DISEASED ROOT CROPS.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19911, 13 June 1936, Page 8

DISEASED ROOT CROPS.

I SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. : SIMPLE AND CHEAP REMEDY. l MAB’I‘ON, Friday. I Encouraging results in combating ‘disease in swedes were the Subject of an announcement made tO-‘day by the Minister of Agriculture. Hon. W. Lee Martin. He said the disease known as mottled heart. or brown heart, of swedes had become extremely troublesome in the past season. Much attention had been paid overseas to similar Idisesse and satisfactory control meas‘ures had been suggested. ‘ The Fields Division or the Depart‘ment of Agriculture had followed up the overseas work by carrying out exlperiments in various parts or New Zesland, and, although the results were not yet complete. they were sumeiently encouraging to permit him {to make a statement. The treatment put under trial and found very satis‘ractory by the Fields Division consist‘ed of applying 1011: an acre of ordin‘ary commercial borax to the land at ‘the time of sowing.

Deficiency of boron in the soil was apparently the cause of a number of diseases of crops, and it was of interest. to farmers to know that such a simple and cheap remedy was so eitective in controlling this particular disease or swedes. In order to facilitate the application of such a small quantity of broax, it was considered ‘thac rthe material could be mixed with ‘tertiliser without a loss of efficiency.

Too great. a concentration or horax should be avoided. however. if manure was being sown in contact with seed. \Vhere the crop was being sown by means or a ridger which. allowed the fertiliser to be sown both with and below the seed. the borax should be mixed with fertiliser being delivered not actually in contact with the seed, so as to avoid gemiination injury. W'here turnips were sown under the usual methods. there appeared in he no danger of such injury if not more than Alb of borax were mixed with each hundredweight ot‘ fertiliser.