CLUB-ROOT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1245, 29 September 1911, Page 8

CLUB-ROOT.

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.' '.Tho effect of manuring with acid superphosphato ou club-root is dealt with by Mr. Primrose M'Connell in an interesting article in the-latest' issue of tho Agricultural Department's "Journal/* For somo years,' it is stilted, all swede varieties grown at the Moumahaki Experiment Station (with the exception of Garton's Superlative) have been more or less affected with club-root. .. As. a. result of experience it is concluded that tho us-e of a highly soluble superphosphato fostered tho c-lub-root disease to n very great extent. iHany farmers in.New Zealand aro now arriving at the samo conclusiou. In order to put .tho matter to a further test, the area to lie-occupied by the variety swode crop at the -Moumahaki Experiment Farm was manured with three different phosphatic manures, which wore applied previous to sowing t!ii>' turnip-seed and at : right angles to tho rows. Plot No. 1 received, per acre, basic superphosphate, 2} cwt.'j .kiiihit, 1} cwt. : Plot No. 2 received, per ncre, superphosphate, 21 cwt.; kninit, lj cwt.- Plot No. 3 received, per acre, basic slai,.3 cwt.; kainit, 1-J cwt. The following table shows the result : Plot Plot Plot i No. 1 No. 2. No. 3. ■ ' Per Per Per ' Swede Variety. _ Cent. C'eut. Cent. Bahgholm Improved ... 25 100 10 Kangaroo 50 100. 20 MaV Day 75 100 50 X.L. All 100 Failure 100 Jkst 'Of All 10 100' Trace John'.Bull 50 100 .20 Perfection , 20 100 Trace Kin'aldie's Improved ... 75 Failure 50 Hal.ewood 30 100 ~ .10 Qottjijeror 50 Failuro 40 Monarch 10 ,100 30 Golden Melon .....' 75 Failuro. 15 East Lothian 30 100 10 Magnum Bonum .... 30 100 10 Champion 30 1110 10 Lord Derby 40 100 25 Hp to .'Date : '50 100 35 ,It will be seen from the abbvo fable, pays Mr. M'Connell, that, 011 soils subject to club-root, basic s!ag should be. used in pr6forence to superphosphate. Experiments carried, out in Groat Britain have also proved that even ,on soils not subject,'to club-root basic slag produces, a sounder ..root and of greater feeding value than that grown by superphosphate. Several. so-called club-root preventives were, tested, but.none-of them had tlio slightest visible effect, either good or bad. On.the supposition that the disease may Ke imported with the. seed, a small portion of the latter was treated as follows:— t.'Steeped "five minutes in corrosive sublimate; 1 in 280. . Steeped five minutes iin formalin, 1 in 500.' . Kept At a. temperature of 125 degrees for .twenty minutes. ..Exposed to formalin-gas for 'sixteen hours. .

None .of the above treatments had, any visible result, except' that, the seed treated .with formalin-gas failed to terminate. The club-root disxwso is of many years' standing, and up to the present all afctempts t.o produce a reliable preventive have failed. Although the scientist has so far not met withsuccess, 3lr. M'Connel considers thore is every .reason to believe that the plant-breeder will succeed, as the Superlative swedo has stood the test on tho Moumahaki Station for several WKi.sor.s in sncccs'sion. Club-root must not'be confused with blight or black-rot —it is an entirely different disease, and jio variety or turnip-has as yet been produced that will resist tho last two. The -application of lime -has, occasionally had good results, although practically.never in tlie first year of application.