Bio. husbandry expert to speak

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 18

Bio. husbandry expert to speak

A leading international authority on biological husbandry, Dr Bernward Geier, from the University of Kassel in West Germany, will speak at Lincoln College at 12.30 p.m., in lecture room 2, next Monday during a private visit to New Zealand.

He will speak on the biological husbandry movement in Europe and the significance of this for primary production in New Zealand.

Dr Geier was invited to speak at the college by Mr Bob Crowder, senior lecturer in horticulture, who specialises in biological husbandry. Biological husbandry - also known as organic agriculture - has tremendous potential for New Zealand, according to Mr Crowder. “Europeans are looking to getting organically-grown foods because their own environment has become so polluted,” he said.

Dr Geier is a research scientist with the Department of Agronomy, at Kassel University, Witzenhausen in West Germany.

He works in the Division of Alternative Agricultural Methods led by Professor Hardy Vogtmann, a leading scientist in environmental, sustainable agricultural systems.

Professor Vogtmann established the division in

1981 to research techniques for organic agriculture. Dr Geier is a colleague of Professor Vogtmann.

Mr Crowder said about a third of Dr Geier’s time was taken up with public relations in explaining the concepts of biological husbandry. “Dr Geier’s own research project is alternative strategies for weed control in cropping systems,” he said. “He specialises in using flame weeders which burn off for weed control instead of using herbicides, and his is pioneering a revolutionary brushing technique, using a machine something, like a road sweeper to control weeds.”

As well as speaking at the college, Dr Geier will also speak to farmers in the Canterbury Biological Producers Group on Tuesday evening in Christchurch. After leaving Christchurch he will go to the North Island where he is expected to speak at the Levin Horticultural Research Station, at Ruakura Research Station, and in Auckland. Further information can be obtained from Mr Bob Crowder, Department of Horticulture, Lincoln College 8150, Canterbury, New Zealand; phone (03) 252-811 extension 647, or 31-003 (home).