PEST RESEARCH CO-ORDINATOR

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33774, 21 February 1975, Page 6

PEST RESEARCH CO-ORDINATOR

Dr R. I’- Pot linger, of the insect control group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, has been appointed co-ordinator of Government pasture pest research.

Before he joined the Ministry he was reader in entomology at Lincoln College.

Announcing Dr Pottinger s appointment, the Undersecretary of Agriculture (Mr Barclay) said the position had been created because of the serious nature of pasture pest depredations. "The extent of losses in agricultural production caused bv insects such as grass grub, black beetle, soldier fly and whitefringed weevil - is so great that a task-force approach to control is essential. “More than 70 Ministry and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research scientists and technicians are studying aspects of the problem and it is vital that they are deployed to best advantage and that communication within .the group is effective.” Over-all co-ordination had been achieved previously by inter-departmental meet-! ings at top level and by i meetings of working groups of scientists in relation to

co-operative projects and common fields, Mr Barclay said. The meetings of scientists would continue, but the importance of the problem and the value of the resources that were being provided required particu larly close co-ordination of the research effort. Accordingly, Dr Pottinger as co-ordinator of pasture pest research would be directly responsible to the Assistant Directors-General of tile two departments.