AUSTRALIAN PASTURES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22444, 13 June 1936, Page 18

AUSTRALIAN PASTURES

DROUGHT-RESISTING PLANTS WORLD SEARCH PROBABLE [FROM OCR OWN CORKKSI'ONDENT] SYDNEY. June 5 It is probable that inquiries will be made in every continent in the world to discover plants that would maintain or increase the pastoral value of the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. Approval has been given by the Australian Agricultural Council to a suggestion that officers should be sent abroad to discover such plants, and plans for the project are now being prepared by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Scientists contend that unless steps are taken to conserve natural pastures in Australia and new plants specially suited for semi-arid areas are introduced, the carrying capacity of vast areas of the Commonwealth will be destroyed.

The first area to which Australian scientists may he sent is that part of Asia which includes Georgia, Azerbaijan. northern Persia, and the Caucasus, wit h Till is, in Georgia, as headquarters. The second would probably be Spain, Morocco and Algeria, with Gibraltar as headquarters. The third vould probably be South America, and la.er visits would be made to Kenya, Tanganyika. Rhodesia and central and northern India. It has been proposed tentatively that two experts should be sent to Tifiis for research work, to be begun over a period of about five years. Imported pasture plrints woidd afterwards be tested in Australia. It is considered that the cost of maintaining tho two officers abroad would be about £IOOO a year each.