“Canterbury Always Lets You Down”

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30977, 5 February 1966, Page 10

“Canterbury Always Lets You Down”

Although this season would be considered a most favourable one for the dry land farmer a tremendous loss of productive potential was taking place, as was the case each year in this area, the superintendent, Mr W. R. Lobb, told farmers attending a field day at the Department of Agriculture's irrigation research station at Winchmore this week.

Mr Lobb said he had been assured in the press that Canterbury had a drought only one year in seven. This he did not believe. It was a

way of saying “I am prepared to accept the average condition, but once in a while the Tows’ in this situation will beat me.”

It was said that Canterbury “never lets you down,” but it could be more truthfully said that Canterbury “always lets you down,” but only those with irrigation could do anything about it. In spite of views to the contrary Canterbury had had an agricultural drought every year since records had been taken and this year was no I exception.

Since late in November irrigated pasture had been producing 48.71 b of dry matter an acre a day against 19.61 b for dryland. This was two and a half times as much on the irrigated area.

Mr D. S. Rickard, a scientist on the station staff, said later that the corresponding figures for the same period last year were 501 b an acre a day under irrigation and about 101 b under dryland i conditions. Four Seasons Over four seasons, Mr Rickard said, the average dry matter production under dryland conditions had been about 50001 b to the acre 'Where irrigation was being practised when half the available moisture was used up. ■ with about eight irrigations 'being given in a season, dry matter production was up to 10,1001 b. Between irrigating at wilting point for plants, which would involve about two or three irrigations a season, and eight irrigations, he said there was a difference in dry matter production of about 13001 b.

I Over eight years under irrigation, Mr Rickard said, dry matter production had varied from 33 to 531 b an acre a day, with an average of 431 b. Under dry land conditions the range of daily production was a jib to 361 b with the average being 111 b.

Ln the current season, he said, for the period from September 1 to January 21 the production on the non-irri- • gated area was just in excess of 36001 b, whereas on the irrigated area it was just in ■ excess of 56001 b—an increase iof 54 per cent. Over about the same period last year the i corresponding figures were 128001 b and 59001 b.