IRRIGATED LAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21379, 23 June 1939, Page 5

IRRIGATED LAND

Special Wheat will have to be Evolved Report to Institute Irrigation of Ashburton County in the summer of 1940 will lower subsequent wheat sowings, it was reported by the director (Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf) to the quarterly meeting of the Wheat Research Institute to-day. A special wheat would have to be evolved for irrigated land, he said. “Within a year or two,” said Dr. Hilgendorf, ‘‘water will be supplied over 100,000 acres of the plains. Ashburton now grows one quarter of the wheat of New Zealand, and it is very probable that the wheat-growing area will decline, since Irrigation water gives its best effects on grass and lucerne. “It is true that in Ashburton the best wheat cropping land will not be irrigated, but some decline in wheat area is likely. “From a national point of view,” continued Dr. Hilgendorf, “as well as from that of the institute, such a development must be considered undesirable, and so experiments are contemplated to test the growing of wheat under irrigation. Limiting factors of wheat yield in New Zealand were superfluous soil moisture in winter, lack of moisture in summer, unsuitable soil texture, and insufficient plant nutrients, Dr. Hilgendorf continued. Research Needed Excessive soil moisture in winter can be avoided by sowing in spring, and, although this was generally inadvisable, there were numerous records of high yields from spring-sown wheat where all conditions were favourable. Spring moisture and nutrients could be supplied by irrigation and heavy manuring, so that if the soil texture was not too much injured by watering, there was a chance of yields much higher than those at present obtained. Unfortunately, New Zealand had little information about growing wheat for high production in other lands, the best extensive example being Egypt, where the average yield was only 26 bushels per acre. The Dominion would have to learn the best procedure for itself, and the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture was trying to arrange for some fields to be sown next spring. “To get the best results, a special wheat will need to be bred—one with high yield capacity, rapid maturity, and strong straw’,” continued Dr. Hilgendorf. “Crosses have already been made that may serve this end, but for the selection they will, of course, have to be grown on an irrigated area. For preliminary trials Cross 7 can be used. “The project involves difficulties, but its national importance is great, in view of the present position of wheat and sheep.” “Decline Inevitable” Mi - R. B. Tennent, director of the Fields Division, said that it was inevitable that the wheat acreage would decline with irrigation. Wheat could undoubtedly be grown successfully on irrigated land, but once the irrigation plots were laid out, the farmer would not go to the expense wpth wheat of reploughing, levelling- and grading necessary with irrigation. Farmers would go in for the more profitable clovers and lucerne, which need not be disturbed from year to year. It would not be many years, he continued, before the best part of the plains would be irrigated. It was inevitable that farmers would turn from annual to permanent crops. He added that irrigation would give an added benefit to permanent pasture in eradicating grass grub. Dr. Hilgendorf pointed out that while the acreage might be reduced, it might be possible to get a higher yield. The chairman (Dr. H. G. Denham) declared that trials should be carried out. The institute could go on with breeding wheat.