I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1954, for the Salaries and Expenses of theOffice of the Minister for Agriculture and certain Services administered by that Office, including sundry Grants-in-Aid.
The Supplementary Estimate is for a net sum of £10 and is made up as follows:—
£ |
||
Sub-head |
E.1.—Technical and Advisory Work in Agriculture |
3,880 |
,, |
E.4.—Research Grants to University College, Dublin |
375 |
,, |
H.—Grants to County Committees of Agriculture |
29,200 |
,, |
I.—Special Agricultural, etc. Schemes |
5,800 |
,, |
N.1.—Diseases of Animals Acts, 1894 to 1949 |
400 |
39,655 |
||
Less:— |
||
Saving on Sub-head P. |
39,645 |
|
Net Sum Required |
£10 |
|
The provision of £3,880 under sub-head E (1), is for Technical and Advisory Work in Agriculture. This sum is required to meet estimated expenditure in 1953-54 in connection with a scheme for the propagation of pedigree seed wheat. For some years past the quality of the ordinary commercial seed wheats available to wheat growers has not been satisfactory, owing to natural deterioration and to the mixture of seeds of different varieties of wheat and of other cereals. In fact the quality of the seed in this respect was the subject of unfavourable comment by officials of OEEC who visited this country last year. It is considered that an official seed certification scheme is necessary in order to ensure that wheat growers will have available to them adequate supplies of high quality seed wheat suited to Irish conditions. Following discussions with representatives of the Flour Millers' Irish Wheat Association, agreement has been reached on the outlines of a scheme for the propagation and distribution of pedigree seed wheat.
The main features of the scheme are:—
(1) The Department will produce foundation stocks and sell these to the Flour Millers' Irish Wheat Association (or large seed merchants) each year;
(2) The allottees will arrange for the propagation of the foundation stocks through two seasons under the supervision of the Department. The produce of this seed will eventually be officially certified and sealed.
With regard to (1), the production of foundation stocks by the Department will involve the selection or production of varieties suitable to this country and their propagation under the supervision of the Plant Breeding Division from the single plant stage to the stage at which only three further years of multiplication will be required to provide the full seed requirements of the country.
As the Department has not, as yet, any suitable foundation stock, a small quantity, approximately 30 barrels, of Original Swedish Atle seed imported by Messrs. Irish Grain, Limited, is being used as a nucleus stock for propagation at Grange Farm and Warrenstown Agricultural College. It is also proposed, in 1953-54, to establish one seed certification unit in association with Messrs. Irish Grain, Limited, who have arranged for the growing by selected farmers of the balance of the Original Swedish Atle seed imported by them.
A provision of £375 under sub-head E (4) is for Reseach Grants to University College, Dublin. This additional provision is required for research into the ravages caused by the wheat midge.
In 1951 very extensive damage was done to wheat crops, particularly in the southern counties, by wheat midge. The damage in 1952 was much less.
In dealing with these outbreaks, the Department was handicapped by the lack of adequate data concerning the incidence, emergence period and biology of the midge in this country and by lack of reliable information as to the efficacy of the various control measures. Much was learned about wheat midge during and since the outbreaks referred to, but much remains to be learned before the Department will be in a position to fulfil effectively its function of adviser to the farming community in this matter.
As attacks of wheat midge may beexpected to recur, it is considered advisable to arrange for the carrying out of a detailed investigation into the matters mentioned. The Department has no officer on its staff with the required qualifications in entomology and arrangements have been made with the authorities of University College, Dublin, for the carrying out of the investigation by the agricultural zoology department of the college. The investigation will involve up to about ten weeks' field work during the summer, as well as experimental work.
The grant payable in respect of the investigation will depend on the actual expenditure, but it is not expected to exceed £375. The arrangement is similar to those already in operation in connection with investigations by the university authorities on potato root and strawberry eel worm.