HESSIAN FLY PEST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19248, 13 February 1937, Page 15

HESSIAN FLY PEST

WHEAT FIELDS ATTACKED CANTERBURY DAMAGE CONTROL BY PARASITES (Per Press Association.) CHEISrrCHDRCH, this day. Fanners in various Canterbury districts have noticed this year a mysterious breaking over of many steins in some wheat crops. Examination has proved the trouble is due to an attack of hessian fly. In an interview this morning, Mr. I!. McOillivray, the fields superintendent of the .Department of Agriculture, said the. trouble with hessian fly seemed much more widespread than usual, but it was only in isolated eases that the attack had led to serious damage. However, it was a pest that could do very great damage at times.

The crop generally attacked was wheat, but be bad also seen damage in barley, and had .been told of damage in ryecorn crops. Hessian fly was well known in the Northern Hemisphere, and had done considerable damage at times to both wlieat and barley crops. It evidently had been introduced into New Zealand by accident at some time. Some farmers, he said, showed considerable uneasiness, but his own opinion was that effective control of hessian fly would lie brought about by natural parasites which preyed upon the pest.