WEEDS, PESTS, INTEREST

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 10

WEEDS, PESTS, INTEREST

Mr F. C. Allen has taken up a position with the Department of Agriculture as South Island field research officer concerned with the application of weedicides and pesticides to farming. He succeeds Mr W. F. Leonard, who resigned last year to join Imperial Chemical Industries (N.Z.),Ltd.

Mr Allen is already well known in Canterbury as technical officer concerned with weed and pest control for the Canterbury Seed Company and earlier he was an officer of the Crop Research Division. In his new capacity he will continue to be stationed at Lincoln and will have his headquarters with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research with whose divisions there he will work in close co-operation. Born in Christchurch, Mr Allen was educated at the

Christchurch Technical College and Canterbury College where he graduated bachelor of science in 1941. He then spent a period on military service. For about three years he was with the Royal New Zealand Air Force on radar work and then he spent a year with the Army in Italy. Weed Control On his return from the war he joined the Crop Research Division at Lincoln and was engaged on weed control work with Mr M. Black on crops like linseed and linen flax.

In 1951 he joined the Canterbury Seed Company and in particular he has been concerned with the establishment of wild oat and aphis control in cereal crops using Carbyne for the oats and Rogor for aphis control. In his new position with the Department of Agriculture he Will work in collaboration with research officers of the department throughout the South Island and also in co-operation with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Lincoln College.

Mr Allen said this week likely avenues of investigation in which he would be interested in the near future were co-operative investigations with the Plant Diseases Division on the control of barley yellow dwarf virus in spring-sown cereal crops, the investigation of varietal differences in tolerance of cereals to the newer weed control chemicals, the control of weeds whose seeds are likely to cause injury to livestock or livestock products —notably barley grass and storksbill —nassella tussock and the investigation and control of pests which interfere with the establishment of brassica crops. N.Z. Body Mr Allen is a foundation member and former president of the New Zealand Weed Control Conference and also a former chairman of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science.