RYE-GRASS SEED HARVEST

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 307, 11 December 1931, Page 15

RYE-GRASS SEED HARVEST

WASTE A BIG FACTOR. A particularly large percentage of loss in the dressing of rye-grass seed is revealed in official figures published in the Journal of Agriculture. The percentage of loss has to be taken into account when estimating the probable amount of seed available from the coming harvest (states a writer in the“P.B. Herald.”) The announcement of large increases in the areas shut up for certification this season has given rise to statements from buyers that prices should be lower this season than last, but on the other hand a number of areas shut up might yet have to be made available for the stock, if sufficient rain is not experienced in the meantime to provide a renewed growth of the pastures. In addition, some of the Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay crops are believed to be light. Taking everything into consideration, it is considered by some people that, if prices decline from last year’s level, the fall will not be serious, for it is believed that the supplies of certified perennial will not be so greatly in excess of those of last season as to cause difficulty in disposal. MOTHER SEED. A total of 2819 sacks of ryegrass seed were produced at the harvest in the Gisborne district last season, compared with only 321 sacks the previous season, the total acreage from which last season’s total was produced was 1551. The Hawke’s Bay production was 8915 sacks from 2903 acres, and the Dominion total 15,587 sacks from 5290 acres. Of the Gisborne total, 264 sacks or 1916 bushels, of mother seed were put into the machines, which returned 161 sacks, or 1232 bushels. The loss in dressing was 35.7 per cent., and the average dressed yield was 7.9 bushels to the acre. On the other hand, the Hawke’s Hay production of mother seed after machine dressing was 5072 bushels, the loss in dressing being 45.2 per cent., and the yield per acre 9.2 bushels, Figures in connection with permanent pasture seed, some of which may be fit for classing as mother seed, show that 912 sacks of Gisborne seed were used to produce 450 sacks, or 3504 bushels when dressed, the loss in dressing being 44.4 per cent., and the average yield 6.3 bushels to the acre, compared with 14,434 bushels of dressed Hawke’s Bay seed, in which the loss was 36.5 per cent, and the yield per acre 10.8 bushels The Manawatu production was 421 bushels of machine dressed, in which tho loss was 39.4 per cent., and the average yield 16.2 bushels to the acre. In this section, the Gisborne loss shown was an increase from 42 per cent, on the previous year, but the average yield of dressed seed per acre had increased from 5 bushels. The Hawke’s Bay loss had been reduced from 48 per cent., and the yield increased from 8.7 bushels per acre. THE DOMINION AVERAGES. For permanent pasture seed alone, the Gisborne yield was 454 bushels, compared with Hawke’s Bay’s 2184 bushels, and Central Otago’s 484 bushels. The losses in dressing were 35.2 per cent, for Gisborne, 38.6 per cent, for Hawke’s Bay, and 22.5 P er oent. for Central Otago, while the average yields per acre were: Gisborne, 10.7 bushels; Hawke’s Bay, 13.5 bushels; Central Otago, 14.2 bushels. The Poverty Bay seed in the fourth <Mass, that for first harvest seed, was verv small, comprising only 25 sacks, or 182 bushel? of dressed seed. The loss was 51.4 per cent., the largest percentage in any of the classes of rye grass seed certification anywhere in New Zealand last season, and it took 63 sacks, containing 375 bushels, of seed to produce the above-mentioned quantities. The Gisborne yield was 9.6 bushels of first harvest seed to the acre, compared with North Otago’s 54 bushels to the acre, with only a2l per cent, loss; the yield, however, was of only 380 bushels of dressed seed. The average Dominion loss in dressing over all classes of rye grass seed was 37.7 per cent., and the average yield per acre 11.0 bushels. In white clover certification, the Gisborne losses are considerably greater, going up to 65 per cent., compared with Hawke’s Bay’s 53.2 per cent, loss, in areas set aside specially for white clover seed. The Gisborne machine dressed yield was 2781 b., an average of 30.91 b. to the acre, against Hawke’s Bay’s 10041 b., or a yield of 100.41 b to the acre. North Canterbury produced the greatest amount of the total Dominion yield of 25,7681 b., with an average of 82.71 b. per acre, and an average loss in dressing of 20.7 per cent. From those areas shut up primarily for rye grass, the Gisborne yield of white clover was 48591 b. of seed, the loss in dressing being 42.8 ner cent The Hawke’s Bay yield of dressed seed under similar conditions was 36,5111 b., with a loss of 48.3 per cent.