Obituary Mr T. E. Ludecke

Press, 9 May 1980, Page 2

Obituary Mr T. E. Ludecke

A well known member. of tl.: staff of Lincoln College. Mr Terance Edward Ludecke, a reader in the soil science department, died suddenly at the college on Monday. He was 46. Mr Ludecke was president of the New Zealand Grassland Association at the time of his death. He was also a forme-- president of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science.

Professor T W. Walker, under whom Mr Ludecke worked before the former retired last year, described Mr Ludecke as a great enthusiast who put his whole being into all that he did — he was a person who could n slow down. He would be greatly missed, said 1 .ofessbr Walker. Mr Ludecke was born in Christchurch and attended C rist’s College before going to Lincoln College. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree he joined the Department of Agriculture and went to Alexandra where he began studying responses to sulphur in tussock country in Central Otago. When he returned to Lincoln in 1962 he used his field experiments in Central Otago a.; a ; basis for a master of agricultural science degree, which he obtained with first-class honours. • Later he moved from Alexandra to the Invermay research centre near Mosgiel and was then promoted and moved to the Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre near Hamilton, where he was in charge of soil fertility research and travelled widely. .

He returned to Lincoln College in 1970 to join the soil scien.e department and wt; subsequently promoted to the post of reader. In 1975 he was engaged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop a soilsagronomy programme in Tanzania, with successive follow-up visits to be arranged. Mr Ludecke was a popular

lecturer with both student and farmer groups, being well known as a clear and colourful speaker. Two of his main contributions to scientific knowledge were in the area of sulphur nutrition in tussock country and the development of a method of determining whether a wheat crop was in need of nitrogen. Mr Ludecke was lecturers’ representative on the professorial board at Lincoln College. He was also active in the college old students’ association, and served as its secretary;

He was president of the Lincoln College Rugby Club and was active in coaching from the time that he returned to the college. He was a former member of the college First XV, and its assistant coach at the time of his death.

Outside the college Mr Ludecke was chairman of the Riccarton High School Board of governors and active in St Peter’s Anglican Church, Upper Riccarton, where he was a vestryman and vicar’s warden for six years. _ Mr Ludecke is survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters. His elder daughter is in her first year at Lincoln College.