ASHBURTON EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 41, Issue 1, 21 July 1930, Page 18

ASHBURTON EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

NOTES ON OPERATIONS, SEASON 1929-30.

R. McGillivray,

Fields Superintendent, Christchurch, and J. G. McKay, . Farm . , Manager, Ashburton.

The season of 1929-30 was a somewhat trying one .in the Ashburton district. The spring was very ’dry, followed by an unusual amount of rain during December and January. From that period onward dry conditions again prevailed.

The Experimental Farm was again visited by large numbers of farmers and others. Special interest was shown in the potatocertification work, and in the growth of lines of potatoes imported by the Department of Agriculture from Scotland, Ireland, and Canada.

Wheat-selection Work

The wheat work carried out was chiefly an extension of the preceding season’s operations. Of the varieties under observation, Solid-straw Tuscan, Dreadnought, Velvet Chaff, Solid-straw Velvet, and Major were the most promising of some fifty-seven of the 1928-29 strains. Selections were sown in plots consisting of three rows 50 ft. long, and each trial was replicated eight times.

Increase plots were also sown. The seed in all cases was hot-water treated, and all lines were free from smut. The small plots were harvested by hand and threshed with the small peg-tooth mill. The larger areas were harvested with the binder and threshed with a Settlers’ mill. The area of land selected was considered fairly uniform, but the long period of dry weather experienced in the spring showed up marked variations in depth and general condition of soil, and the variations in growth nullified data in connection with the yieldingpower of various lines.

A disturbing factor in connection with the raising of pure wheat lines under local conditions is the amount of natural crossing that evidently takes place. Of the different strains of the varieties under trial not one has ' retained its purity. The location of certain plots indicates that crossing may occur where varieties are quite 10 ft. apart. The condition of several lines has necessitated further selections from all varieties. Some seed of the following varieties is available for distribution:. Dreadnought, Velvet Chaff, Solid-straw Velvet, and Major. All seed of Solid-straw Tuscan was sold for milling, as its purity did not reach expectations.

Ear-to-row trials from selected Marquis iob, Marquis 4, Sensation, and Garnet, and yield trials of these wheats were also conducted in small plots. A buffer of mixed grain was sown round the trial plots as a protection from small birds, but despite this precaution, plus shooting, great damage was done. Garnet was completely stripped, and the Pearl under yield trial was so attacked as to make results valueless.

Barley Trials.

Four acres were under barley variety trials. Four strains each of the malting varieties, Plumage, Plumage Archer, Archer Spratt,

Goldthorpe Spratt, and Chevallier were sown for observational purposes, and also to obtain sufficient seed for further work and yield trials which will be carried out next season. The seed used was one season removed from the hot-water treatment, and the crops were absolutely free from smut. The long dry period experienced in the spring and early summer resulted in slow growth on the part of the barley, with the result that fathen became a strong competitor, and the amount of seed available for next season’s work is not so great as was expected.

Potato Certification.

The number of lines of potatoes grown on the Farm for certification purposes was 323. A more comprehensive method of planting was adopted this season. Each line of one hundred tubers was planted diagonally across the field in short rows of ten tubers. As a yield

check every third row was planted with a certified line of Bresee’s Prolific. The manurial treatment was 3 cwt. of super per acre applied prior to planting, and a further cwt. broadcast after completion of planting. No fertilizers were applied in the drill in contact with the seed.

There was a considerable amount of moisture in the soil at time of planting, and growth was rapid, but the lengthy period of dry weather later interfered with development and yields were not as good as was originally expected. The difference between the yields of lines of high cropping-power and those of low cropping-power was very marked, however. Of the 323 lines entered for certification, only eighty-seven passed the second field inspection, and it was probable that some further rejections would take place when the final tuber inspections were carried out.

' The principal cause of rejection can be attributed to the presence of virus diseasesin fact, half of all the rejections can be put down to that cause. Some promising lines, however, in so far as croppingpower is concerned had to be rejected owing.to a high percentage of rogues in the crop. The aim and object of the certification scheme is to eliminate weak, low-producing lines of potatoes, irrespective of variety. The difference in cropping-power of different lines of the same variety when all are grown under similar soil conditions and with the same manurial treatment is quite remarkable. Those who have been in close contact with the trial plots on the Experimental Farm have been deeply impressed by what has been demonstrated regarding differences in cropping-power and in the incidence of various diseases in the same varieties. . .

Farmers often seek advice as to what variety of potato they should grow. The Ashburton trials have clearly proved the importance of strain. rather than of variety. For example, the Dakota variety may be quoted as regards the main crop and Epicure among the early varieties. The yield of table potatoes in the case of Dakota ranged from n-6 down to 1-7 tons per acre, and that of Epicure from 9-7 down to 0-5 tons.

Following are details of lines entered for certification and grown at the Farm :

CERTIFIED VERSUS NON-CERTIFIED SEED.

A trial to test the relative cropping-power of lines of certified versus non-certified potatoes of the following varieties was carried out: Aucklander. Short-top, Epicure, Up-to-date, Dakota. There were ten replications of each in rows J chain in length. Considerable difference was discernible in growth and vigour during the growingperiod, and results are as follows :

Other Work on Potatoes. Origin of Seed Trial. — The trial of Ashburton versus Southlandgrown Arran Chief potatoes, was carried a stage further. The trials were planted with the following lines : (A) Ashburton seed, (B) Ashburton seed once grown in Southland, and (C) Ashburton seed twice grown in Southland.' The results of the trials were as follows > —

Pure Seed, Lines. These trials were planted with selections of potatoes' some -of which • were imported in 1927-28. An area of approximately ’7- acres was. utilized, for this purpose. Roguing for virus . disease, was commenced early in December and continued throughout the . growing-period. Some selections were discarded entirely, while others proved to be of considerable merit both in cropping-power and freedom from disease, and these are being retained for. further extensive .trials..

Imported Seed. — About 3| acres was required for the Scottish and Irish seed potatoes imported during the season. One hundredweight of fifteen varieties were ' received from Scotland, and fifteen varieties were later in the season received from Ireland. The Scottish lines made very rapid growth, and a considerable quantity of seed is assured. The Irish. lines opened up in anything but a satisfactory condition, and as they were planted late it was doubtful if much seed would be secured.

Several varieties were also received from Canada.. These lines only amounted to a few sets of each of the following : Irish Cobbler, Burbank, Green . Mountain, Dooley. Burbank showed the most vigorous growth and proved the best yielder. These potatoes were very free from virus disease and will be put under trial again next season. ■ ■ ■

Field and Garden Peas.

About 370 selections from thirty-six varieties of held and garden peas were planted out in September in {--chain rows, seeds being spaced 6 in. apart. Germination was exceptionally good in all cases, and although the plants did not make good growth, owing to dry weather, they podded well, and the most promising strains have been retained for further trial. :

Onion Selections.

A quantity of bulbs from nine varieties was planted out in isolated positions on the farm for seed-production purposes. These varietieswere grown from seed imported by the Department in 1928, and the purpose of the trial was to endeavour to obtain commercial quantities of seed of varieties possessing long-keeping qualities. The varietiesgrown were Danvers Yellow Globe, Golden Globe, Southport Yellow Globe, Ebenezer, Sutton’s A.L., Australian Brown, Sutton’s Improved Reading, Sutton’s Globe. A small quantity of seed of each variety has been obtained for future work, but supplies for trial on growers’' farms will not be available for some time yet.

Linseed.

Twenty lines selected from the Bull Moose variety were sown , for comparison with a commercial line. A number of varieties from Australia and . also various selections made last year were under observation. Considerable variation was present in the Bull Moose selections,- and it seems quite possible to evolve a taller-growing strain of this favourite variety. Work will be continued along these linesnext season. .. ..

Acknowledgments are. made, to Mr. .R. Thomson, . Assistant in Agronomy, who throughout the season conducted' the plant-selection work organized by Mr. J. W. Hadfield, Agronomist.

Variety. N umber of Lines. ■ Total Area entered. Area rejected in Field. Area passed in Field. Dakota . . 107 Acres. 476f Acres.351J Acres.. 125J Aucklander Short-top . . 62 202 116 86 Arran Chief . . . . 35 2Olf 198 1 3 Aucklander Tall-top 25 132 66 66 Bresee’s Prolific 17 no 32 78 Up-to-date ... .. . . 14 22 ■ ' ■ 2 Epicure . .. ■. . ■ 13 39-2 10 J 29 Majestic .. ......... Q 22 12 10 ’ Iron Duke . . . . . . 6 6 6 Endurance . . . . 4 8 5 3 Early Regent . . .. 3 ■ : 6 ■ i ' 51 Great Scot . . .. . . 3 61- ■ 3 3i Field Marshal . . 3 7 2 5 Robin Adair . . 2 . ■2-1 X 2 2 Sharpe’s Express . . -A 2 2 2 Golden Wonder : .. 2 2 ■ I. ’ . 1 ■. Brownell’s Beauty .. . .. 0 4 4 Other varieties , . . ■ 14 294 252 . 4 Totals 323 I,28lA 854 427i

Table 1.

Kind of Seed. ■ Up-to-date. Dakota. . Aucklander Short-top. . Epicure. Table. Seed. Table.- ■ Seed. Table. Seed. . Table. Seed.' - Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons.' Tons. Tons. Tons. Certified 4-8 3’6 6-5 2-8 4'5 2-3 I-I 1-6 Non-certified i-7 i-7 ‘3'8 2-8 4-4 ■. 2-2 ■ 0-4 0-7 Differences in favour of 3’1 T.-9 27 . o-i 0-1 .. o-7 o-8 certified

Table 2.

Seed. Table Potatoes. Seed Potatoes. Yield. Increase over Ashburton. Yield. Increase over Ashburton. A .. B C . . . . . • ., Tons. 2-3 2-9 3’3. . o-6 1-0 . Tons. ' 2-2 2-6 -2-5 .. ■ • o-4 0-3

Table 3.