Accepted Practice

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 8

Accepted Practice

'J’HE value of applying a granular insecticide at sowing to protect potatoes against aphides and leaf roll

virus was confirmed at the potato machinery field day this week when Dr R. C. Close, officer-in-charge of the Lincoln sub-station of the Plant Diseases Division, gave farmers the results of a trial on the field day paddock. Where four rows each nine chains long were treated with 301 b to the acre of 5 per cent granules of disulfoton at sowing the yield was 18 sacks of table potatoes and seven sacks of seed, whereas an identical untreated area gave only nine sacks and a half of tables and seven sacks and a quarter of seed. The seed from the untreated area would also give very poor results, Dr Close said. There was also a difference in the tops on the two areas, he added. While those on the untreated area were weak and lying down, on the treated area they were strong, firm, and bright in appearance. While it seemed that use of granular insecticides at sowing was now an accepted practice. Dr Close recalled that initially applicators and also the granules had had to be imported, but now three firms were making the applicators in New Zealand and the granules were also being processed in the country.