HIGHER YIELDS OBTAINED

Southland Times, Issue 23828, 27 May 1939, Page 18

HIGHER YIELDS OBTAINED

Irrigation Scheme In Canterbury PRODUCTION GREATLY INCREASED MINISTER CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS Amazing result of the increased yield and carrying capacity from irrigation have been obtained on demonstration areas on the Levels plain and Winchmore in Canterbury, states The Press. Many instances are officially quoted of increases from four to 10 fold of irrigated over no-irrigated pastures, the results to date fully confirming the careful estimates which were made of the prospects of irrigation for the province. The most detailed statistics are obtainable from demonstration areas where accurate trials have been made. On the Levels plain, where 1500 acres were watered in the last summer and autumn, a demonstration area of 28 acres showed the following increases in yield or carry capacity:—

PADDOCK 1 (Mostly Cocksfoot) January 4-19 —Double. January 19-31—Ten times and a-half. January 31-February 13—Eight times and a-quarter. February 13-March 2—Twenty-five times. March 2 14—Ten times and threequarters. March 14-31—Three times and aquarter. March 31-April 4—Three times. PADDOCK 2 (Perennial Ryegrass and Clover) January 4-19 —Six times and aquarter. January 19-31—Eight times and ahalf. ' January 31-February 13—Ten times and a-half. February 13-March 2—Fifty-two times. March 2-14—Nine times and a-half. March 14-31—Doubled. March 31-April 4—Eleven times. The claims of the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) that, when fully irrigated, Canterbury will easily carry 15,000,000 sheep, are sup-

ported by the actual results this season on an area of 36 acres in Winchmore, divided into three paddocks, ihe pasture was perennal ryegrass and white clover, and was irrigated every two or three weeks. For the whole of last year the area carried 7.8 sheep to the acre and during the growing months—October to April inclusive—--11.5 sheep an acre. Details this season of the carrying capacity an acre are:— September 7.7 October 14.1 November 19.6 December 16.8 January 10.7 February 10.4 March 5.9 Crops, too, have shown phenomenal growth of yield on trial areas. On land which formerly would not grow lucerne economically, four heavy cuts, totally four tons of hay upwards, have been secured. Swedes have been an outstanding success. Whereas non-irrigated crops are practically lost, the irrigated yield will be worth up to £l4 an acres. More than 30 paddocks of swedes were watered on th Levels Plain this season. Excellent results with wheat have also been obtained from several irrigated crops. Surprising results from Montgomery clover on light land have been recorded, the yield for seed being more than £2O an acre. When not irrigated the yield was less than £lO an acre. ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

By its nature, irrigation implies longterm planning, and the works now under construction in Canterbury will not reach their full significance before 20 to 25 years. Co-ordinated results of three years of technical research by the Public Works Department, collaboration with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, have left no doubt of the necessity for and economic feasibility of irrigation over a large part of the plains. “Although these investigations have not yet been extended to all parts of the plains, sufficient evidence is available to show that at least 1,500,000 acres, and possibly 2,000,000 acres, will economically justify irrigation,” said the Minister for Public Works, when discussing the future of Canterbury.

“After studying all the latest reports from the experts on the schemes, I must say I am now stronger in my disagreement with the pessimistic minority who do not believe that the demand for our produce can be increased to justify the development of irrigation over the course of 20 years. Even if our Dominion production did not greatly increase in the years to come, irrigation would still be justified by enabling production to be carried on at a lower unit cost. Thus certain uneconomic areas would lose their population in favour of Canterbury, offering close settlement with all modern amenities of good roads and cheap power and proximity to large centres. Irrigation will lead the way to increased settle-

ment, to increased population, and to greater' national stability.”

PROGRESS OF SCHEMES About 1,500,000 acres of the 3,000,000 acres to be ultimately mapped have been typographically surveyed to determine the fall of the land, to obtain a knowledge of the area of land which could be reached by any particular stream, and how much it would cost to convey water over the land to the points of consumption. To determine the suitability of the soil for irrigation, about 1,100,000 acres have so far been examined in South and Mid-Canter-bury, and the work is being continued. The determination of the amount of moisture in the soil is a direct approach to the question of the need for irrigation. This American method has been applied to an area of more than 1,000,000 acres in Mid and South Canterbury, and observations are being continued and expended to obtain a complete record. Two of the four areas coming within the scheme of the Rangitata diversion race—Ashburton-Lyndhurst and May-field-Hinds—are now being developed. The Ashburton-Lyndhurst scheme is 70 per cent, completed and, with the diversion race from the Rangitata river to the Rakaia, is scheduled for completion by September 1940. It embraces an area of 32,000 acres and the estimated cost is £6.2 an acres. The Mayfield Hinds scheme, which is almost completely mechanized, is about 10 per cent, completed; it comprises 52,000 acres and the estimated cost is £5.6 an acre. This area will not be irrigated until 1941, after which it is intended to deal with the remaining two areas within the district to be served by the diversion race, 42 miles long, 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep, supplying 420,000 aeries with irrigation water and, in the winter, supplying water to the 30,000 h.n. station six miles from Methven,