WHEAT INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 19801, 27 February 1928, Page 5

WHEAT INDUSTRY

LEVIES FOR RESEARCH FULL PLAN OF IRVESTIGATION (Special to tub ’ Stab. 1 ] WELLINGTON, February 25. _ All phases of the wheat industry in New Zealand, from the seed to its ultimate use in bread, are to be investigated by the Wheat Research Institute, which receives its official status as tho result of regulations published in a special gazette. Tho scheme was originated by those interested in tho industry, and is to be financed by a levy on the production of wheat and flour, which though enforced under a> statute, is really voluntary in its origin. The resultant ludcls, subsidised by the Depatnncnt of Science and Industrial Research, will bo used for the benefit of tho industry. Wheatgrowers, flouriuillers, and bakers will contribute at similar rates to tho funds, tho wheatgrowers’ levy being l-Jd per fifty bushels sold to a merchant or miller (this weight being approximately that needed to produce one ton of flour), while tho millers will pay l£d per ton on flour produced from the mill, and the baker the same amount on Hour purchased. The millers and merchants are empowered under the new regulations to deduct the growers’ proportion from tho price paid lor wheat, while the flourmillers will render payment on their monthly output, and 'bakers on their purchases. The research plan scheme enables the wheatgrowers, flourmillers, and grain merchants on the one hand to cooperate with the scientific interests represented by Lincoln College, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Industries and Commerce, and Board of Scientific and Industrial Research to promote better growing of wheat, better milling, and better baking. It is expected that scientific help will bring advantage to nil concerned at small cost. The AVbcat Institute Research Committee which is representative of all the interests concerned,' will deal with wheat breeding and selection, as is being done at Lincoln College. It will carry out field work in wheat-growing areas by officers of tho Department of Agriculture, and conduct laboratory researches at the wheat laboratory to be established in Christchurch in association with Canterbury College. Attention is to be first paid to the staffing and equipment of the laboratory, which will issue reports giving tho results of its researches. The plan of investigation has been decided as follows:

For Whcatgrowcrs.—(l) Determination of the best varieties of wheat for different climates and soils; (2) estimating the influences of cultivation, manuring, weather, disease, etc. upon the quality of wheat, and disease control; (3) problems connected with tho time of cutting wheat, its threshing, and storage; (4) breeding and selection and testing of improved strains of wheat. All these activities will involve both field and laboratory researches. For Millers.—(l) Determination of the best blends of wheat for milling, by devising definite scientific tests of the component wheats; (2) investigation of the influences of different processes upon the various classes of wheat; (3) investigations of such technical troubles as arise from time to time in flour mills.

For Bakers.—(l) Indicating the special treatment necessary for various flours—e.g., water absorption; (2) fermentation, baking, and use of improvers; (3) treatment of such problems as mould, twangs, fungi, and bacteria; all investigations which will benefit the general public by making possible the provision of more wholesome bread and other foodstuffs.

The gazetting of the regulations enables tho levy to be collected forthwith, and the proceeds will bo paid direct into the AVheat Research, fund. Similar wheat research institutes arc functioning with success_ in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.