A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21773, 12 October 1932, Page 9

A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT

GERMINATION OF MANGEL SEED WORK AT CANTERBURY COLLEGE. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 11. Experiments carried out at the Canterbury Agricultural College at Lincoln have proved that the treatment of the seed of mangels with sulphuric acid hastens its germination. Reference to the achievement was made in the farm report to the Board of Governors to-day. Mr H. J. Geddes, a member of the staff, has developed the research which is thought to be the first of its kind in the world as applied to mangels. “In New Zealand, and especially in Canterbury, where the soil is dry, one of the worst troubles is the slow germination of mangel seed,” said Mr Geddes, in an interview. “It often takes as long as two weeks. Last year we tried this experimental treatment with sulphuric acid at the college and in the laboratory tests, the increase in germination being from 40 to 70 per cent. The treated seed was also sown in the field along with control rows, and whereas the treated rows were continuous after germination, there were gaps of one foot to one yard in the controls. The main achievement was ' the much earlier germination of the treated seed. With ordinary seed the slow germination results in losses, as the soil cakes and hampers the growth or destroys it. “ This year we have treated over 1001 b of seed for the farmers and ourselves. Of course, with the small quantities, the expense of the treatment is necessarily fairly great. At present it is Is a pound. That has to be taken into account with other considerations. Mangel seed is norqially worth 3s per lb, and to ensure a good strike farmers sow up to 61b of seed to the acre. With treated seed, the quantity per acre necessary is rauch*less and easily saves the cost of the treatment.”

Mr Geddes emphasised that the treatment should not be carried out by the farmer himself because of, the risk in handling the powerful acid. The seed is treated for about an hour in very strong acid, anil then washed in ammonia and dried again. The result is a smaller seed with the husk removed and the discs covering each of the three sections of the seed somewhat loosened to assist the germination.