Altered Conditions For Seed Certification

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18545, 3 November 1934, Page 13

Altered Conditions For Seed Certification

pISBORNE ryegrass seed growers this season have to conform to altered' conditions if they wish to have their crops certified. It is oxpected that larger areas will be entered for certification this season, but much will depend on the weather between now and harvesting whether the crop will be any greater than last season, when only about 2000 acres came under the certification scheme, compared with more than double the area, in 1932-33. For those people who have had their paddocks certified to previously, the changes made in the system arc not of a serious nature, but those who have not yet participated must enter their paddocks a year before they will be allowed’ to participate in the certification scheme. The alterations were explained by Br. M. A. Black, instructor in agriculture at Gisborne, who said that previ-

ouslv the department would accept paddocks that had' been certified to before or had passed a sample trial, or failing the previous two conditions if the paddocks wore five years old or more. Now, however, the department would accept only those areas that had been certified to previously or had had a sample trial report. Alteration in Charges. The meaning of that was that a farmer whose area could not come up to the conditions this year and who. wished his crop to be cortilied to would have to enter it this, year, secure his sample" trial report, then wait till next year before he could ltopc to har e his seed certified to after being passed i in the field inspection. | However, very few Gisborne farmers will be so involved. Most of them who j are likely to come into the certification scheme can comply with the conditions necessary to allow their seed to be certified to this year. The reason for tightening up the conditions Was that supplies of certified seed were increasing to such an extent that Stbtie measures Could now be taken to make cortain that only the best of the seed would be included'. Gisborne has from 5000 to 0000 acres available for certification. Apart from the conditions mentioned above, the main alterations this year Were in regard to the charges. Last year, growers were required to find an entrance fee of 10s, and after field inspection to pay Is an acre, with a j minimum of 10s. This year, the full fee of Is an acre, with a minimum of 10s, must be paid when application for certification is made, and the entrance fee of 10s is waived. Applications close on November 19, but late entries will be received on the payment of an additional fee of 10s.

Germination Results.

In the event of any areas being withdrawn, a refund of money paid Will lie made on condition that notification of- withdrawal is made to the instructor in writing before the field inspection. Jn addition to arrangements made for ryegrass seed, it has been decided this year to introduce purity standards for cocksfoot, white clover and Montgomery red clover. So far, no cocksfoot or red clover have been certified in Gisborne, although certain quantities of white clover have come into the scheme.

The highest germination figure for perennial ryegrass last season came from Poverty Bay, Hawke ’.s Bay and Central Otago. All three districts had an average germination of 94 per cent. A total of 125 samples Were tested from Poverty Bay, the maximum germination being 99 per cent.

and the minimum (30 ncr cent. From Hawke's Bay there were 224 samples, the highest of which, like Gisborne, was 99 per cent., while the minimum went down to 50 per cent. Only 37 samples were tested from Central Otago, the maximum being 99 per cent., and the minimum 62 per cent. One other district had a better average, this being Marlborough, but only two samples were tested. Only two other districts, Wairarapa and midCanterbury, had average germination tests exceeding 90 per cent. Ten samples from Wairarapa averaged 93 per cent, and six from mid-Canterbury averaged 92 per cent. The averages went down as low as 52 per cent, from .14 samples from Southland, one sample showing a germination of only 12 per cent.