COLLEGE ALGERIANS: A NEW STRAIN OF OATS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXVI, Issue 3, 20 March 1923, Page 147

COLLEGE ALGERIANS: A NEW STRAIN OF OATS.

The plant-breeding work at Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln), which the Department of Agriculture has subsidized for the past three or four years, has resulted in the production ■ this season of an improved strain of Algerian oats. Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf,' Biologist to the College, contributes to the Journal the following outline history of the strain, which is designated as “A 86 ” :

1917. — In this year one hundred heads were selected from a commercial crop of Algerian oats, and the seed from each head was sown in a single row side by side in a bird-proof enclosure. Notes were made on the rapidity of growth of the various rows ; the whole plot was fed off by a pet lamb three times (in May, June, and September), and the rapidity of recovery after feeding-off was noted. Strength and length of . straw • were observed, and all the. hundred rows were threshed separately, and the quantity and quality of grain were measured. On all these points taken together ten strains were selected out of the hundred, and of these ten A 86 was one.

1918. — These ten strains were again sown in a bird-proof enclosure —each strain in a small plot about 10 yards by 1. They were again fed off (in April, June, and August), and again the tillering-capacity and recovery after feeding were noted. Each plot was threshed separately, and the notes regarding growth and yield allowed three to be selected out of the ten ; of these three A 86 was one.

x igig.— The three strains were sown in plots of about one-twentieth of an acre'each,'in an open field, and on each side of each strain was sown, under exactly the same conditions, the best commercial Algerian seed that could be bought in Christchurch. Strains and commercial plots were fed off twice, and the strains recovered slightly more rapidly that the check plots. The best tillering strain was A 86, and its yield was at the rate of 68 bushels per acre, as compared with 59 bushels from the commercial seed on each side of it. On the work of this year the three strains were reduced to two, of which A 86 was somewhat the better. 1920. — The two strains were each divided into two parts and sown ■on two half-acre plots, with. commercial seed between and on each side of them. The resultant yield for the finally selected strain was as follows : . .. . • Commercial . . . . . . 49-6 bushels per acre. ' A 86 .. ... .. 60-8 Commercial . . . . . . 53-5 ~ AB6 .. ■ ... . . 59-1 Commercial ... ... . . 41-2 ~ 1921. Previous to this year the seed had been sown thinly namely, at the rate of 1 bushel per acre —so as to make it go as far as possible, and this probably explains the somewhat low yields so far. It was obvious that A 86 was at an advantage in the

thin sowing because of its great tillering-power, so full seedings of 2 bushels per acre were now arranged for. The plots were each about an acre in extent, and the following yields were obtained : Commercial . . . . ... 76-4 bushels per acre. A 86 . . . . . . 82-2 Commercial . . . . .. 74-3 ~ AB6 ■ .. : . . .. 77-5 ■. Commercial . . . . . . 66’4 ~ 1922. — The two strains so far retained had both proved superior to commercial seed, but there was some difficulty in determining which to finally keep. The two' strains were therefore sown in the same —about 18 acres of each —and a comparison made of their characters in their adjacent parts right across the field. The superior tillering-power of A 86 made it . more resistant to the abnormal frosts of the winter of 1922, and it was decided that it was the better strain decision which was corroborated by the final yield. ~

As a result A 86 was finally selected, and. is now on sale under the name of “ College Algerians.” The strain is characterized by high tillering-power, a creeping habit of growth', quick recovery after feeding-off, a high degree of uniformity during growth and ripening, good yielding-capacity, and a good and uniform grain-sample. Unfortunately the seed has become contaminated with wild oats during recent years, owing to its being sown in a field where these pests were lying unsuspected in the soil. The College was therefore unable to handle the bulk of seed, and sb it (together with the runner-up strain) has been handed to Wright, ‘ Stephenson, and Co., Christchurch, to clean as well as possible and to distribute. A few bushels have been hand-picked, and a start made to build up a new lot for distribution.*

It is to be noted that the good results from this strain were produced under Canterbury conditions, and there is therefore no certainty that they will be repeated in other climates—for example, that of the North Island. Summary. . . 1917-18 : The strain A 86 was among the best out of 100 strains, regard being had to tillering, growth, recovery after feeding, and quantity and quality of grain.- , 1919-22 : A 86. averaged about 10 bushels per acre above commercial seed sown under the same conditions. . . ' . There is no guarantee of suitability to other climates, nor of absolute absence of wild oats from the 1923 sample. ' - * Since writing, a sack sample of the seed has been received from Messrs. Wright, Stephenson after dressing, and. a fairly careful examination seems to show that the wild oats have been successfully removed.

Death Duty and Plantations., The point has been raised lately as to whether plantations of trees established by farmers or other persons are subject to death duty. The State Forest Service points out that the statutory definition of “ land ” under the Death Duties Act; 1921, excludes “ native bush or trees which have been planted for shelter or ornamental or utility purposes.” The effect of this appears to make such plantations exempt from death duty.