WHEAT RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 23

WHEAT RESEARCH INSTITUTE

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. A meeting of. the Wheat Research Institute Committee was held in Christchurch on Wednesday/last. Dr H. G. Denham was elected chairman and Mr R. J. Lyon vice-chairman. It was considered, that the meetings of the committee should be held at intervals of about two months, the executive carrying out the detailed business of the institute in the meantime. . Mr G. H. Holford wrote resigning his position aS local honorary secretary. Mr Ireland regretted that Mr Holford had decided to take this step, and spoke of the good work that he had done in inaugurating the Wheat Research Institute. Mr Ireland’s remar! were endorsed by several members of the committee, who spoke in eulogistic terms of the energy and enthusiasm which Mr Holford had shown in developing the scheme and in securing the interest of wheatgrowers, millers, and bakers ii. the proposal. The resignation was accepted with regret. The director reported that some 54 samples of wheat grown under different conditions in so fai as soil, manure, locality, and management were concerned, had been collected and stored for testing when the laboratory w r as ready. The question of co-ordination with the Plant Research Station at Palmerston North was discussed. It was thought highly desirable that the fullest co-opera-tion of effort should- exist between the Plant Research Station. and the Wheat Research Institute, and in order to effect this ,the committee recommended to the Coqncil of Scientific and Industrial Research the desirability of the directors of both stations acting as associated members on both advisory committees.

The chairman reported that some 27 applications had been received for the position of wheat research chemist. The executive had considered these together with the recommendations of an English Selection Committee and reports from Dr E. Marsden. After careful consideration it was decided to recommend that Mr H. E. West, of Winnipeg, Canada, be appointed to the position. The committee . endorsed this recommendation, and decided to defer the appointment of a miller and baker and other assistant until the laboratory was fully equipped. The committee decided to proceed with the appointment of a wheat breeder to extend the wheat breeding and selection <vork at present in progress at Lincoln College. It was realised that work on these lines was very necessary, likely to produce f ic-rcaching results, and was supplementary to the crop certification work already being done. Mr J. W. Hadfield and Mr Veitch reported upon what had been done in regard to crop certifica’iou during the past season. The first year's operations in this respect had been highly successful, the demand for certified seed exceeding the supply. A report presented by Mr Hadfield was discussed, and it was decided that in future printed explanatory slips should be issued with all certified wheat. The question of treatment of seed wheat with copper carbonate was deferred for further consideration. Mr Veitch drew particular attention., to the need for more care being taken in threshing operations as some of the wheat had come forward for inspection in an unsatisfactory condition. To facilitate the field, variety, and manorial trials being conducted this year in the wheatgrowing districts by the Fields Division, the committee considered ... favourably the making of a grant towards the cost of securing a small threshing outfit specially designed to deal expeditiously with the experimental lots of wheat harvested over a wide range of soil types. Mr W. W. Mulholland drew attention to the need for the utmost care being exercised regarding the quality of the original lines of certified seed, and in fhe discussion which followed arrangements were decided upon for ensuring that this would be done.