RAIN MAY INCREASE WHEAT YIELDS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 1

RAIN MAY INCREASE WHEAT YIELDS

The rain that has fallen in the last few days could be worth a lot of money to wheatgrowers, Mr L. G. Copp, senior cereal breeder at the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lincoln, said yesterday.

“This is the time when the wheat needs it to fill the grain,” he said. “It will more than compensate for all of the hay that is out.”

Mr Copp said that the rain could be responsible for yield increases of 10 to 15 bushels to the acre. Crops would be able to carry on quite a long time before they would suffer from stress from lack of moisture.

Mr B. J. P. Ryde, senior lecturer in farm management at Lincoln College, also said yesterday that the rains would greatly enhance the yields of all crops being grown. Farmers might be able to look forward to a bonanza harvest, especially wheat. Heavy Frost Mr R. A. Milne, officer in charge of the Rangiora office of the Department of Agriculture, said last evening that there had been quite a heavy frost in some parts of North Canterbury on Sunday morning. About 10 degrees had been measured at Waikari and the frost could have been heavier in other parts. He did not yet know whether it was at the stage it would be susceptible to frost damage.

As well as frosting-off flowering wheat, Mr Ryde said, a frost might also still do damage to chou moellier and cocksfoot being saved for seed. A field of wheat near Leeston was damaged by hail on Friday.

By noon yesterday 1.55 inches of rain had fallen at the Christchurch airport’s weather station in 14 hours. At the Botanic Gardens by 9 a.m. yesterday, the last time a reading had been taken, 1.29 inches had fallen in 13 hours.

The temperature was 41 degrees at 6 a.m. yesterday, 43 degrees at Harewood at 11 a.m. and by 2 p.m. was 52 degrees. At 9 a.m. the Botanic Gardens had a temperature of 44 degrees, the same as a Harewood recording at the same time. Telephone Faults Three telephone cable faults were reported to the regional engineer’s office of

the Post Office, but none during the height of the storm. Faults were reported at Carlton Mill road. Centennial avenue, and at Lyttelton, but these had involved less than 100 subscribers. They had resulted from stormwater seepage. Some telephones in the Sydenham area were also out of action during the afternoon. Heavy rain and some hail fell in Banks Peninsula during the morning, with light snow in high areas. About one inch of rain was reported to have fallen at Akaroa. As in Christchurch, the weather on the peninsula cleared during the afternoon, but rain fell again in Christchurch last evening.