Wheat Production in Central Hawkes Bay

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 87, Issue 6, 15 December 1953, Page 543

Wheat Production in Central Hawkes Bay

By

F. H. COLLIN,

Fields Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Hastings

ONE of the major problems facing the world today is the enormous task of producing sufficient food to meet the demands of an ever-increasing population. New Zealand is in the happy position of being self sufficient in almost all branches of primary production. Undoubtedly the most important exception is wheat. The annual consumption of wheat in this country is approximately 12 million bushels, of which less than half is home grown, and this in spite of the fact that there is ample land, in New Zealand capable of producing grain of good milling quality to meet the Dominion's own needs. In central Hawkes Bay alone, with its adequate rainfall and dry summer conditions, there are thousands of acres that could advantageously be used for the growing of wheat.

AT the beginning of the century Hawkes Bay produced all the flour the province could use, with a surplus for export. During the Second World War farmers were encouraged to increase their wheat acreages, and over 4000 acres were grown in one season, most of which produced above-aver-age crops. This clearly shows how well'suited the province is to the production of this vital commodity. Yet with the increased prices for meat and wool in recent years, the acreage devoted to wheat growing has steadily decreased, until last season only 600 acres were grown. If drainage and cultivation are good, the. requirements for wheat growing are not particularly exacting. All farmers practise a rotation of sorts, in which the prime object is the provision of winter feed. Considered in conjunction with the necessity of breaking up old pasture, wheat has a definite place in a well-balanced rotation on much Hawkes Bay land. The grass, to wheat, to grass method has been followed by most farmers on the medium- to low-rainfall areas as a means of establishing new pastures with reasonable results. Renewal of Run-out Pasture The type of farming practised in Hawkes Bay is mainly pastoral and the most important feature of farm management is the renewal of some run-out pasture each year. A simple

rotation allows pasture to be renewed as quickly as possible, and the inclusion of a safe crop such as wheat is an assured source of income to the farmer and greatly assists in the preparation of land for the establishment of higher-producing pastures. It is generally accepted that Hawkes Bay’s arable land will support a crop of wheat every fifth or sixth year without depletion of soil fertility, and wheat can follow various crops or pasture. On areas of light land with reasonable summer moisture spring sowings are generally adopted. Pasture grazing is obtained as late as July or August, after which the land is ploughed, cultivated, and sown in wheat in September. The area is sown down in new grass the following autumn. Yields of between 40 and 70 bushels of wheat per acre are generally obtained, and these make wheat a grofitable cash crop in central Hawkes ay. There is no reason why average yields of 50 bushels per year and more cannot be obtained when wheat is included in a simple rotation. Where a definite rotation is used wheat sometimes follows turnips, swedes, rape, or peas. Soil fertility can be increased by the use of a sound crop rotation which provides a proper balance between exhaustive and restorative crops. The most valuable restorative crop is good pasture. In a 5- to 6-year rotation pastures are

of short duration, and if amply topdressed, will give far higher production than those left down for an indefinite period. The effects of grassgrub attack on the short-termed, higher - producing pastures thus obtained are considerably lessened when modern chemical methods of control are used in conjunction with the high rate of pasture renewal. Wheat Growing on Light Land The following programme of a farmer on light land outlines the important part wheat plays as a profitable crop in a farmer’s rotation planned to obtain higher-producing pastures. The property, consisting of 2300 acres, is situated 12 miles. due west of Waipukurau and adjoins the foothills of the Ruahine Range. It is approximately 1000 ft. above sea level and frosts up to 15 degrees are recorded. The rainfall is about 44in., the greater part of which falls during winter and early spring. Summer rainfall is adequate but not high enough to hinder harvesting operations. The farm is divided into 40 paddocks ranging in size from 30 to 80 acres. Approximately 800 acres are flat and it is on this . country that the crop rotation is practised. The remainder of the farm is undulating to hilly and is used solely for grazing. Though

this steeper country has been improved by topdressing, resowing, and oversowing, its topography and heavy clay subsoil render it unsuitable for wheat growing.

Soils The land used in the rotation consists of silt and sandy loams which are light, fluffy soils and tend to dry out rapidly during summer. They are well drained owing to the presence of stony, gravel subsoils. In places gravel is close to the surface and deep ploughing cannot always be done. As the soils contain a proportion of volcanic ash, they are easy to work and when under cultivation break down to a fine seed-bed. Owing to their tendency to blow, the surface cannot be left too fine.

Crop Rotation Before 1945 the usual district practice was adopted in which chou

moellier or chou moellier and swedes for winter feed, followed by rape for fattening, were grown before new pasture was sown. Old pastures were dominant browntop and pasture improvement in conjunction with provision of winter feed was the major consideration. . With the ’ laying down of new pastures containing subterranean clover and a high percentage of perennial ryegrass in the sward the damage by grass-grub became more wide-

spread. Though crops of chou moellier and swedes produced good winter feed, rape crops were generally unsatisfactory. It became apparent that a change in management would have to be made.

Wheat then became the basis of a 5- to 6-year cropping rotation. It was felt that by substituting wheat for rape and by ploughing a larger proportion of the farm each year all stock

could be successfully fattened on a higher-producing, younger type of pasture® The rotation is as follows: 1. old pasture; 2 turnips and swedes; 3. heat: 4. new pasture (4 or 5 years). ’ „ . . 1 j "reparation OT Land The present policy is to plough approximately 130 to 150 acres each year, half of which is sown in swedes and half in turnips. The land required for swedes is ploughed in early November, cultivated, and sown in

mid-December. The turnip country is ploughed immediately after the swedes are sown and cultivated in a similar fashion and the seed is sown by early February. Phosphate in the form of “super, compound” at l£cwt. per acre is applied ' with the seed of both crops. As the land is subject to blowing, the cultivated surface must be left rough to reduce any loss of topsoil to a minimum. These crops are fed off in rotation by hoggets, grazing usually beginning in May. After the crops have been consumed the areas are ploughed in mid-June to a depth of about sin. They are then rolled and double - disced.' After an interval a further discing is given and then they are harrowed preparatory to drilling the wheat in late August or early September. Rolling after sowing is not practised, as trials carried out on the property over a number of years proved that rolling encouraged weeds. Sowing and Manuring In the opinion of the owners the sowing is the most important factor if a successful wheat crop is to be obtained. It is one operation that cannot be hurried. When the soil conditions and weather are suitable the wheat receives first priority and all other work on the farm ceases until it is sown. It has been proved that it is far better to sow late under good conditions than early under poor conditions. Poor strikes are obtained if the soil is wet and occasionally during a very wet season sowings are made in late September. Cultivation work is planned so that the land is ready for sowing as early as possible, generally at the end of August or early September. > Certified seed is always sown at the rate of 2 bushels per acre with lcwt. of superphosphate. Heavier rates of phosphate have been tried . with no

resultant increase in yield. The seed is drilled in 7in. rows and about 2in. deep. At no time during the growing period is the area harrowed or grazed. Varieties The first varieties used were Cross 7 and Fife Tuscan, but as these are autumn to early winter . sown wheats, they did not suit the rotation and the maximum grazing could not be obtained from the swedes and turnips. Tainui, Hilgendorf, and Yielder were all tried over a period and the variety best suited to the rotation and general management was Tainui. All varieties have yielded well, but during an adverse season when cultivation work was held up and late sowings were made Tainui outyielded the other varieties. It was found that on this type of country Yielder and Hilgendorf must be sown before September if a successful crop is to be obtained. Harvesting The crop is usually ready for harvesting at the end of January or in early February, depending on seasonal conditions. It is harvested with a header harvester, and yields of over 60 bushels per acre are not uncommon. Sowing to New Pasture After harvesting, the areas are lightly disced to cover all seed which may have fallen during harvesting. This self-sown seed acts as a cover crop for the new grass. The remaining stubble and straw are then burnt. Burning before discing was practised, but it was found that a better burn was obtained after discing. After burning, the areas are again lightly disced. This discing must be light; otherwise fallen grain may be brought to the surface. ~ A seeds mixture containing 301 b. of Certified perennial ryegrass, 31b. of Certified cocksfoot, and 21b. of Certified white clover is broadcast. Areas

receive another discing to cover the seed but this time with no cut on the discs. The seed is broadcast as early as possible, generally in February. As most areas have a high proportion of subterranean clover in the pasture sward before ploughing, this species is added to the seeds mixture only where necessary.

The self-sown wheat gives ideal cover for the young pasture sward and allows early stocking, which is so desirable on this class of land, as consolidation is one of the most important factors if successful pasture establishment is to be obtained. This is done with young cattle, preferably weaners, and the areas are not grazed with sheep until September. As phosphate is the major element limiting good pasture establishment, applications of a phosphatic fertiliser are essential when sowing down new pasture. Between 1945 and 1950, 2cwt. per acre was used annually, but since the advent of chemicals in the control of grass-grub, the phosphate application is halved and made at two periods, lcwt. at the time of sowing and the other in early spring.

The spring application comprises lcwt. per acre of superphosphate containing D.D.T. for the control of grassgrub and is distributed through a manure box attached to a roller. To safeguard against the possible toxic effects of the insecticide, stock are removed from the time of application until later in the spring, when the areas provide ideal grazing for ewes and lambs.

The following autumn the areas are topdressed with a further 2cwt. per acre of superphosphate and scwt. of lime, thus making one application of lime and three applications of phosphate, per acre in the first 12 months of the pasture’s life. Through the summer months lenient grazing with cattle is practised to allow the cocksfoot to become firmly established. The area is then left in grass for 4 to 5 years until it is brought back once again into the rotation.

Rotation a Planned Routine

The whole rotation is a planned routine and the farmer knows exactly what he has to do at all times of the year. This system has been successfully operated since 1945 and at no time during this period has a crop of less than 50 bushels per acre been harvested. Added to this the grassgrub menace has been checked and the carrying capacity has increased from 1 breeding ewe to 2| ewes per acre. More ewes could be wintered, but the owners favour a higher cattle ratio and are at present carrying 850 steers. They hope to increase this number to 1000 through this planned rotation of producing better pastures and thus being able to save more hay for winter supplementary feed. Wheat undoubtedly has proved a payable crop, and the farmers say: “It’s the safest farming we know”.

In central: Hawkes Bay there are considerable areas of country similar to this that could be improved by the adoption of the same methods. By such practices farmers would not only be lifting their carrying capacities by as much as 1| ewes per acre on light land, but they; would also be contributing their share to the need for higher wheat production throughout the Dominion.