Science Helps Woolgrowers

Chronicle (Levin), 31 December 1949, Page 3

Science Helps Woolgrowers

Scientific research,/ work- has already brought about big savings in the Auatralian woolgrowing" industry, and indications are that it -will result in further economies and iinprovements in the future. In the annual report of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research O'rganisation, which has just been tabled in Parliament, it is stated that extensive investigatipns have been lundertaken into , problems affecting all ! p'hases of vVool , production. Already, results of outstanding importance have b.een achieved in regard to mineral deficiencies in the soil. ' ' Coast disease, which formerly caused heavy losBes to woolgrowers, particulacly in South Austraiia, can now be overcome by dosing sheep with cobalt salts. " Steely" wool can . be eliminated by f eeding . small quantities of copper to sheep, and this discovery alone has added many hundreds of thousands of pounds to the value of the Australian clip. Small quantities of copper and zinC, with dreasings of super-phosphate, now enable productive paStures to be grown in 2 miilion acres of formerly worthless land in the Ninety Mile Plain region of South Australia.

Extremely promising developments have also taken place regarding the possibility of controlling body strike in sheep. Tests made have indicated that DDT sprays may provide the sheep with three months' protection from body strike. If later work confirms this, the blow-fly problem will be well on the way to solution, si'nc'e" Crutch strike in sheep can be contfolled by the -use of the modified Mnles operation. Strike in sheep, particularly crutch strike, costs the Australian industry' inillions of pounds every year, C.S.I.R.O. is also concerning itsell with a host of problems associated with wool in. the text'ile field. New fellmongery inethods have been developed which will eliminate many unpleasant stages of traditional processing and at the same time recover wool of higher quality than that normally. obtained. • Improved methodB of scouring wool and of removing burrs and other vegetable matter hre being developed. Some investigations are concerned with finding uses for wool wax, which is obtained in large quantities during scouring, but is at present wasted. Wool wax proj mises to be a useful source of important organic chemicals.