Plants Must Have Right Nutrition

Northern Advocate, 24 December 1938, Page 13

Plants Must Have Right Nutrition

Nutrition was playing as important a part -in the plant industry as it was in human well-being, said. Dr. Colin Barnard, senior research officer in the division of plant industry of the Australian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, on his return from a visit abroad.

Dr. Barnard, who represented the Commonwealth >at the Internationa] Horticultural Congress in Berlin, said that an example of this could be found in the solution by Californian and South African research workers of the little leaf and delayed foliation disorders. which were problems here.. Soil Deficiency “They found that it was caused by a deficiency of zinc in the soil,” Dr. Barnard said. “Other similar disorders have been traced to deficiencies in zinc, copper and other minor elements.” Germany’s intensive cultivation of her land impressed him very much, he said. To an Australian it was an eye-opener to see a plot of 56 acres on which 70 hands were employed full time. There were no orchards, as we knew them, in Germany. Apple trees had cabbages growing between them, and sugar beet right up to the trunk of the tree. It was really amazing. Dr. Barnard will investigate complaints by officers of the Australian Dried Fruit Board in London that Australian currants from the eastern states were of such poor quality that they could not compare with the green currants, or those from Western Australia,

Australia Holding Its Own

“P was shown samples of the currants in London,” he said. “I could not credit that they could send such currants from Mildura, and I, have to inquire as to the why and wherefore. Our sultanas are very fine; there is no question about their quality.”

Dr, Barnard said' that he had returned to Australia convinced that this, country was holding its own in the

field of research with the .countries he had visited, but hh r to secure much information which would be of value to research workers here.