Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 16 April 1907, Page 4

I 1 The disease which has worked havoc 1 among some turnip crops in the Woira- • rapa, and is not unknown in this dist rict, has been recognised by Mr Kirk, Government biologist, as Phoma napobrassicte Ros, which ho described in a bulletin issued in November, 1905. The pamphlet states that "there seems no ; likelihood of being able to check the spread of this fungus in the bulbs themselves once they have become infected, but much may be done in preventing the disease from spreading from season to season. Great care should bo exercised in examining all roots when they are being harvested to ascertain if any show traces of diseases, and all such should at once be burnt. To leave diseased roots in a field is a sure method of spreading the disease. Acting on the knowledge that other species of the same genus pass a part of their lives on the leaves of the plant they infect, it follows that spraying with a suitable : fungicide, such as Bordeaux mixture, might stop, this disease from attacking the roots. Crops in which the presence of thiß phoma is suspected should be sprayed twice — once when the plants are a few weeks old, and again when they are nearing maturity. The storage of the roots from diseased crops should be 1 carefully attended to. A thoroughly dry J and well ventilated place must he select- . Ed, for it is damp, badly ventilated situatoins that provide the conditions most conducive for the rapid spread of this ; fungus."