RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 54, 26 November 1938, Page 13

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Drying Of Seed And Control Of Diamond-Back Moth DETAILS OF EXPERIMENTS Dominion Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, November 25. Tlie Government is now engaged on two branches of scientific research which are of considerable importance to farmers—the drying of seed for overseas transport and control by parasite of the diamond-buck moth. Details of these activities were given by the Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr. Sullivan. The Minister said that interesting and important experiments on the drying of seed for transport overseas had been in progress for the past few months, rind bad been developed to tbe stage of commercial usefulness. There was a considerable export trade in seeds from New Zealand to England. America and Australia, and difficulty had been experienced in the past because of the loss of germinating power due to the high moisture content of the seed and the conditions of transport.

As a result of experiments carried out by his department. said the Minister, a method of drying tlie seed to a low moisture content for transport without subsequent loss of germination had been worked out. and had reached a point where a commercial machine was under design to treat 10001 b. of seed an hour. “Farmers saving perennial ryegrass for seed purposes have in the past occasionally met witli serious losses through the seed losing its germinating power because of attack of an obscure fungus,” said the Minister. “As a result of investigations carried out by the Plant Diseases Division of the Plant Research Bureau, in co-opera-tion with the seed testing station of the Department of Agriculture, it would appear that successful means of combating this trouble are soon likely to be available. The disease has been found not only on seed raised in New Zealand, but also on that imported from overseas, and is due to a fungus which has hitherto not been recognized apparently anywhere in the world. Under laboratory conditions tbe fungus appears to become weakened and probably dies out altogether on thoroughly dry ryegrass seed stored for a period of some 12 months. The storage of infected ryegrass for such a period before sowing would therefore probably save a newly-established field from infection. On old-estab-lished fields the prevention of seeding for one or two years, either by hard grazing or by mowing, would appear also to reduce the sources of infection. The preliminary laboratory findings, whi-cli show distinct promise, will he tried out under actual field conditions.” Diamond-Back Moth. The Minister also said that Mr. John ■Mugigeridge, associate director of the entomology division, returned during the week from a visit to Great .Britain find Europe, where he was sent by the Government to inquire into the possibilities of securing parasites which would control the ravages of the diamond 1 back moth and' the white butterfly, which constitute serious pests of turnip, rape and cabbage crops in New Zealand.

"■While it is a little difficult for New Zealanders to comprehend a state of affairs where turnips and cabbages are not infest.edi with the diamojid back moth,” said Mr. .Sullivan, "yet this is what actually appears to prevail in Europe, where Mr. Muggeridge had difficulty in finding diamond back moths at all. and the farmers there do not appear to regard this insect as a serious pest. AU the specimens found appear to ibe heavily parasitized, so it would appear that the moth is kept in check by parasites. Arrangements will be made to import several siieeics of these parasites for trial under controlled conditions in New Zealand, having in view file necessity for safegiuirding the New Zealand position against possible trouble arising from new introductions, which may be inclined to attack other things than those which they were intended to control.”