WHEAT RESEARCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 256, 10 August 1933, Page 7

WHEAT RESEARCH

WORK OF THE INSTITUTE. PRAISE BY MR RANSOM. (Special to the "Guardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The satisfactory results attained at the Wheat Research Institude, especially in regard to the testing of Jumbuck wheat, were the subject of eulogistic comment yesterday by the Hon. E. A. liansom (acting-Minister in Charge of the Department of Scientific and industrial Research). Mr Ransom passed through Christchurch on his way to Dunedin and luvercargill. The Minister said that it was gratifying to note that the investigations being carried out by the Wheat Research Institute were giving useful results of distinct economic importance to the wheat industry, and that the institute had gained the confidence of those who were contributing toward its maintenance. The wheat variety testing work which had been done both at Lincoln College and at the Wheat Research Laboratory had provided useful guides to farmers and millers as to which varieties of wheat should be encouraged and which eliminated. This work alone had eliminated 5 a great deal of the element of chance from milling and baking processes, and had resulted in a general raising of the standard of loaf quality produced. It had generally been found profitable and in the interests of all to reduce the number of varieties of any crop that was grown for marketing on a large scale. The Institute had already tested out some 2000 varieties of wheat and was in touch with all new varieties which were being introduced in overseas countries. So, it was able to test out on an accurate scale the value of each of these, thus- saving the farmers the trouble and uncertainty of importing new varieties and testing them out themselves. As the capacity of New Zealand grown wheat to produce flour, and bread of the requisite quality had long been questioned, added the Minister, it was of much satisfaction to note that as the result of the careful breeding investigations carried out at the institute a strain of wheat known for the present as Cross 7 had been produced which, after subjeption to drastic trials in a number of wheat-growing areas, showed that it possessed a yield in bushels per "acre equivalent to Tuscan, yielded the miller 2 per cent, additional flour, and produced a loaf which had a baking quality 10 per cent, better than Tuscan. When in the next few years the seed of this strain would be available for growing generally, then it would be reasonable to expect , thafc the use of this grain, in itself, by millers and ' bakers would result in the production of bread of better quality. Another valuable work done by the institute was in bringing to notice the virtues of Jumbuck wheat, a variety which had been grown spasmodically for a number of years, but whose good qualities had generally not been recognised, added the Minister. This was probably due to the fact that its baking quality was never definitely tested out, and because, being only a moderate yielder, it did not appeal to farmers in comparison with Tuscan. "The work at the laboratory has shown that Jumbuck is easily the best quality wheat grown in New Zealand, and equals in this respect the best Canadian varieties, such as Marquis and Garnet," he continued. "There seems every likelihood that the area'in Jumbuck wheat will increase, it being particularly* suited for those districts possessed of a heavy soil and sheltered from strong winds. At the present time steps are being taken to clear up the variety from certain diseas&s, which reduce its. value, and at the same time to secure pure strains of the best quality Jumbuck so that the maximum advantage may be secured from its use."