FOOT ROT OF WHEAT

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVIII, Issue 67, 24 August 1937, Page 5

FOOT ROT OF WHEAT

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION.

An investigation of foot rot in wheat in New Zealand has been made by Mr I. D, Blair, of Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, and his findings were published in the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology recently and reprinted in pamphlet form for further distribution.

Concluding the account of his investigations, Mr Blair summarises it as follows:-—

"This study of foot rot of wheat as it occurs in New Zealand has covered a wide field. Being the first attempt to study the disease under Canterbury wheat-growing conditions it must be looked upon as a preliminary investigation, and its chief value may be that it has opened up the subject for more intensive study.

"A considerable amount of data has been collected in regard to the cause, symptoms, predisposing factors, and control of the disease. It has been shown that the problems of predisposing factors and control are very complex, and it is considered that future study of the disease, as far as New Zealand is concerned, should be directed towards problems of control, with which are associated the soil and cultural conditions that predispose wheat crops to attack or determine resistance to attack. •Some of these have been examined, such as the influence of time of sowing, depth of sowing, soil acidity and other hosts of the parasite. There appear, however, to be other complex factors that may be responsible for the appearance of the condition—for example, it has not been possible to explain the presence of badly diseased coulter rows adjacent to rows much less affected and in some cases quite healthy.

"It must be stressed that the key to prevention of the. disease lies in establishing growing conditions that assist healthy and vigorous development of the seedlings. Some of the practices that bring this about have been considered. Growing conditions, however, are influenced largely by season, and the incidence of foot rot seems to fluctuate with season. This is borne out by the fact that the disease was widespread and severe in the 1934-35' season, when a very cold winter was experienced. During the 1935-36 season growing conditions at the seedling stage were much more favourable, and severe attacks of foot rot were rare, except that in patches where twitch was present or where cultivation had not produced a firm seed bed in good tilth, some severe infection occurred."