COMBATING PLANT DISEASE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXVII, Issue 7960, 4 February 1930, Page 2

COMBATING PLANT DISEASE

. NEW ZEALAND EXPERT’S RESEARCH ABROAD BETTER CROPS EXPECTED "I think we are well advanced here in agricultural research and compare very favourably with other countries,” said Dr. G. S. Cunningham, mycologist to the Department of Agriculture, when interviewed on his return to Palmerston North after a nine months’ tour of foreign countries. As an officer of the Department of Agriculture’s research station at Palmerston North he visited over 60 research stations,in the United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Belgium, HoPand, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. His visit Home to attend the Imperial mycology conference in London, secondarily to attend the agricultural meteorological conference, and thirdly to make a study of agricultural research organisations light throughout the world.

“It is hoped ihat much information gained diming tho tour cap be usefully applied very shortly under local conditions,” he said, in emphasising the importance of research. Dr. Cunningham mentioned that in New Zealand, under condi Moms favourable to its development, disease took a toll of between half to two-thirds of ihp crops, whereas in Engl in I a ftv > cent, loss would be high. Great Britain Dr. (lupningham found to be mqre advanced to-day in agricultural research than any other country he visited.

“(11 myco(pp:y, pl(U\( work and horticulture, wool research, and animal nutrition they are especially active,” he said! “All of the plant diseases in New Zealand have been introduced from America and Europe and consequently investigations conducted elsewhere have a direct bearing on New Zealand agricultural activities,” he continued. The most serious diseases in the plant kingdom at present are virus diseases, continued Dr. Cunningham. “They are a group of diseases (h,g cause of which up to the presort is obscure. JsJavy Zealand ''they, grs particularly serious because they attack turnips, mangels and cereals, consequently we' find most of the work to-day directed towards these groups of diseases.”