FRUITS OF RESEARCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20668, 13 September 1930, Page 9

FRUITS OF RESEARCH.

APPLICATION TO FARMING.

EXPANSION OF WHEAT YIELD.

HELP FOR POTATO GROWERS

Directions in which research has been of practical assistance to the farmers of New Zealand aro pointed out by the director of the plant research station, Mr. A. H. Cockayne, in his contribution to the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The ultimate objective of research work is stated to bo the formulation and adoption of farm practice that will tend to raise the level of crop production, both grass and annual farm crops, by reducing losses caused by inferior plants, inferior management and the incidence of disease. Research is only of practical value if the results can bo applied. Carefully-conducted experiments extending over five years showed that lewt. of superphosphate increased tho yield of wheat by five bushels, and was highly payable. It was also shown that a further increase of five bushels could bo obtained by top-dressing phosphated wheat with nitrogen in the spring. "The research led immediately to the formulation of a farm practico which is within the power of the farmer to adopt," the report proceeds. "Some years ago less than 30 per cent, of the wheat grown in New Zealand was fertilised with super. Last season over 80 per cent, was so treated, increasing the wheat yield by something like 950,000 bushels. So far as nitrogen is concerned we are now in a definite position to say that top-dressing wheat with a nitrogenous fertiliser is payable and, on the present acreage, is capable of increasing our wheat yield by an additional million bushels. All that the farmer has to do is to adopt tho .practice."

Virus diseases have been shown to be the main limiting factor in potato-yield, and the research station is seeking methods by which virus-free material can be produced. The report says there is an intermediate step enabling the farmer even now partly to put into operation the advice "Uso virus-free seed." It has been shown by v. system of testing that certain potato crops of any variety have a far higher yielding power than others, due in large part to a lessened virus-infection. Such crops are being certified to, and in this way the potato grower is able to secure seed far superior to the average, so that he may greatly improve his potato returns before the station is able to put under a certification scheme absolutely virusfree material.

Dry-rot in swedes has been definitely shown to be seed-carried, but so far it has not been determined how disease-free seed can be secured. Until that stage has been reached the research being carried out cannot in any way be given application on the farms of the Dominion.