YIELDING POWERS OF TUSCAN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18833, 23 March 1931, Page 5

YIELDING POWERS OF TUSCAN.

RESEARCH INSTITUTE’S TRIALS.

That in yielding powers of wheat strains, Tuscan appears superior to all other varieties, with the exception of solid straw Velvet and Victor, is the conclusion arrived at by the plant breeder in the trials conducted on the Wheat Research Institute’s field at Lincoln College, and upon which a report was presented to the committee of the institute. It must not, however, be overlooked that varieties, especially the earlier ones, were subject to the attacks of a series of severe nor’-west winds, which shook out a large proportion of the grain, states the report. This may to a certain extent explain the relative failure of some varieties which yielded equal to or higher than Tuscan in most of the previous seasons, especially Hunters, Velvet and Dreadnought. Solid straw Velvet retains its place as the variety with rhe highest yield performance, and Victor follows next in last- year’s trials. It appears that none of the varieties was able to approach Tuscan in yielding capacity. It has, however, been pointed out in previous reports that very probably these high-quality varieties would find relatively more suitable conditions on lighter land. SxDeriments on light land in various localities are anticipated for the coming season. This trial had been sown in nine series, five in autumn, and four in spring, with the object of determining both quality and quantity of the produce for either sowing period. Unfortunately, a heavy fall of rain damaged parts of the spring crop so badly as to preclude accurate yield determinations. However, the spring crop was so obviously poorer in yield than the autumn crop that the scale was not needed to show the distinct advantage of an early sowing also for these variaties

Milling samples were secured from both sowings, and the baking test will show whether any remarkable difference in grain quality would justify the considerable loss in yield incurred by spring sowing. It is intended to conduct a similar trial on light land at Cust, in order to investigate in one of the present centres of the cultivation of Garnet .whether the present method of spring sowing has any economic advantages.

If Bny conclusions of a general nature are allowed from one year’s trials, it will appear that the time factor is not of equal importance in New Zealand and in England. Ear production appears to be limited by other factors beside time. The nitrogen supply in the early stages of growth might be one of these limiting factors. Experiments on this problem were initiated, and their continuation is intended for the coming season. “After two years of analytical yield investigations.’'* states the report, “we have reached the stage at which conclusions can be drawn for the direction of the future work. Even now it can be stated that these investigations revealed the striking polarity between. Tuscan on one hand, Hunter’s Yoeman, Victor, etc., on the other hand, with distinct differences between the various varieties that solid straw Vellet assumes an intermediary position, to a high degree combining the advantages of either group, on a high rate of ear production, and probably, a high rate of tiller survival; that ear size is a special importance on both classes of land: that Tuscan, owing to its high ear production, wi.' range as the most important parent form, especially for lighter classes of land; and that solid straw Velvet, and not Hunter’s will be the parent type for heavier land, unless some of the heavy yielding English varieties were to receive preference. “The investigations on the influence of spacing have yielded valuable supplementary results, and which appear sufficiently conclusive to allow of their being terminated. It is intended to carry on with an analytical observation of standard varieties for another season.

“The analytical treatment of a problem of wheat cultivation seems to have yielded valuable information, more so than could have been obtainea from an ordinary yield trial. A similar result is expected from the analytical manurial trials. This indicates a wide applicability for this method of yield determination.*'