IMPROVED STRAINS OF NEW ZEALAND OATS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXI, Issue 2, 20 August 1925, Page 93

IMPROVED STRAINS OF NEW ZEALAND OATS.

COLLEGE ALGERIANS, DUNS, AND DANISH

F. W. Hilgendorf,

D.Sc., Biologist, Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln.

In 1910 the Board of Governors of Lincoln College undertook the work of improving the wheats of Canterbury, and during the following ten years succeeded in producing College Hunter’s, College Tuscan, and College Velvet, all improved strains of the standard varieties. A . start had also been made on the selection of Algerian oats. By 1920 the work of maintaining the purity of these strains was taxing the slender resources of the College, and the Department of Agriculture made a grant of £5OO a year towards the expenses of further improving wheats by cross-breeding, and of improving other standard varieties of oats by selection. The crossing of wheats has not yet produced grain for farmers’ use, but the selection of oats has had results worth putting on record. Four varieties were used for selection —namely, Algerians, Gartons, Duns, and Danish. ALGERIANS. The strain AB6, reported on in this Journal for March, 1923, has been on the market since that date under the name of College Algerians. It has obtained a considerable degree of favour, as is evidenced by the facts that in the sowing season just passed the seed was quoted in market reports at 6d. per bushel above ordinary seed, and that two Canterbury firms between them sold 20,200 bushels of seed, of which 3,000 bushels were for the North Island. The reports received indicate that the strain has maintained a superiority of about 10 per cent, over unselected seed. GARTONS. In the variety locally known as Gartons, but elsewhere as Garton’s Abundance, the selection has failed to disclose a strain superior in yield to the commercial seed already on the market. This is probably because Abundance is the subject of continuous careful selection by Messrs. Garton in England. It is notoriously difficult to strike an improvement in a variety produced by good mass selection ; while if the original selection has been pushed so far as to produce a pure line, then all future selectionso long as the line remains puremust be quite without result. DUNS. A selection has been made from commercial Dun oats, and a pure line bred up from it until a merchantable quantity of the grain has been obtained. This is now on the market under the name of College Duns. All the grain sold under that name is the progeny of a single seed, as the following history of the selection will show :

1920. — At harvest selected many hundred heads of promising types from a farmer’s commercial crop. By further selection in the laboratory reduced these heads to 100, selecting those with most grain,

thinnest husk, least awn, and firmest chaff. In May sowed the seed of each head in a separate row in a bird-proof enclosure. 1921. Harvested and threshed each row separately, and found that a certain strain numbered A3l was the fourth-highest yielder out of the hundred. This strain and nine others were kept, and in May each strain was sown in a separate plot, the seed obtained from the row being sufficient to sow a plot one-fiftieth of an acre in extent. 1922. — Harvested the ten plots and threshed each separately. Strain A3l was the third-best yielder, producing at the rate of 79 bushels per acre, while the average yield of the other plots was 71-9 bushels per acre. The seed from the three best plots was sown in May in plots in another field, each strain being sown over two plots each one-third of an acre in extent. 1923. — The three strains were threshed separately, and A3l yielded an average of 86-7 bushels per acre, while the others averaged 81-8 bushels. During the years that these first selections had been under trial new selections had continuously been made from farmers' crops, and, by yield trials similar to those described above, had been reduced in number till only the best remained. In May, 1923, five of these newer selections, and the three original strains of which A3l was one, and the best seed that could be bought, were z put under a more elaborate trial. Five plots of each of the nine kinds were sown chessboard-wise scattered over a field making forty-five plots of Duns, each one-tenth of an acre in extent.

1924. — Each of the forty-five plots was harvested separately, and A3l gave the best yield on the average of its five plots. Its yields were 41, 44, 56, 47, and 46 bushels per acre, an average of 46-8, while the commercial seed yielded an average of 44-1 bushels. The best three on this trial were saved and sown in May, 1924, by the halfdrill strip method. The fifteen-coulter drill had its middle coulter blocked up, and one-half of the seed-box filled with commercial seed and the other half with the seed of the strain, the drill being then driven wheel on wheel-mark. This method gives alternate plots of the commercial seed and the strain, separated by the absence of one row, as many times repeated as the drill is driven up and down the field. Of each of the three best strains, twelve double plots were thus sown, putting each strain in competition with commercial seed. Each plot was 7 chains long, and it will be seen that great reliance can be placed on the result of such a trial, owing to the length, the number, and the close proximity of the competing plots.

—The strain A3l gave an increased yield over the commercial seed ; both the other strains tried also beat the commercial seed, but not so certainly or so constantly as strain A3l did. The twelve double plots were reduced to ten to get rid of the disturbance in ‘yield produced by outside rows, and at harvest each of the ten long plots was divided into three lengthwise, thus giving thirty plots for comparison that is, thirty plots of the strain and thirty of the commercial seed.

The yields in bushels per acre are shown in Table 1. There is not supposed, by the scheme of the experiment, to be a close similarity between the figures of the first columns when read vertically, as these are records of plots of slightly different sizes and on different soils. The similarity is supposed to be in the differences of any pairs of plots

read horizontally. For instance, the two plots numbered 5 were both large or were on good ground, and so gave a high yield ; while the two plots numbered 6 were small or on poor ground, and so gave a low yield. But, since strain and commercial were sown close - side by side in each pair, the difference in yield is nearly constant bushels in one case and 6 bushels in the other.

Thus in twenty-six -out of the thirty trials the, strain A3l yielded more than the commercial seed sown in closest t proximity to it. The average superiority of the strain was 3| bushels per acre, or 5 per cent.* ' ,

After such a complete trial, in which the strain showed so consistent a superiority over the commercial seed, it was felt safe to conclude that strain A3l was a better yielder than the best seed at the time obtainable, and it was determined to put the strain on the market under the name of College Duns. From the harvest of 1923 two sacks of seed had been kept, as the small number of plots in that year had conduced to purity of seed. When the 1924 harvest indicated the high promise of strain A3l the two saved sacks of seed were sown in a block in a separate held, and yielded about 93 bushels per acre. ‘ Thus when the trials of 1924-25 gave conclusive evidence of the merit of the strain there were available for distribution 350 bushels of seed that had not undergone risk of adulteration in the many plotted trials of the two final years. These 350 bushels were therefore sold to farmers customarily growing Dun oats, and it is expected that the College strain will soon become widely distributed., ‘ . ■

Summary of Performances of College Duns.

1920-21 : Single row. Third out of one hundred strains.

1921- : Fiftieth-of-acre plot. Third out of ten best strains. Yield, 79 bushels per acre ; average of others, 72 bushels. 1922- : Two plots, each one-fifth acre. Best of three best strains. Yield, 86-7 bushels per acre ; average of others, 81-8 bushels. 1923- : Five plots, each one-tenth acre. Best of nine strains tried. Yield, 46-8 bushels per acre ; commercial, 44-1 bushels per acre. 1924- : Thirty plots beside thirty commercials. Superior in twenty-six out of thirty trials. Yield, 78-8 bushels per acre ; commercial, 75 bushels. Average superiority of strain for four years, 4-4 bushels per acre = 6-6 per cent. College Duns are indistinguishable from the commercial seed — except, of course, by greater evenness of sample and of growth and maturity. Its response to feeding off in spring has not been investigated, but its very similar habit of growth to that of commercial Duns leads one to expect similar growth after feeding off. The evenness of ripening to be expected in a pure strain has a very advantageous effect in this instance, as the bulk of the crop is ripe before the top grains begin to shake. ' DANISH. The selection of the old Danish variety—once a popular feed oat in Canterbury—proceeded at the same time and in the same manner as in the case of Duns. To avoid wearisome repetition, only the results of the trials will be given, the method of attaining the result being in every case similar to that used with the Duns in the same year. The summary is as follows : 1920- : Single rows. Sixth, out of one hundred strains. 1921- : Fiftieth-of-acre plots. Second out of ten best strains. Yield, 81-4 bushels per acre ; average of rest, 79-2 bushels. 1922- : Two plots, each one-fifth acre. Best of three best strains. Yield, 76-9 bushels per acre ; average of rest, 73-9 bushels. 1923- : Five plots, each one-tenth acre. Best of seven. Yield, 45-8 bushels per acre ; commercial, 42-0 bushels. In 1924-25 the half-drill strip method was used, and, although thirty pairs of plots were sown, various accidents, from drilling to threshing, reduced the strictly comparable pairs to twenty-two. Their yields are shown in Table 2 (on opposite page), comparable plots again being recorded on the same horizontal line. It will be seen that here the strain showed better than the commercial in eighteen out of the twenty-two trials, and although the superiority of the strain was not so constant as in the case of the Duns, yet it is sufficiently convincing.* . ' .

The average superiority of the strain during the last four years of test was about 3| bushels per acre, and this was over a mixture ,of Gartons and Danish, as a pure commercial Danish was unobtainable. It was therefore decided to offer this strain for sale under the name of College Danish, as a line of about 300 bushels of pure seed had been grown under the same conditions as the pure Duns. This lot has been distributed to farmers usually growing Danish' oats, and it is anticipated that the strain will be distributed to wherever the variety is in favour. College Danish is a winter oat of vigorous growth, much like that of Gartons. Its reaction to feeding off has not been tested. It has a rather , tall stout straw and bold spreading head. The yield ishigh, and the grain of a full yellow colour. GENERAL. In regard to these strains a word of warning is necessary. We do> not say that College Duns' or College Danish is a better oat than Algerian or Gartons or any other. What we do say is, If Duns or Danish is the best oat for your land, then College Duns or College: Danish will probably give a somewhat better yield than your old seed..

Demand for Light-weight Mutton. —“ A review of the prices ruling on Smithfield during the last few years,” states the 1924-25 annual report of the Meat Producers’ Board, “ shows a decided tendency to light-weight mutton. In previous days the difference between light-weight and heavy-weight mutton was; a matter of farthings. To-day the difference is pence per pound, so decided and emphatic is the preference for light mutton of good quality. There is alwaysa demand for a limited amount of heavy-weight mutton on Smithfield, which is more than fully supplied from other parts of the world. The quality of this heavy-weight mutton is much inferior to ours. The supply of light, prime mutton from other countries is, - however, only limited. We must therefore concentrate on improving the breeding of our flocks, and endeavour to meet therequirements of Smithfield by shipping lighter-weight mutton.” . • ,

* It will be i observed that. the trial was after Beaven’s design, and the calculation of the probable error of the differences made by “ Student’s ” method. Differences were calculated as percentages of commercial : Mean diff. + 4-89 % : ff diff. 4-52 % Z = 1-08 : N= 30 .-.by Love’s Tables odds > 9,999 to 1.

* Again Beaven’s design of plots and “ Student’s” calculations were used.' In TkT 5’2 percentages of commercial: Mean diff. == + 5-2% : a diff. = 6-4% .’. —=Z = 2 <r o*4 —-8 i N == 22 by Love’s tables odds = 1,500 to 1.

Paired Plots Numbers. Yield in Bushels per Acre. Difference in Favour of Paired Plots Numbers. Yield in Bushels per Acre. Difference in Favour of Commercial Seed. Strain A31. Commercial Seed. Strain A31. Commercial Seed. Strain , A31. Commercial Seed. Strain A31. Bushels. . Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. I 75'5 83-0 7'5 17 69-5 71-5 2'0 2 85-0 87-0 2-0 18 68-o 71-0 3-0 3 84-0 89-0 5-° 19 72-0-76-5 4-5 4 87-0 97-0 10-0 20 65-0 66-5 i-5 5 90-5 95-5 5-o , 21 64-5 68-o 3-5 6 69-5 75’5 6-o . 22 69-5 7 T '5 2-0 7 77-0 77’0 23 66-o 71-0 5-0 8 70-0 74'5 4’5 24 66-o 64-0 2-0 9 66-5 69-5 3-o 25 67-0 66-5 0-5 io 65-0 71-0 6-o 26 83-5 84-0 0-5 ii 75-o 82-0 7-0 27 9i-5 9 T '5 12 66-5 78-0 IT-5 ' 28 89-0 93’5 4‘5 13 75'0 7 6 i-5 29 87-5 90-5 3-o 14 . 63-5 75-5 12-0 30 86-5 87-0 o-5 15 8o-o 81-5 1-5 — 16 7 6 '5 79 0 2-5 Aver. 75-o 78-8 37

Table 1. —Yields of Dun Oat Plots in 1924-25.

Paired Plots Numbers. Yield in Bushels per Acre. Difference in Favour of Paired Plots Numbers. Yield in Bushels per Acre. Difference in Favour of Commercial. Strain. Commercial. Strain. Commercial. Strain. Commercial. Strain. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. I 87-0 91-5 4'5 13 74'0 . i 73 5 0'5 - 2 92-0 90-5 i-5 14 75-o 71-0 4-0 3 80-5 87-0 6-5 15 76-5 8o-o . .. 3-5 3'5 4 6i-5 64-0 2-5 16 67-0 67-5 °'5 5 66-o 69-0 3'0 17 ■ 70-0 66-o ' 4-0 6 69-0 87-0 18-0 18 6 '5 63-5 2-0 7 67'5 71-0 3’5 19 87 5 90-5 3'0 8 67-5 72-5 5-o 20 87-5 90-0 2'5 9 78-5 82-0 3'5 21 85'0 95-0 10-0 IO 73-o 76-5 3'5 22 87-0 95'5 8’5 ii 67-5 78-5 II-O — — 12 69-0 73-5 4'5. Aver. 75'0 78-9 3’9

Table 2.—Yields of Danish Oat Plots, 1924-25.