15 June 1992 Scholarships Boost Varied Lincoln Research

Mushrooms, kiwifruit, compost and pasture grasses are all subjects of Lincoln University research boosted financially by scholarships from the Leonard Condell Farming Scholarship Trust.

Four Lincoln University postgraduate students have received scholarships from the trust, which commemorates South Auckland farmer Leonard Condell. Three of the students receive $3000, the fourth gets $4600.

Of the four, two are studying for doctorates and two for masters degrees. They are –

• Anthony Mitchell of Christchurch, who is doing a Ph.D. in biochemistry with a project on "Agaricus systematics inferred from allozyme data". This deals with evolutionary relationships within mushroom species.

• Frank Parry, from Hikuai on the Coromandel, who is doing a Master of Applied Science degree in plant science with a research project on pure and mixed swards of new potential dryland pasture grass species. He is looking particularly at water-use and yield among the grasses.

• Dean Stewart from Christchurch, who is doing a Ph.D. in soil science, with a research project on the effect of spent mushroom compost on soil conditions and vegetable growth.

• Anne Rose, from Takaka, Nelson, is doing a Master of Science degree with a research project in the area of the epidemiology of kiwifruit diseases. Specifically she will be looking at the source of a botrytis fungus infection of kiwifruit.

Professor Ian Cornforth of Lincoln University's Research Committee welcomes the scholarship awards and says that such input to university research is always appreciated.

"Scholarship trusts and other philanthropic bodies have always played a major role in assisting research in New Zealand through the support of students working towards higher degrees.

"We are very grateful for the substantial grants made to the Lincoln University postgraduates by the Leonard Condell Scholarship Trust."

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand