ASHBURTON EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 43, Issue 4, 20 October 1931, Page 277

ASHBURTON EXPERIMENTAL FARM.

NOTES ON OPERATIONS, SEASON 1930-31.*

R. McGillivray,

Fields Superintendent, and J. G. McKay, Fields Instructor, Christchurch.

Climatic conditions in Mid-Canterbury during the season of 1930-31 were unfavourable from the agricultural viewpoint. The winter and spring were cold and dry ; frequent north-west winds were experienced during the summer, and there was an extreme drying-out of the soil. The cereal crops came away • well, but continuous hot, dry weather during the later period of growth resulted in some very pinched grain samples. Rain which fell late in January resulted in second growth in the potato crops.

Work on Potatoes.

Selection work similar to that dealt with in last season’s report [Journal, July, 1930) was carried out, the standard of the various varieties being maintained or improved by vigorous roguing for virus disease and the planting of selected tubers. Selections were made from all varieties grown at the farm, and some selections were also made from farmers’ lines. Precautions were taken to prevent the spread of disease, and for this purpose belts of oats were grown to isolate the tuber unit selections, and where this was done, complete isolation was obtained.

From an area planted out to pure lines of potatoes, a quantity of seed of the following • varieties has been made available for distribution to growers : Abundance, Ally, Arran Banner, Arran Consul, Arran Victory, Aucklander Short-top, Aucklander Tall-top, British Queen, Champion, Duke of York, Epicure, Field Marshal, Golden Wonder, Great Scott, Herald, Kerr’s Pink, King Edward, Majestic, Sharpe’s Express. This material was particularly good and met with a ready sale. Some varieties were sold out soon after being made available to farmers.

All lines were entered for certification last season, and can thus be compared with seed being handled commercially. The varieties which were outstanding in yield were Up-to-Date, Field Marshal, and Arran Banner, the latter being the best of the newer imported varieties.

The following imported varieties were also grown : Di Vernon, May Queen, Champion, Eclipse. These will be entered for certification this season so as to ascertain their cropping-power.

Of the varieties Burbank, Dooley, Green Mountain, and Irish Cobbler, imported from Canada last season, the last named yielded the best this season. Burbank yielded well, but second growth was

bad, and the variety appears to be susceptible to blight. With the exception of Green Mountain, there will probably be sufficient seed available to place these varieties in a qualifying trial this season.

CERTIFICATION.

There was a considerable increase in the number of entries under the potato-certification scheme as compared with the previous season, and in order to reduce the amount of inspection work as much as possible it was decided to divide the entries into two classes. Only those lines certified or provisionally certified in the previous season were made eligible for certification, and one hundred tubers from each of these lines were planted in the Ashburton trials. Lines not previously certified were grown in a qualifying. trial to ascertain their suitability from a certification point of view. In this latter trial fifty sets only were planted. Planting was carried out under favourable conditions and early growth was satisfactory. However, the land where these trials were carried out was too light to withstand the dry conditions that prevailed; the crop when dug proved one of the lightest ever grown on the farm, and the stunted growth of the plants made detection of virus disease very difficult.

In order to give farmers and -others interested more time to study the various phases of the work being carried out, and to afford growers an opportunity of more closely studying their lines of potatoes in competition with others entered in certification, arrangements were made for visitors from North, Mid, and South Canterbury to visit the farm on three separate days. This arrangement proved satisfactory, and visitors showed keen interest in the various trials that were being conducted.

In comparing the areas of potatoes entered for certification during the past two seasons it is interesting to note that of 1,231 acres entered in 1929-30 only 427 passed the field inspection, whereas in 1930-31 out of a total of 1,454 acres entered 1,038 acres were passed. It will thus be seen that rejections in the field this last season were comparatively small. Certainly all of these lines were in certification last season, but as there has been a slight tightening up in the standard set for virus diseases, &c., the above figures may be regarded as an indication that most of the growers concerned are alive to the necessity of roguing for virus diseases, &c.

ORIGIN OF SEED TRIALS. The.trial of Ashburton-grown versus Southland-grown Arran Chief potatoes was carried into the third season. Trials were planted

with the following lines: (A) Ashburton seed; (B) Ashburton seed once grown in Southland ; (C) Ashburton seed twice grown in Southland ; (D) Ashburton seed grown three seasons in Southland. The results of the trials are shown in the accompanying table.

Wheat-selection Work.

As a result of the natural cross-fertilization which occurred between wheat varieties on the farm in 1928-29, it was necessary last season to make further selections from all varieties grown. Ear to row trials were again sown. These were carefully observed during growth, and any lines showing undesirable characteristics discarded. Small yield-trials were sown by hand, with controls every third plot and the whole repeated eight times. The seed for this trial was hot-water treated before sowing, which unfortunately reduced the germination. to such an extent as to render the trial valueless.

Larger yield-trials were carried out with selections from Solidstraw Tuscan, Dreadnought, Hunter’s, Velvet Chaff, Pearl, and Whitestraw Tuscan. The plots were sown with a hand-drill, and consisted of rows 45 in. long by 14 in. apart. Controls were sown every third plot, and the whole trial repeated ten times. The soil where this trial was carried out was fairly uniform, and this fact, together with an increase in the number of replications over last season, gave greater accuracy to the results and made it possible to eliminate a number of the poorer-yielding strains. Increase plots of all varieties were sown with rye-corn between each two to prevent cross-fertilization so far as possible.

An area of 7 acres was sown to Velvet Chaff, Dreadnought, and Solid-straw Tuscan. The Velvet and Dreadnought were the bestyielding strains of these two varieties tested at Ashburton in the previous season, and the Solid-straw Tuscan was supplied from Lincoln College. These crops, which followed potatoes,, were sown at the rate of i| bushels per acre, with 1 cwt. of superphosphate, and buffer strips of rye-corn between each two. All varieties made splendid early growth and promised to yield exceptionally well, but weather conditions were so unfavourable when they were filling that the samples were very pinched.

The efficacy of rye-corn when grown as a buffer in preventing crossfertilization of wheats has not yet been definitely determined, but by reason of its tall vigorous growth it certainly appears to have possibilities in this direction.

Varieties of wheat grown under ordinary field conditions to provide seed for variety trials were: Dreadnought, Dreadnought 5/27, Victor, Marquis 0 1/97/13, Solid-straw Velvet, Reward, Marquis iob, Yeoman, Bell’s Hunter’s, White Fife, Garnet, Velvet Chaff, Major, Solid-straw Tuscan. '

Malting Barley.

In the 1929-30 season a number of selections raised from single ears were grown for increasing and for observation on trueness to type. All lines within a variety were so even that no selection could be done that season. In the season under review a small yield trial was planned

and sown in September with four selections each of Plumage, Plumage Archer, Chevalier, Archer, and Spratt, also with one selection of Goldthorpe Spratt. The seed was sown by hand in rows 12 in. apart and seeds placed 3 in. apart in the rows. Controls of a bulk line of Plumage Archer were sown every third row, and the whole trial was repeated eight times. Germination, although fairly even, was slow, and growth was poor. Results were indefinite, and it will be necessary to repeat the trial during another season.

Lucerne.

A 20-acre paddock of lucerne sown in 1921 is still flourishing. Besides giving a cut of hay, the lucerne provided a large amount of grazing for sheep during the season despite the dry weather conditions. The effects of superphosphate applied in 1924 to certain parts of the area were still apparent. ' This was particularly noticeable where the lucerne is in wide rows and where no marked response was apparent in the first two seasons following the application of the fertilizer.

* This will be the last of the periodical reports on the Ashburton Experimental Farm in the Journal. The farm area, which has been held on leaseby the Department of Agriculture from the Ashburton High School Board for the past fifteen years, was vacated by the Department at the end of June last. A large part of the work conducted at Ashburton has been transferred toan area recently established on the Canterbury Agricultural College farm, Lincoln. This area will be known as the Government Pure Seed Station. Editor.

Line. Table Potatoes. Seed Potatoes. Total Increase. Yield. Increase over Ashburton. Yield. ■ ■ Increase over Ashburton. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. ' Tons. A 2-7 3'4 B 3'3 O • 6 3-8 0-4 I • o C 3-6 o-g 4-2 o • 8 i-7 D 3-2 0'5 3-9 o-5 i -o