WEATHER AFFECTS CROPS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21554, 17 January 1940, Page 3

WEATHER AFFECTS CROPS

Wheat Yield Will Be Below Average Shortage Of Dry Winter Feed From opinions expressed by farmers in the Temuka district it is estimated that this year’s wheat yield will be a little below the average. Oat crops have been generally affected by the dry spell and in all districts there will be a shortage of dry winter feed. It is generally agreed that the Christmas rain, although it did not benefit to any extent early wheat, was of inestimable value to root crops. The present rain should be of advantage to very late wheat and oats and assure farmers of a plentiful supply of green feed in the late autumn and winter. Generally speaking cows have gone back in production to the dry weather and the best that can be expected is to maintain the present output. “As far as can be judged by appearances, the wheat yield in the Waitohi district should be a little below average, which is between 33 and 35 bushels to the acre,” said Mr A. J. Davey. “The Christmas rain was not as beneficial as was expected. Wheat was too far advanced for the rain to affect the quality or increase the quantity. However, it had tended to ripen both oats and wheat, particularly the former. Cross 7 wheat, which is largely grown in the district, is a quickly ripening wheat and is not materially affected by the rain. On the other hand, Tuscan, which is not so early, received considerable help. The present rain will

only be of benefit to the latest crops. It was fortunate that the late autumn and winter was suitable for sowing as the dry weather had a greater detrimental effect on spring crops. Oat crops have been seriously impaired by the dry weather. There will be a shortage of dry feed during the winter. No matter how good root crops might be, the best results in feeding stock cannot be obtained without a certain amount of dry feed. There is a shortage of hay although some farmers have been fortunate enough to save a litle. The main winter crop of turnips has been sown and there is an excellent strike. If average weather prevails winter feed is assured. Cows have gone off a little, and the best that can be expected is to hold the present output.” Good Oat Crops Mr W. H. Staniland said that crops sown on lea land in the Clandeboye district had fared badly but those sown after turnip and rape were looking well. In a good season in the Clandeboye district the average wheat crop would yield in the vicinity of 60 bushels, but as far as can be judged, this season’s yield should average about 40 bushels to the acre. Some good oat crops have been grown and one crop which is being harvested at present is expected to yield about 80 bushels. After the recent rain, root crops had come on well. Little hay had been saved and there would be a shortage of dry winter feed, but there were prospects of an abundance of green feed for autumn and winter. “Potatoes have never looked better and there should be excellent returns. Most growers in this district grow potatoes for certified seed purposes. Crops at Rangitata Island appear to be making excellent progress and it would seem that the rain came at the right time,” said Mr Staniland. “Crops on the heavy land in the Milford district benefited considerably from the Christmas rain,” said Mr A. D. Crossman. “As far as I can judge, the wheat yield should be about the average, which is 40 bushels to the acre. More autumn wheat was sown than has been the practice and these crops withstood the rigours of the dry weather remarkably well. As is generally the case, the oat crops suffered most and there will not be any dry feed for sale in this district. Cows are giving about as much milk as they did before the Christmas rain. The present fall may increase production a little, and should make a remarkable difference to root crops. Some farmers may be able to save some late hay, but so far little has been stacked. Late oat and wheat crops should benefit from the present rain. It is certain that if rain had not fallen at Christmas time many farmers would have been faced with serious losses, and an acute shortage of winter feed.” “Crops should be fair in the Winchester district.” said Mr B. Trumper. The average wheat crop for the district was about 40 bushels, but it was possible that this figure would not be attained this season. The milk supply was holding pretty well at present and the rain should assure an abundance of feed in the late autumn and also in winter. At the commencement of the season, cows had milked particularly well but the dry weather had checked production to a great extent. Oats were well below average and there was little length of straw. Most farmers had sufficient hay co feed stock sparingly through the winter, but it was certain that there would be none for sale. Good Crops at Waimate Waimate probably has better wheat crops than any other district in Canterbury, but that is not to say that some stands were not ruined in the dry weather. Autumn-sown crops have withstood the drought unusually well. On heavy land, such as that in the Willowbridge district, the rain has caused lodging. One point abSut the change in the weather is that it arrived with the harvest just starting; crops which lodge, therefore, will not make much recovery. What is more,

there is a possibility that harvest weather might not now be experienced. If conditions remain favourable, and if warm weather follows the rain, a number of Waimate wheat crops will return more than 60 bushels to the acre; some will even approach the 80bushel mark. An advantage of the dry weather will be the almost complete absence of rust, and generally, the absence of rank, useless straw. Evidently ground carrying autumnsown crops held the comparatively small rainfall obtained during the season, and thus growth was able to continue. Cross 7 wheat, a spring variety, has come through the dry weather fairly well, and some particularly good crops are to be seen in the Gordon’s Valley district. It is the light, shingle-bottomed land that has suffered in the dry weather. Some poor crops are to be seen near the Waitaki River, where the land is stoney. Waimate autumn crops entered the spring looking exceptionally well, and the health and vigour possessed at that stage has evidently been a factor in the present promise of good yields. Premature ripening with improperly filled heads has occurred amongst the poorer stands, but. unexpectedly, the lack of rain did not affect heavy crops in that way. Autumn Sown Crops Good Crop prospects in the Geraldine district reveal that wheat sown in the autumn will yield reasonably well, but the spring sowing is likely to prove a failure through lack of rain. In the Hilton area some good autumn sown crops are reported, and one farmer estimates that his crop will thresh more than 40 bushels to the acre. The rain at Christmas, although late, had done a lot to further the crop. The centre grain in the spring sown wheat had not filled on account of the dry weather. Comparing the crops with last year, he said they would not be so heavy and would not have as much straw. It is the general opinion of farmers that the oat crops will give a poor yield owing to the dry spell. Farmers also report that a second growth is taking place, and the yield will be a good 50 per cent lower than last sason. Good and Bad Although the area in wheat in the Albury and Fairlie districts was increased by 200 to 300 acres after the Government's appeal for more production, the yield will not show 7 a great increase as the season has been disastrous for this type of farming. Already many of the wheat crops have been abandoned. Rain w r as badly needed in December, and even the fall during the Christmas period was too late to do any good. The wheat and oat crops in the Albury area are poor generally. Some farmers say that their crops are all that could be desired and they are looking forward to good yields. Others again report that up to 30 per cent of their oat crops are useless and many of their wheat crops complete failures. “The outlook is a bad as it has ever been,” one farmer said. "The rain did not come when the wheat was coming into ear and we knew then that our crops were useless. Towards Fairlie stock have been turned on to one or two small crops, and it is reported that one wheat crop has been cut for straw. Mt. Nessing and Chamberlain farmers report that they are having particularly good years with their crops The dry season suits the foothills and rape and turnips are making splendid progress. Opinion is divided on the value of the week-end rain to rape and turnip crops. In some areas the soil has been beaten hard by the fall and it is feared that should a long spell of dry weather follow, the crops will have difficulty in flourishing. The rain will do inestimable good to winter feed crops and pastures.