Wheat Research Unit For N.I.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31084, 13 June 1966, Page 9

Wheat Research Unit For N.I.

A new substation will be opened in the North Island by the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to intensify its programme to breed suitable wheats for the North Island.

The director of the Crop Research Division (Dr. H. C. Smith) said that when Dr. J. M. McEwan, a plant breeder at the division at Lincoln, returned in August from a cereal breeders’ conference in Brisbane, he would take charge of a substation of the division at Palmerston North. Dr. McEwan would have a laboratory at the Grasslands Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on the outskirts of Palmerston North and research and experimental plots on the new Aorangi research property, which would also be used by the Grasslands Division. It was about 15 miles from the Grasslands Division and would be occupied from April 1 next year. Dr. Smith said a technical officer who had been in charge of much of the wheat breeding work in the growth chambers at Lincoln would go to the North Island to assist Dr. McEwan in January. He is Mr K. J. Vizer. Main Project Dr. Smith said that Dr. McEwan’s main project would be

to breed suitable wheat varieties for the North Island. A programme of what breeding for the North Island had been in progress at Lincoln and this would be intensified in the north. The main objects of this programme would be to breed earlier maturing, high baking quality, high yielding, sprout-resistant varieties to replace Gamenya, Tainui and Aotea. Dr. McEwan will also be responsible for supervising trials of new crop varieties developed by other sections of the division at Lincoln including potatoes, field crop varieties like brassicas and oats and barley.