Lucerne wilt in Marlborough

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34129, 15 April 1976, Page 2

Lucerne wilt in Marlborough

Bacterial wilt has been found in lucerne in Marlborough. This was confirmed yesterday by Mr M. G. Baumgart, regional advisory officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast. Mr Baumgart said that the disease had been found about a week ago in a very old stand that had been cut for lucerne pellet manufacture, and which was due for early replacement. As a result of the dis-

covery, a very close survey was now being made of all other processing crops.

A regular, close watch had been kept on seed crops in the province, he said, but so far wilt had not been found in them. The disease, characterised by yellow, stunted plants, was first seen in MidCanterbury in 1970. In 1973, the Government asked the seed trade in Canterbury for its co-operation in hot sending seed produced south of the Conway north of the river to prevent the possible spread of the disease. Subsequently, a scheme was introduced in which potential seed crops in the province were field inspected, and then samples of the seed were sent to Auckland for examination. If there was no sign of the disease the line was tagged, indicating that the disease had not been found in it.

However, in May last year the disease was reported to have been found in the North Island, and there were fears then that it might be fairly widespread in the central part of the island, from Takapau to Whakatane. Now, according to a trade representative, seed from Canterbury may be sent north if it has come from a crop that has been shown to be free of the disease for three years. The catch is that a buyer has to be found for it, and northern buyers are reported to be wary of Canterbury seed.