DROUGHT MAIN CULPRIT

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 9

DROUGHT MAIN CULPRIT

An inspection was made of a number of wheat crops this week to determine whether they had been affected by frost or drought conditions. The general manager of the Wheat Board (Mr L. C. Dunshea) said there had been a suggestion that there were a number of cases of frost damage and at the same time there was a suggestion that drought effects could be involved. A party was organised of ! Mr L. G. Copp, of the Crop Research Division, Mr W. E. Hannah, of the Wheat Board i staff, Mr R. G. Jolly, of the ! Department of Agriculture, and three assessors for wheat I damage compensation, Messrs A. L. Mulholland. G. E. I Wright and C. 0. Redfern. i This party inspected 18 I crops in the Darfield, Kirwee and Aylesbury- areas and i came to the conclusion that !only one crop could be subject of a possible frost claim. I In the main the effect was 'due to drought. Mr Dunshea said on Thurs- ;| day that four claims had been received for frost damage. One was from the Rangiora area, one from Darfield and two had come to hand that day from Culverden district.

Mr Copp said after the inspection that it had been very worth while and could be instrumental in saving a lot of work in dealing with possible claims later. Mr Copp said it was possible to get a lead from a sample of heads as to whether it was drought that was involved. If the head was small it could be suspected that it was a drought effect, but in the final analysis an ■ inspection of the whole crop was necessary. After the rain at the end of ■ last week crops that had been affected by dry conditions > had been improving and fresh tillers were coming up, Mr Copp said.