Abstract
THE tobacco-growing industry in Australia has in recent years suffered heavy losses from the disease commonly known as ‘downy mildew’ or ‘blue-mould’ (Peronosporatabacina). To raise disease-free seedlings in the principal growing areas by customary methods has become almost impossible. Importation of plants from New Zealand has been attempted, but without marked success; and efforts have been made to establish seed-beds at Hermansburg Mission Station in Central Australia, where possibly infestation may not occur. Happily a means of overcoming the difficulty appears to have been demonstrated by Dr. H. R. Angell, of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. His method is to allow benzol (or certain other hydrocarbon mixtures) to evaporate in the seed-beds during the night time and on dull days when the beds are under cover. While neighbouring untreated control beds may be completely destroyed, those subjected to the vapour remain healthy; in fact, no development follows even from artificial inoculation. During the present season extensive trials have been made in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia with uniformly successful results. It is true that there remains a risk of infection when the seedlings are planted out, but this is relatively slight compared with the danger in the seed-beds; and it would appear that an economical, practical and effective means of destroying what is perhaps the greatest obstacle in the way of stabilising the tobacco industry in Australia has been developed and proved.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tobacco Disease in Australia. Nature 137, 525–526 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/137525c0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/137525c0