YIELDS OF WHEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 137, 22 March 1935, Page 8

YIELDS OF WHEAT.

THE EFFECT OF RAINFALL. (Special to the “ Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH This Day. The effect of rainfall on the yield of wheat was the subject of a report presented to the Wheat Research Institute at its meeting yesterday by the Director (Dr. F. W, Hilgendorf). It was stated in a report on field work at Lincoln, that the effect of rain on yield depended not on the total amount during the growing season, hut on its distribution. That was emphasised by the rainfall figures at Lincoln during the season September 1 to January >l7 in the •last three years, and the yields of wheat obtained as follow: Year. Rainfall. Yield. 1932- 9.6 86.5 1933- 10.1 49.0 1931-5 6.1 53.0 A graph showed the soil moisture at different dates during the last three reasons, and it- was stated that an examination of the graph suggested that the most important period was from mid-October to mid-December and that high soil moisture outside those periods was of much less value to the crop. The crop of 1934-35 was doubtless favourably affected by the rain of 1.3 inches shown as at November 30, although it was extremely dry thereafter. A continuation of the work was expected to throw light on the particular periods at which rain had the greatest effect., Dr. Hilgendorf added that it seemed that ram during the shooting and filling seasons was all that really mattered. If investigations were carried on along these lines it should be possible to make prognostications about yields of wheat.