Grow Cassava!

But Examine its Bugs !

IN your February number, you men tion a campaign in favour of grow ing cassava in New Guinea/’ says Dr. J. S. Phillips, an eminent British entomologist, in a letter to “PIM” editor.

“Island-grown cassava would indeed make an excellent substitute for rice, which is imported from Asia at such unnecessary expense and use of trans port, into many parts of the Pacific.

“It would be best, though, to plant this crop on a small scale at first. On Mal aita, Solomon Islands, I saw a few cas sava plants in 1938, and these were badly attacked by the coconut-bug Amblypelta, which had caused twisting of the stems and shrivelling of the leaves. Dasynus manihotis, a very close relation of the coconut-bug, does similar damage in Java, though the outbreaks are curiously local and sporadic.

“It might be advisable, therefore, to find out whether Amblypelta could do serious damage to cassava before plant ing it on a large scale in that Group.”