Gisborne Experiments for The Control of Thrip

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18551, 10 November 1934, Page 13

Gisborne Experiments for The Control of Thrip

EXPERIMENTS are to he carried out in the Gisborne district for the control of thrip 'Oil citrus fruit. This is an insect with scars the fruit, the appearance of which is greatly affected. Commenting on this the other day, Mr P. Everett, orchard instructor at Gisborne, stated that experiments were to bo carried out during the coming season, more particularly with the orange. The thrip was a minute black insect I about one-sixteon'th of an inch in length which frequented the blossoms and also 'damaged the young fruit by rasping the surface, this having the effect , of causing a rough, scurfy appearance when the fruit is nearing maturity. With the appearance thus marred) the market value of the fruit was reduced. - The aim of the experiments to bo conducted in the district was to find a satisfactory means of control. Tests would be made with various forms of sulphur, summer oil and nicotine sulphate, Mr Everett added. Spray applications would be made at different .periods, commencing when most of the blossom petals have fallen. This stage, iso far as oranges were concerned, would be about the present. This is one of the many • experiments being conducted in orchard work in various pai'ts ot 1 the Dominion. ,A number .are going oil in the Gisborne district, together with those of a similar type in other orchard areas. One phase of the experimental work which has developed is the standardisation of spraying materials, and recently a member of.the Research Station staff at Palmerston North, Mr G. L. Taylor, lias been working between the station and Hawke’s Bay

orchards. Air Taylor’s investigations in Hawke’s Bay orchards 'concern the mechanics of spraying and, to a certain extent, the personal factor in the work. He is collecting data from the various orchards upon such factors as pressures at which certain sprays are applied, .apertures used, quantities of mixed spray applied per tree, 'methods .used by individual orchardisfs to secure the best coverage and kindred questions.