NOXIOUS WEEDS RESEARCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 12

NOXIOUS WEEDS RESEARCH

RECENT WORK AT NELSON.

CHILIAN RAGWORT PARASITE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN, Sunday. In an interview Dr. D. Miller, chief entomologist at the Cawtbron Institute, Nelson, who was a visitor to Dunedin during tho week-end, gave interesting details of sorno of the work he is performing as director of noxious weeds research.

One matter mentioned by Dr.. Miller which will bo of particular interest to fruitgrowers in different parts was tho control of the earwig pest. Ho was busy with that problem at present. A fly had been introduced, to be used to prey on the earwig, but he was sorry to say that it was not doing as well as had been expected, and he did not think it would ever be of much use. It was hoped in tho near future, however, to find an egg parasite Hint would have some effect. But it was only fair to remind fruitgrowers that it was likely to prove a long search. Most of tho countries of tho world wire engaged on this problem, and when ail egg parasite was found ho felt sure it would provide a much more reliable control than Iho fly.

Speaking of the sheep maggot fly, which attacks the on living sheep, Dr. Miller stated that a "parasite had been secured for this pest, and was now being bred at the institute. A contribution of £IOO from the Sheepowners' Federation had been a great help in carrying out the experiments in this work. The borntail borer, a menace to tho Dominion's pino, forests, had also been engaging J* good deal of attention, and through tho agency of tho Imperial Bureau of Entomology several consignments of the necessary parasite had been received, and great success had attended the efforts to roar and acclimatise them. This was the fiist occasion on which an attempt had been mado to ship them from one side of tho world to the other, and tho outcome was being watched, with keen interest in other countries. Dr. Miller added that research work was steadily going forward with respect to tho control of blackberry, ragwort, gorso and biddi-biddi by means of insect parasites. Good progress had been made with regard to ragwort, and there also appeared to be every possibility that a Chilian insect which was now being imported would prove an effective means oi checking the biddi-biddi. Tho work on blackberry and gorso was as yet not very far advanced.