IV. YIELD AND QUALITY IN WHEAT. 



In the literature relating to yield and quality in wheat there 

 appears to be a considerable confusion of ideas. As this is likely 

 to stand in the way of progress an attempt has been made in this 

 chapter to define the position in so far as it applies to India. There 

 is a general opinion that in some manner yield and quality are 

 antagonistic and that high yielding wheats are always of poor 

 quality. On the other hand, if quality is aimed at, then the yields 

 are necessarily poor. At a recent discussion on the improvement 

 of English wheat at the Farmers' Club in London these erroneous 

 ideas were advocated by Percival ! who maintained that, under 

 English conditions, yield and quality cannot be combined. 



The results of our experiments indicate that there is a definite 

 connection between yield and quality. These experiments can 

 best be understood and their significance realised if the two aspects 

 of the whole question are separately considered. In the first 

 place, the experimental evidence on the possibility of combining 

 high yield and high quality in the same wheat must be con- 

 sidered. The second point relates to the conditions under which, 

 in any particular wheat, the best quality can be obtained. 



The first aspect relates to the combination of yield and quality 

 in the same wheat. On this subject there is a considerable volume 

 of Indian evidence. At Pusa, several new hybrid wheats with high 

 grain qualities, raised from Muzafrarnagar, have for several years 

 given higher yields than either parent. These are Pusa 100, 101, 

 and 106 which were tested by Mr. Humphries in 1910 and found to 

 behave like Manitoban good grade wheats produced in a dry 

 season. 2 Several other wheats from the same cross, which have 



1 Journal of the Farmers Club, 1912, p. 80. 



2 Howard and Howard, Bull. 22, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa. 1911, p. 14. 



