NEW WHEATS FOR FARMERS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21813, 19 June 1936, Page 4

NEW WHEATS FOR FARMERS

TWO VARIETIES TO BE AVAILABLE REPORTS TO RESEARCH INSTITUTE • Two new wheats are to be put out for farmers’ use as spring wheats, according to the report of the Director of the Wheat Research Institute (Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf), presented at the quarterly meeting of the institute yesterday. Mr R. J. Lyon presided. The wheats are both selections from mixed lines originally obtained from Portugal. One to be called Tainui, is easily the best spring wheat we have .tried, states the report. It has outyielded ffiSn in every trial over four seasons and five localities. Its baking score is always much better than that of Tuscan. It is suitable only for the country . from Palmerston northwards. Its straw is not strong enough to recommend it for autumn sowing. A few bags of moderately clean seed are being grown this year at Waimate. The other wheat is to be called Taiaroa. It is designed for spring sowing in South Otago and Southland. It w quite equal to the best yielder in that area is at least a week earlier, and has a superior baking quality. No seed will be available to farmers for the next two years. Cross 7 Wheat Cross 7 as a spring wheat has fulfilled our expectations, stated the plant-breeding report. It yielded as much as Tuscan in two trials, and a good deal more in a third trial. Its earliness and good straw recommend it strongly as a spring wheat. For this reason cross 7 should receive full prominence. _ . , In Marlborough cross 7 did not show up to the same advantage as it had done in the previous seasons, though equalling or slightly surpassing Tuscan all the* same. In an experiment at Tua Marina, Marquis showed up to considerable advantage. One may conclude from the instructor’s reports that this was largely due to the resistance to rust for which this variety is noted. Still, the large majority of yield tests shows without the shadow of a doubt that as a rule the farmer cannot rely on Marquis for yields of the same amount as from some other varieties, chiefly cross 7. Altogether, this season’s results do not contradict the previous conclusions that for its earliness, excellent straw, reliable and high yield, and well-formed grain cross 7 is the most commendable variety for Marlborough.