BLIGHT ON MANUKA: DANGER TO VALUED COVER GROWTH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22872, 16 February 1949, Page 5

BLIGHT ON MANUKA: DANGER TO VALUED COVER GROWTH

A reference in {he minutes of the P.B. Catchment Board’s previous meeting to the exhibition of ft specimen of manuka infected by blight was taken up at yesterday’s meeting by Mr. E. A. Madden, who pointed out that the infected specimen was of kanuka and not manuka. The matter was important, he said, because while infestation of manuka by the blight was faily widespread in certain districts, this was the first indication he had had that the blight would take on kanuka, the smaller-leaved close relative of manuka. The board agreed to the correction by Mr. Madden. The attitude of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, relative to the establishment of the manuka blight in the North Island, was indicated by a letter inquiring for information as to whether attempts had been made to transfer the blight to this district. The council referred to the value of manuka as a natural-cover bush, and deprecated any activity which would result in its destruction. Specimens to be Submitted Members of the board were uncertain as to whether the blight shown on the kanuka specimen produced at last meeting was indentical with the South Island manuka blight. Further, there was no definite information as to whether deliberate efforts to transplant the South Island infection to this district had succeeded. It was decided to reply to the council accordingly. On the motion of Mr. Madden, it was agreed that specimens of the kanuka infestation should be submitted to plant-disease specialists for identification. Members were unanimous in expressing concern at the possibility that manuka and kanuka growth in the district would be seriously affected by disease.