FUNGOID IN RYEGRASS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 45, 2 February 1945, Page 6

FUNGOID IN RYEGRASS

BLIND-SEED DISEASE OFFICIAL ANALYSIS PROCEEDING Owing to the weather' conditions that have been experienced during the i>ast few weeks blind-seed disease of ryegrass is rather prevalent in certain districts. This disease affects the ryegrass seed prior to harvesting and as a result of the infection the germination capacity of the seed is lowered. assist seed, growers the staff of the Fields Division Seed Testing Station has examined samples of r.vegrass seed prior to harvesting to determine the extent of the damage caused by the blind-seed disease and to estimate the germinating capacitj' of the. seed. In previous years this work has been carried out only at Palmerston North but this season three members of the Seed Testing Station staff were sent to Christchurch to examine, samples from Canterbury where the disease was unusually prevalent. Altogether over twelve hundred samples have been examined in the. last three weeks. Blind-seed disease is a fungus trouble that affects the seed head of the rj'egrass. Infection takes place while the seed is forming ki the head and the degree of infection -depends very largely upon •weather conditions at the time. Until some Jwelve years ago it w r as thought that the weather was entirely responsible for thellorw r germination trouble but subsequent Investigation broSght to light the fact that it, was a fungus disease. Diseased seeds from the previous season have been found to be the main source of infection, the fungus being carried over to each succeeding season. Investigation work is still proceeding with a view to obtaining control and it. is hoped that the solution Avill be in the management of the seed paddocks and that its application will be both straightforward and simple. Growers generally have expressed appreciation for the service rendered by the Department of Agriculture in connection with reports prior to harvest of the incidence of blindseed disease in their seed crops. This lias enabled the growers to determine whether or not the seed crop is worth harvesting and has been the means, of saving time and labour which might otherwise have been -wasted. At the same time it has been in many instances to save the material as-hay with obvious advantages.