3^8 Journal of Agnciiltiirc. [lo June, 1909. 



AYHEAT IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE. 



DISEASES AND PES'JS OF CEREALS. 



H. Pre, Principal, Dooklc Agricultural College. 



If statistics could be published of the linanrial loss to the State, due 

 to the ravages of fungoici and allied pests, the amount would be 

 astounding. If we consider the loss to farmers due to the pre.sence in 

 their crops of Bunt, Black Smut, Leaf Smut, Take-all, and Rust, this 

 loss alone would impress on them not only the utility, but the urgent 

 necessity, of exhaustive experiments to produce varieties having the power 

 to resi.st the attacks of parasitic pests ; and, until this end is achieved, 

 to find methods of checking, if not destroying, them. The farmer who 

 studies and understands the life-history of these pests is often enabled to 

 keep his farm free from some of them. Others of them, such as rust 

 in wheat, are beyond the control of the farmer, except that he may grow 

 certain varieties that, in his district, ha\e the power to resist diseases. 



Experiments in connexion with the production of such \"arieties have, 

 for many years, been carried out at the College. In the early days, the 

 production of rust-resistant varieties claimed considerable attention ; but, 

 as rust is seldom present at the College Farm in sufficient quantity to con- 

 siderably reduce the vield, the conditions were not such as to enable a 

 proper test to be made. It is possible, however, to carrv on interesting 

 experiments antl research work in connexion with bunt {Tilletia levis and 

 T. tritici), this disease being prevalent in all wheat-growing areas where 

 the pickling of seed is not systematically carried out. The experiments 

 in relation to bunt were carried out last season on a more comprehensive 

 plan than during the previous season. Over 200 experiments relating to 

 this disea.se alone were under observation ; but, as Mr. McAlpine. the 

 Government Vegetable Pathologist, had a free hand to acquire results 

 for his new work on the Smuts of Australia, it will not be necessarv for 

 mi' ti> dfil witii details of a more or less technical nature. The scope of 

 the work intended to increase our knowledge of bunt diseases is. in the 

 main, embraced under the following heads : — 



(1) The profluction of hunt-resistaiit varieties of wlieat : ^ 



['!) To (letenniiie the most effective and economical fungicides or pickles and the 

 best metiii'ds of ii.sing tjiem ; 



(3) To determine the losses due to pickling : 



(4) To determine the loss due to sowing nnpicklcd wheat in soil infct'tcd by a 



discasi.'d ci'o|i grown during the pre\ ions season ; 



(.")) '\\^ note the (^llecls of reinfection due to placing pickled wiieat in infecti'd l-ags, 

 or utilizing infected seed-drills, &o. ; 



(6) ComiJiirative tests of the moi-e comn-.only-grown wlieuts in regard to bunt- 

 resistance. 



Comparative Tests of Varieties in Regard to Bunt-Re.sistance. 



Tests of .some of the better known wheats were made to determine 

 their comparative resistance to bunt disease. 



The fluctuations from vear to year are slight ; but, on th(^ whole, all 

 the wheats generally grown are much subject to iniertion. The harder 

 or somewhat .semi-translucent varieties appear to have a smaller per- 

 centage bunted. This mav be due to an inherent power of resistance, or 

 to th(^ pickle mere r(\Tdiiv reaching all parts of the grain. In some 

 varieties the ci'ease is deep and rather nari'w ; hence, sjiores could rest at 

 the bottom without K'ing wetted or destroyed, owing to the imprisoned 

 air preventing the fungicide from soaking in to them. Also, in some 

 varieties, the brush is large and catches bnnt spores, and the germ end 



