Reservations A bout New Variety Of Wheat

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 13

Reservations A bout New Variety Of Wheat

The Wheat Research Committee is not yet ready to release a new high-yielding variety known at 1020,01 for general commercial use on farms. There might be enough seed available for release of the variety next year.

At a meeting in Christchurch, the committee rejected a recommendation from the Wheat Specialists’ Committee that it release the new variety because it had been found to yield substantially more than the standard variety, Aotea, and bad a baking quality equal to match Aotea. Instead, the committee accepted a recommendation from a subcommittee of its members that has been looking into the implications of its release that if it was released the price to the grower should be below that of the high-baking quality variety, Hilgendorf, so as to ensure that the quantity of Hilgendorf available for milling into flour did not fall below the proportion now usedThe subcommittee was further instructed to look into how these objectives could be achieved. In its report, the sub committee, of which Mr R. W. Cawley, the director of the Wheat Research Institute, is chairman, said that the major concern in its deliberations had been the possible decline in production of Hilgendorf if a new wheat yielding some 20 per cent higher than Aotea was released. The subcommittee said it had been pointed out that the Government would not be likely to .favour a higher premium for Hilgendorf but growers would be unlikely to favour the release of the new variety at a discount below Aotea. For a number of reasons it was very desirable to expand the limited number of varieties adapted to New Zealand conditions, but if price differentials for varieties were not established, the highest yielding variety currently available would be grown to the virtual exclusion of others. Bakers’ Fears Mr R. G. Rainey, a grower representative on the committee, and also a member of the subcommittee, said that the recommendation had been made in this way because bakers feared that if 1020,01 was released, farmers would grow only one wheat variety and this would not suit the baking industry. To ensure that Hilgendorf was still grown, the sub committee had felt that there 1 would need to be some change in the price structure. ' Mr J. T. Gould, a bakers’ ' representative on the commit- ! tee, said that bakers were ' opposed to the unconditional 1 release of 1020,01 for the 1 reason that it would compete 1 with the growing of Hilgen- 1 dorf. . Messrs Gould and J. K. Ireland, a flourmillers’ repre- : sentative on the committee, < suggested that the stage had i been reached for an overhaul of the whole variety, quality and price situation. The committee sub sequently approved a further recommendation at its sub committee that a study should be made of the appropriate areas that should , be grown in particular varieties, with reference to the quality-price relationship, and the possibility of growing wheat under a contract system, and tills was also referred back to the sub committee for investigation.

Earlier, Mr Cawley told the committee that whereas a decision about the release of 1020,01 had to be made within a year, he did not see enough information on the quality-price situation being gathered in a year for a major change in wheat marketing.

The committee asked Mr Cawley to continue his studies into the practicability of paying for wheat on quality. Mr Ireland said this course was obviously attractive to bakers and millers. While the precision of a mass test baking method was not adequate for such a purpose, a mini bake testing system could be used as a screening test and a chemical test then applied to lines known to be free of bug and sprout damage, Mr Cawley, said. “Far Reaching” The introduction of such a system, he said, would have far - reaching consequences and would require considerable administrative changes. The tests, could not be done under $1 each and if all wheat grown was eligible for a premium it might cost about SIO,OOO a year to do the testing. In a report to the committee, Mr L. G. Copp, senior cereal breeder at the Crop Research Division, said that in trials 1020,01 for the third season had yielded more than Aotea—the average percentage increase above Aotea in 85 trials had been 10.81 per cent On quality, 1020,01 showed a marginal advance over Aotea. While not recommending its release in the meantime, the committee agreed to a recommendation of its subcommittee that both 1020,01 and another new variety, 946,01, should be multiplied. While not yielding as well as 1020,01 and of about comparable quality with Aotea, the other variety was said to be a possible alternative to Aotea and should be held in reserve. Hilgendorf Quantity Concern was expressed at the decline in the proportion of Hilgendorf grown in last season. It was reported that whereas 23 per cent of the

lines tested by the Wheat Research Institute last year had been of Hilgendorf a recent figure for the season had been nearly 18 per cent

Mr M. J. Goodwin, a merchant's representative on the committee, said that the decline was likely to continue.

Sir Walter Mulholland said that half of the Hilgendorf grown in the last two or three years had been grown together with other wheats with the idea of having a more attractive offering to make to millers in the event of there being an oversupply, or to facilitate the earlier delivery of wheat to mills. The yield of - Hilgendorf also tended to fluctuate from season to season for no reason that could be discerned. If the objective was to arrest the decline in the growing iff the variety, it should be recommended to the Government that the premium on it should be increased a little. In reply to a question, the general manager of the Wheat Board, Mr L. C. Dunshea, said that although the proportion of lines of Hilgendorf tested had fallen he did not think that the quantity produced would be down. Mr Gould moved at one stage, that the premium on Hilgendorf should be increased so that at least 20 per cent of the crop was in this variety, but after subsequent discussion he withdrew his recommendation. Dr H. C. Smith, director of the Crop Research Division, suggested that the bakers were being too greedy in wanting so much Hilgendorf in relation to the 6m bushel* odd of wheat that would go into flour for bread baking.

If all the Hilgendorf that was grown was turned into flour and all that was directed to bread baking, then New Zealand would have the best bread in the world.