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REPORTS FROM BRANCHES AGRONOMY DIVISION Director: Mr. J. W. Hadfield FUNCTIONS - The Agronomy Division, at Lincoln, is responsible for improvement in field and vegetable crops (exclusive of wheat-breeding), and approaches this objective by pureline seed-production, plant-breeding, and plant-introduction. PURE-SEED PRODUCTION The pure seed raised by this Division from single plant selections is taken over by ihe Department of Agriculture, the Canterbury Agricultural College, or by selected merchants; sometimes it is for further increase, but the bulk is for distribution by the' Department of Agriculture under a system of seed certification. The Division maintains stocks of the following agricultural seeds for distribution : Wheat. —S.S. Tuscan, Tainui, College Hunters, Hunters 11, Dreadnought, Cross 7, Hilgendorf, W.R.I. Yielder, Marquis, Fife Tuscan, Jumbuck. Oats.—Gartons Abundance, Algerians, Duns, Binder, Achilles. Barley.—Chevallier, Spratt Archer, Golden Archer, Plumage Archer, Culture 9, Newal, Wong, Pioneer, Prefect. Ryecorn.—Black Winter, N.1.A.8. Garden Peas. —Onward, Greenfeast, English Wonder, Little Marvel, Greencrop, William Massey. Field Peas.—Harrisons Glory, Mammoth White, Mammoth Blue, White Prolific. Linseed. —Cheyenne, Rio. Linen Flax.—Russian Seln. 11, Russian Seln. 111, Liral Crown. Brassicas.—Calder swede, T.H. kale, chou Moellier (giant), chou Moellier (medium), giant rape, B.L.E. rape, club-root-resistant rape. Lupins.—Sweet Blue, Sweet White, Sweet Yellow, Bitter Pink. Lucerne.—Strain B (New Zealand certified). Pasture Species.—Clovers: Broad red, Montgomery, white. Grasses: Shortrotation rye, Italian rye. PLANT INTRODUCTION A vast amount of material introduced from overseas is either under observation or under yield trial, and much of it is being used in crosses —e.g., 5172 oat with very .stiff straw is used to give resistance to lodging. The barley varieties Kenia and Maja are useful parents in producing a barley suitable for direct heading. Many of the linseed and linen-flax varieties are highly resistant, and some even immune to the races of rust present in New Zealand. Some useful material, particularly of lupins, has been obtained from Germany. A close watch is maintained on overseas literature, and through personal contact with workers overseas it is possible to obtain valuable material for trial and breeding. BREEDING AND SELECTION Oats.—The main difficulty experienced in the growing of oats In Otago and Southland is the lodging of the crop, and two crosses, Resistance X Onward and Resistance X Algerian, are now in Fll and are being grown in replicated trials at the Division and

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