WHEAT VARIETIES

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20499, 18 March 1932, Page 13

WHEAT VARIETIES

BREEDING TESTS OF INSTITUTE. RESULTS COMPARED, \ A report on the plant breeding work of the Wheat Research Institute was presented at yesterday's meeting of the Institute by the Director (Dr. F.- W. Hilgendorf). > The results show some interesting comparisons with Tuscan. The report states: — "In crossing work, back crosses between hybrids and one parent are now being used, in the hope of more certainly securing improved types. . "In the standard variety trial Tubcan again beat all competitors, with the exception of the" Dreadnoughts (two lines) and Solid Straw Velvet. /The Dreadnoughts, however, are easily shaken, and Solid Straw Velvet is still of doubtful milling quality, and so neither of these varieties is recommended for distribution. The late varieties, Hunters, Victor, and Yeoman, suffered from the spring drought more than the early sorts. "A. cross of Tuscan by White Fife still shows promise. Some of the lines equalled Tuscan in" yield, and" it will be remembered that last year they-were distinctly superior to Tuscan in milling and baking quality. The results of yield trials at Ashbwton and Methven, and this yeaf's baking trials, are nowbeing anxiously awaited. A start has been made to breed up pure lines of all the families still persisting in this cross so that seed may he available for distribution immediately its merit is conclusvely proved. Canadian and American Wheats. "We had proved that the high quality Canadian and American varieties, Garnet, Marquis, Rewar.d, White Fife, Oro. Tenmarq, and Kanred X Marquis, could not compete with Tuscan when autumn sown, but it was still hoped that they might §nd a sphere of utility on light land spring, sown, where -their yield might approach that of Tuscan, and their superior quality make :13ieix sowing payable. • Portion of a light land field near Lincoln was therefore secured aid a comprehensive trial made of both autumn and spring sowing. The excessively dry spring made the trial a very searching one. Among the autumn-sown seed Tuscan yielded about 15 bushels per acre, Garnet* about 8 bushels, and the others practically nothing. /In the spring sowing the Tuscan and Garnet produced only empty .ears, and the other varieties died off without heading. . ,i "Although the trial was abnormally severe it shows that these new varieties do not possess drought-resisting . properties, : and -indicates that the sphere in which Garnet has most chance of success in Canterbury is when sown • very late on heavy land, or in, a spring with a sufficient rainfall. , -vTrial of English Wheats. "A very comprehensivei trial* accurate though on a small l scale, was made with numerous new English wheats., None of them exceeded Tuscan in .-yield, and most of them shook fairly easily Bb that this avenue holds no promise of leading to success. The trial was made, the basis of an experiment, in yield trial method, Dr. Franlcel being always in search of the plan that will give the most accurate yield trial with the least work. Such, a search is most important in view of the fact . that, we "expect within the next few years to haye thousands of lines of crossbreds under yield trials, and that these will tax our space and wages funds to the-utmost. "Somedriver wheats were included in the trials. These wheats are quite unsuitable Jor bread-makifig, but they are very. high yielders, have long and strong straw, are very suitable for the heaviest land, and in England are said to be always immune from attack by birds. They may have a use for small holdings near towns.

Testing for Quality. ' 'One of the main problems for the wheat-breeder is to find a means of determining the quality of a wheat when only a few ounces of it are available—that is, long before a baking test can be made. To carry on all sections from a crossbred wheat until there is enough of each for a hairing te£t would multiply our work, and' the area demanded at least ten times. To select by guesswork might easily mehn throwing away the very wheat that all our work is demoted to discovering. For this reason much work has been devoted to Distensometer tests. odd wheats were tested' against a mixture of half Tuscan and half Marquis, with the result that the only wheats that seem comparable to the Canadians in strength are some from Sinai, Iraq, and Cfiina. Some of tliese may be usedto replace Canadians in future crossing work." " ... The report outlined a new test—the Pelshenke—that got over the difficulties of the Distensometer test. It ■was clear that the Pelshenke test • could pick without possibility •of . mistake wheats of Canadian quality, and therefore \*as the -very thing that the plantbreeder needed. It is v however, useless at present for picking different grades of Tuscan, and therefore was ,of no use for millers' jjuipose*.