Plant Disease Research Facilities Commended

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31548, 9 December 1967, Page 14

Plant Disease Research Facilities Commended

Facilities for research into plant diseases in a new block at the Crop Research Division, at Lincoln, were described yesterday as equivalent to those at Rothamstead, in England. The officer in charge of the plant diseases division (Dr R. C. Close) made this comment when the Minister of Agriculture (Mr B. E. Taiboys) visited the building, and later inspected field trials on the division’s farm. A main attraction in the new laboratories for the research into plant diseases was an electron miscroscope. Of Japanese manufacture, it is valued about $36,000. On a direct screen it is capable of magnifying about 250,000 times, and this can be increased by photographic enlargement to in excess of two million times. Basically, it is for the identification of plant viruses. The microscope is-mounted on a 15-ton block of concrete set on pads to absorb shock. Mr Taiboys visited the virus preparation laboratory, where Dr H. D. Thomson explained that research was directed to identifying viruses and testing plants before releasing them. The facilities could also help veterinary work being done at Lincoln College. The Minister showed considerable interest in research

on a disease of willow trees. Dr F. R. Sanderson said this work was being done for catchment boards which were interested in willows. On the other hand, farmers often preferred to see them destroyed. “When we get willow specimens we don’t know whether it is a case for disease, or the result of spraying by farmers."

The disease could be seen in willows with a dead “stag’s head” effect in upper branches. A feature was that the canker'in the wood usually moved down the stem. “We don't know what it is. and we don’t know that it is the same as the disease experienced in willows over-

seas." said Dr Sanderson. ’» One of the senior plain breeders (Mr L. G. Copp) told Mr Taiboys that 17,000 breeding plots were in use at the division's farm. He later demonstrated an agricultural drill. With four persons in the field it can sow In two days as many plots as a staff of 24 used to sow by hand in a fortnight. Mr Taiboys was shown the new variety of wheat which in five years will be released to replace Aotea, the highest yielding commercial variety. He was told that the new variety would give a 20 per cent greater yield. From now until its release, it would be purified.