Grain and small seeds

Press, 15 October 1982, Page 22

Grain and small seeds

(By Mr Alistair J. Ferguson, marketing extension officer for Wrightson-NMA, Ltd) The Ellesmere County occupies a unique position within the arable cropping scene in New Zealand. Close proximity to the services of Christchurch, favourable soil types, and access to a good available underground water supply, has meant that the Ellesmere district has always occupied a position of significance in the production of grain and small seeds. In 1868, Ellesmere was already an important grain producing county with about -3818 hectares of wheat and 713 hectares of barley. It is interesting to note that the present area of wheat has not increased markedly from the figure of 1868. The impact of the frozen meat industry and the reduction of the wheat area in favour of the mixed farming enterprise had not yet happened. The favourable environmental conditions of the area also meant that the county was an important source of dairy products for the increasing population of Christcnurch. The most recently-' available figures are for the five, year period from' 1976 to 1980. Crop yields were: WHEAT 1976 to 1980 the wheat area averaged 4211 hectares with a mean yield of 3.336 .tonnes, per hectare, 1976 saw the greatest area in wheat (4827 hectares). 1977 produced the best mean yield of 3.52 tonnes per hectare. 1980 proved to be the most unsatisfactory in terms of yield. BARLEY 1979 was the year with the largest barley area (6867 hectares) but also proved to be

the lowest' yielding season, with a mean yield of 3.02 tonnes per hectare. 1977 was also a favourable year for the production •of barley with the highest recorded mean yield of 3.87 tonnes per hectare. PEAS 1976 highest mean yield of 3.05 tonnes per hectare. 1979 greatest total area of 1606 hectares. 1980 poorest yield of 2.66 tonnes per hectare. When you look at the signi-. ficance of Ellesmere County as a producer of grain crop’s it ranks very highly in the New Zealand scene and is only exceeded by Ashburton, Strathallan and Waimate Counties.

The importance of Ellesmere County to New Zealand agriculture is graphically demonstrated when it is realised that the area produces, about 25 per cent of the nation’s white clover seed.

White clover is the most important plant species in New Zealand grassland farming. Without the successful development of white clover, high pasture productivity is unlikely. As well as serving as the source of nitrogen necessary for ryegrass growth it contributes significantly to total pasture production. Successful growers are achieving white clover yields in the vicinity of 900 kg per hectare and by using the underground water supplies for irrigation much of the risk in growing this .highlyprofitable crop can be removed.

During the 1980-81 season, New Zealand exported about $7.7M of white clover seed. If Ellesmere County produces a quarter of the total production, the figure for that area would be about SI.9M in

overseas export earnings. In the same year, New Zealand exported about $2.5M of ryegrass. It has been estimated that Ellesmere County produces 10 to 15 per cent of New Zealand's ryegrass J and accordingly makes a very significant contribution to New Zealand's export earnings.