| 21 Reaping rewards in ‘early country’ Kim Newth “Spring comes early here and it can dry out quickly, so you need a variety like Reliance that can get going quickly and early. This variety of premium milling wheat also yields very well.” ARABLE » Maw KG Farming Humid, wet conditions contributed to a below average wheat harvest across New Zealand last year, but the 2022 harvest had a silver lining for Geoff Maw, Kyle Gray and their team of Hamish, John and Emily from Mid Canterbury’s Maw KG Farming. Reliance wheat grown on the farm was judged top of the class at last year’s United Wheatgrower Wheat Competition, winning the 2022 Premium Milling Wheat Award. Maw KG Farming is a busy mixed cropping operation in rural Dorie, east of Rakaia growing wheat, ryegrass, white clover and brassicas, as well as peas, sweetcorn and potatoes for processing. Additionally, the 450-hectare farm runs a lambing flock of predominantly Romney cross sheep. This area of Mid Canterbury is known as ‘early country’ – and it was early maturing wheat that worked to the farm’s advantage in last year’s competition. “Spring comes early here and it can dry out quickly, so you need a variety like Reliance that can get going quickly and early. This variety of premium milling wheat also yields very well. When we harvested that particular line of wheat in January 2022, I thought it looked very nice and was worth entering. It was harvested just before the rough weather came in. We had it in the silo when most other crops were still out in the field. That certainly helped us achieve the quality and yield that the judges were looking for.” Having achieved a number of second and third places in the competition through the years, Geoff says it has been very satisfying to win the top award. It is an honour shared with Kyle Gray, who first joined the family farm some 20 years ago. He has been a pivotal part of the operation as Geoff’s second in charge and half-owner of the farm’s potato crop enterprise. “Overall, we think this year’s harvest is shaping up to be a lot better quality and yield than last year Puketoi Angus Bull Sale - Thursday 18th May, 2:00pm www.angusnz.com/venue/puketoi-angus/ Puketoi Angus Phone Kyle 021 175 7746 │ Geoff 027 444 7816 NEW SALE DATE - Bulk Grain, Silo & Cool Storage - Firewood & Shingle Supplies - Agricultural Spraying - Lime & Super Spreading - Precision Nitrogen Sowing - Swing-Lifting - Log, Hay & Straw, Grain, Stock & Container Cartage - l i , il l - i i l li - i l l i - i i - i i i i - i - i i - , , i , i PROUD TO SUPPORT MAW KG FARMING PO Box 28, Line Road, Methven , i , • Ph: 03 302 8616 : E: philipwareingltd@xtra.co.nz : ili i l . . • • www.philipwareing.co.nz . ili i . . QUALITY SINCE 1932 Supporting farmers for more than 90 years Luisetti Seeds Rangiora: 20 Ashley Street, PO Box 77, Rangiora 7440 | +64 3 313 7176 Luisetti Seeds Ashburton: 188 Dobson Street, Ashburton 7700 | + 64 3 308 9103 luisettiseeds.co.nz | admin@luisettiseeds.co.nz BOAGS CONTRACTING 8 Rolleston Street, Rakaia Mark 0274 383 846 e. boag.bros@xtra.co.nz C O N T R A C T I N G WE ARE A SPREADMARK ACCREDITED COMPANY so I expect we will be entering this competition again!” For a decade or more now, the farm has been hosting trials of milling wheat to support innovation and growth in the sector. Plant & Food Research has conducted multiple trials of promising new varieties there, tracking progress from sowing through to harvest. “That’s how we first got onto Reliance when it was still at the early trial stage. We could see how well it did here as an early maturing wheat of good yield and good quality; we’ve been using it ever since it was released. Three varieties were trialled that year. The intention was to keep just one, but they ended up keeping two – Reliance and Duchess, another highflyer that is now well-established as a premium milling wheat too.”
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