FURROW PLANTING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 256, 12 October 1932, Page 11

FURROW PLANTING

MAIZE EXPERIMENTS. To compare the productivity of sur-face-planted maize with that planted in the furrow under local conditions, an experiment extending over a period of seven years, was conducted at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, N.S.W., stated Mr E. A. Southee, principal of the college, in submitting the report of the experimentalist, Mr J. A. Williamson.

To obtain this company scries of plots one-tenth of an i irea, arranged 'to minimise soii ...nation, were either surface-sown with a maize dropper 2in. below the surface of the soil, or furrow-sown with the dropper placing the seed 2in. below the bottom of a 3in. furrow. The furrow was opened up immediately prior to sowing by means of a double-breasted mouldboard plough. The preparation of the soil, a deep alluvial clay loam, was thorough. After burning the dead maize stalks of the previous crop, the land was ploughed during June to a depth of between Tin. and Bin., and then harrowed. The soil was left in the rough until midAugust, when it was ploughed to a depth of sin. Subsequent harrowing, rolling, and cultivating operations were given as considered necessary to prepare a satisfactory seed bed. The plots, were sown in October with Large Red Hogan, at the rate of 9ilb. of seed per acre, in rows 4Jft. apart, three seeds being dropped every 32in. along the row. Superphosphate at the rate of lewt. per acre was applied in all cases. During the seven years of the experiment a fairly representative cycle of seasonal condition* was experienced. After-cultivation consisted in working the soil whenever necessary to keep down the weeds and conserve the moisture. The cobs were harvested by hand usually during late May or June.

The results indicated that the fur-row-sown method consistently outyielded the surface method in both good and bad seasons. The more adverse the season the greater was the difference in favour of the furrow method. The average acre yield of the furrow-sown maize for the seven years was 44 bushels 31bs., Whilst the yield of the surface-sown was 35 bushels 251bs. The average net gain of the furrow-planted maize was estimated to be £1 19/6Jd per annum. Commenting on the results, the report stated that in the furrow method the maize was sown in contact with the mois. sub-surface soil, which resulted in a more even and better germination in a dry spring. Even in a good spring and early summer the furrow-sown maize came awfey two to three days earlier, and maintained a slight lead until early in December. Investigations of the root systems indicated that the roots of the furrowsown maize grew deeper, which gave the plant a better roothold to withstand heavy winds (thus reducing lodging) and providing a greater foraging arc*

The results were obtained under comparatively low rainfall conditions in regard to maize growing, the report continued. In districts where fairly heavy spring and summer rains were common the furrow system might be detrimental, owing to the liability of water-logging of the furrows before the germination of the seed. Further, in heavy soils the risk of the crop being reduced owing to a hard crust forming before the plants were above ground was Increased by the furrow method. However, as a conclusion, it stated that when spring cultivation was fairly deep and the rainfall moderate the furrow method could be safely recommended in preference to the surface sowing.