WHEAT CROP

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30058, 16 February 1963, Page 6

WHEAT CROP

Wheat yields in Marlborough and North Canterbury are well down this season. The overall average from about 6500 acres was just under 37 bushels an acre on the basis of returns sent In by Department of Agriculture officers, tiie fields superintendent In Christchurch (Mr A. R. Dingwall) said this week. Mr Dingwall said that the wheat yield picture was still incomplete. Very few returns had come in from South Canterbury, where the harvest was delayed, and the only returns from MidCanterbury so far were of crops entered for certification.

The results of this preliminary survey confirmed that the wheat season had been most unfavourable in Marlborough and North Canterbury. With Mid-Canter-bury and South Canterbury yields included Mr Dingwall expects that the Canterbury average will be higher. In Marlborough certified and uncertified wheat crops °Y« r 13® acres ebout a fifth of the total ares—averaged about 25 bushels, largely because of stem rust and unfavourable weather; but this excludes certified areas of 98 acres of Hilgen«torf (1961) and 30 acres of Aotea which were abandoned and not harvested. Hilgendorf (1961) fared better to North Canterbury than in Marlborough, being less affected by stem rust, and 722 acres of Hilgendorf (1981) in North Canterbury averaged 46 bushels, compared with an average of only 244 bushels for 253 acres in Marlborough. Certified Aotea to North Canterbury wronged 384 bushels from 837 acres; but to the Rangfote district, where average yields tertxny, the average for uncertified Aotea over 1300 acres was only 33 bushels. fa Mid-Oanterbury certified crops yielded better and 7 , ac^ e » ** Aotea averaged M bushels and 272 acres of (1881) averaged