VALUE OF NITROGEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 200, 10 June 1929, Page 7

VALUE OF NITROGEN.

TESTS IN NEW ZEALAND. Incidental reference to the use of nitrogen as a top-dressing agent was made in the Manawatu district recently by Mr Hudson, of the Fields division of the Department of Agriculture, in the course of an address to farmers.

Dealing with the general use of manures, he remarked that phosphates remained the mainstay of the top-dress-ing farmer, while comparatively few areas were dressed with potash, there l>eing no indication of a potash deficiency in the soil to a degree approaching the dearth of phosphates. Nitrogen was talked about a good deal at the present time, hut in New Zealand little was known about its effects on pastures. It had been considered that owing to the virgin nature of the soil there was no necessity for the application of nitrogen, hut it looked as if that was not altogether true. Experiments in Canterbury indicated that nitrogen was producing results with cereal crops, and the same might he the case with grass lands. However, before nitrogen was applied it would be necessary in many cases to make up the soil deficiencies in other requirements. Nitrogen had a great effect on grass growth, but would it be advisable to use the manure if fanners were unable to use the increased growth? If they could not use it they would find rough, rank pastures on their hands. The management factor would play a bigger part than with phosphates. Nitrogen also had the tendency to suppress the clovers, and the cause of this had not yet been ascertained. The aim of the Department was to determine the value of nitrogen on New Zealand soils, and trials were being conducted.