotten mushy mess. Mr T. P. Palmer, chief of

the field crops section, says that there is near, to 100 per cent mortality in the York Globe and Green Globe varieties. In Kapai there could be a 30 to 40 per cent death rate.

As far as-can be'seen, Mr Palmer says that-Kapai is no more aphis resistant—it is defoliated like the rest—but it seems to have resistance to the virus and the capacity to recover.

Kapai 67 will yield as well as Green Globe under any circumstances, but where turnips are sown late in February or later than this York Globe yields better and with this sort of sowing date the

chances of getting virus are not so great. A new race or strain of aphides seems to have appeared in rape recently and should these aphides get on the rampage in the future turnips could come under a heavier virus attack. Aphides, which carry virus, move into turnips from rape. Compared with Kapai 66, Mr Palmer says that Kapai 67 has the advantage of having its bulbs rather higher out of the ground so that there is better utilisation. There has been an odd case of sheep not eating Kapai, but the bulk of crops are eaten readily enough.