WHEAT RESEARCH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20762, 24 June 1937, Page 5

WHEAT RESEARCH

ADDRESS TO FARMERS Quite a number of farmers were present at the Show yesterday afternoon, when an address on "Wheat Research" was given by Dr. Hilgendorf, of the Wheat Research Institute. The speaker, who was introduced by Mr W. A. Fleming, said that wheat growing was one of the most Important Industries which had been established in Canterbury. About £2,000.000 worth of wheat was grown, and this was turned into £4,500,000 worth of flour, which in turn was made into £8,000.000 worth of bread, so that the industry, when followed through its ramifications, became not the least important in the province. Dr. Hilgendorf said that those who had taken the trouble to examine the exhibit by the Institute would see there a map on which there was a dot for every 100 acres of wheat grown, and by far the greater number of dots were concentrated in Canterbury. The most popular varieties sown were Hunter, Tuscan and Jumbuck. If they were to look at the

coastal areas, they would find that a preponderance of Hunters was grown near the coast. If two wheats were grown in one area, one was bound to be better than the other, and farmers would be wise to grow the variety which gave the better yield in that particular area. In the Rangiora district, for instance, Hunters and Tuscan were grown in equal proportions, but the threshing returns showed that Hunters yielded about 50 bushels to the acre and Tuscan 38 bushels to the acre. He did not say that this was a real reflex of the yields of these varieties, but the returns showed that there was a difference of 12 bushels in favour of Hunters. The interesting point about the returns was that where a man was in doubt in any particular district as to what he should grow, the figures gave him a guide as to tire best variety for the district. In the fiat district round Studholme and Waimate, the returns over a period of years shows that Dreadnought yielded 42 bushels to the acre and Tuscan 37, so it would be seen that the former was the better variety to grow in that area.

Returns Analysed

Dr. Hilgendorf said that the Institute had analysed the returns in order Co find out which varieties yielded better than others. It had been found that the older varieties were still worth studytag, and in the districts where they grew best, then farmers should not go off them. It was only by experimenting that the Institute could make information available to farmers. It had to be remembered that It took 12 years to produce a new strain of wheat, from the first cross to the time it was distributed to the farmer. There were only two new varieties which had come on the market, Cross-7, which was fairly popular in South Canterbury, and Tataul. Cross-7 was designed as an alternative to Tuscan, which comprised about 80 per cent, of the wheat grown In Canterbury, and 12 years ago they had started to find something a little better. They had produced Cross-7, which was stronger in the straw than Tuscan, but which had no utility at all on heavy country.

Tainul Variety

Dr. Hilgendorf then went on to refer to the new variety, Tainul, and referred to the work done by Dr. Frankel. He said that when he commenced work. Dr. Frankel made a collection of as many varieties as he could get. He secured 3000 sorts in all, but if he had gone to Russia he would have got 26,000 varieties. In the group Dr. Frankel secured samples from Spain and Portugal, which he purified, and out of these came the Tainul strain. It had two weaknesses, one being that it ripened two weeks earlier than Tuscan, and the other was that it might become damaged if there was a late frost, as it had a weak straw. Because of these two factors, they considered that Tainul should only be grown in the spring. Generally spring wheats should be avoided, but they had a certain amount of value, and Tainul was coming on the market for that purpose.

Dr. Hilgendorf paid a tribute to the interest shown in wheat growing in South Canterbury, and said that the Institute for that reason, was more interested in South Canterbury than in any other area. On the motion of Mr C. W. Wood, Dr. Hilgendorf was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.