HIGH-YIELDING WHEAT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 41, 18 February 1939, Page 10

HIGH-YIELDING WHEAT

SEW VARIETY AT LINCOLN SUITABLE FOR SPRING SOWING I Per Pres, Association.,* CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 17. Excellent results have been obtained at Lincoln College with a new spring wheat. Tainui, which was developed at the Wheat Research Institute by Dr. O. H. Frankel. A crop of 25 acres has been recently threshed and has given a yield of 53 bushels to the acre.

Tainui is a spring wheat, developed by crossing in which Portuguese varieties played a part. It must not be sown except in spring, because it is liable to go down, because of its rather weak straw, and is also liable to suffer, by its early maturing qualities, from frosts. It is obviously a good yielder, and gives a baking score not quite as good as that of cross 7, but better than ordinary Tuscan. The herry is very plump and attractive. The new wheat should prove an excellent variety in Canteroury in seasons when a wet autumn precludes sowing. In general,'' spring sown wheat is not such a good proposition for the farmer as autumn sown, but Tainui appears to be capable of overcoming this disadvantage. It assures the farmer of a good crop from seed sown in the spring, and ripens a full fortnight earlier than Tuscan. It is the first ot the college crops to be harvested.

The college crop was not sown under Ihe best conditions. Il was sown rather earlier than is ideal for Tainui, as it was pul in at the end of June, after the rest of the rowing had been done It received rather a bad check at one stage, but the yield indicates that its powers of recovery are good. Tainui has been tried in field plots for a number of years, but the first complete paddock was grown this year at Lincoln. The college win have about 1000 bushels for sale.