CASE FOR TRACE ELEMENTS

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27990, 9 June 1956, Page 7

CASE FOR TRACE ELEMENTS

COULMORE FARM VISITED

High Production And Healthy Stock

POINTS ON MODERN FARMING

Holding that the proof of the pudding lies in the eating, Mr W. B. Trotter, of Coulmore, Fairlie, is satisfied that he is working on the right lines in its adherence to the use of certain trace elements, notably copper. Mr Trotter also holds that nutrition in stock is more important than the use of drenches and the injection needle. For years his was a voice in the wilderness, but, undismayed, Mr Trotter held to his convictions. Today he is convinced that ultimately his ideas will have a large following. Thus the writer’s recent visit to Mr Trotter’s pastures had more than ordinary interest. At the outset, without entering into the pros and cons of his experiments, it is no exaggeration to describe Mr Trotter’s property as one of the outstanding ones in the lower Mackenzie, in point of production and quality, and health of livestock. Inspected recently, his pastures presented a truly pleasing picture. Few farmers can hope to reach the top of their calling these days, without at least an elementary knowledge of soil chemistry. The writer has thus no apologies to offer for the somewhat technical flavour of the earlier part of this article; at all events the farming practices described in the latter part of the article should appeal to all classes of readers.

“Molybdenum Has No Place”

[ Of particular interest are Mr Trot- ! ter’s views on molybdenum, which he i expressed to the writer in the following terms “I am forced to the conclusion that molybdenum has no place !in grassland farming. The growth responses are undoubted. Undoubted also are the results of its use, without ' any apparent harmful effects, on undeveloped country—all these have had full publicity—but not nearly so much publicity has been given to the very dangerous ability of molybdenum to release copper from the animal body, thus preventing any new red cell (haemoglobin) being formed in the blood—and so to anaemia. “Where molybdenum finds conditions to its liking—such as adequate liming and a satisfactory level of trace minerals such as cobalt, it can cause, and is causing, a severe death rate in hoggets. This is just because by robbing these young sheep of the copper which is such a necessary catalyst in the formation of new blood, these young animals are laid wide open to worm attack.’’

In the autumn of 1952, Mr Trotter laid down his first trials with molybdenum and copper, in an endeavour to find w hcther it would be possible to combine these two minerals to advantage in topdressing pastures. Such a move became necessary, as, with the continued use of bluestone, he found that, though in the first three years the clovers were good, clover growth was retarded in both 1951 and 1952. “Considering that clover is by far the best conveyer of copper among our normal pasture plants,” continued Mr Trotter, “it seemed esesntial to keep the clovers going, otherwise the use of bluestone tended to defeat its own object. “In 1952 I used half an ounce of molybdenum and 51b of bluestone an acre. The results until mid-October were excellent- At this period the season became very wet, and nothing even approaching worthwhile conclusions could be reached. Interesting Trials “In 1953 I used loz of molybdenum and 51b of bluestone an acre. The results in that year were the same as in 1952. In 1954 I again used loz of molybdenum and 51b of bluestone. In that year the season proved different, in that we had a dry period until December 10, when 4| inches of rain fell. The weather then took up again until February 10, when 3 inches of rain fell. These two dry periods, interrupted with two falls of rain on warm ground, provided sufficient moisture to cause a flush of feed.

“For about three weeks after the rain, during the early period of the flush of feed, the stock lost condition rapidly. There was some scouring, but there were no deaths, and the stock then started to thrive again. “In January, 1955, I had the best pasture I have ever seen—something near to the ideal. I bought in Romney wether lambs, turned them out to pasture, and they were fit to draft in 10 days, but, because of crutching, they had to be held for three weeks. On January 10 three inches of rain fell, and I was confronted with the dismal spectacle of the lambs going to pieces, and at the same time I was unable to draft them, because I was precluded from sending freshly-crutched lambs to the works.

“When the period of three weeks from crutchings had elapsed, I was able to draft 80 per cent, of the lambs and they killed out at 33.61b —lambs with nicked tails but so bare on the rib that it appeared risky to send them to the works. “I did not use any molybdenum in topdressing last autumn, but when the drought broke I again noticed this falling-away in condition on the flush feed after rain on warm ground. Thus I am forced to the conclusion that molybdenum has no place in grassland farming.” Mr Trotter went on to say that of the three heavy minerals used in steel hardening and adaptable to agriculture —molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten —he intended to lay down trials with both vanadium and tungsten. He was hopeful that vanadium, which had no reaction with copper, might replace molybdenum in his topdressing and thus allow the free use of copper (so essential to the health of stock) in his pastures.

Talking generally, Mr Trotter expressed his opinion that the level and quality of New Zealand’s production will be dictated by the lowest level of available minerals, not by the highest level. Thus, he added, the very great need today was to study mineral antagonisms.

At present he was topdressiang with borax and iron to overcome the antagonism which existed between these minerals and calcium. He was. too, topdressing with bluestone to counteract the antagonism existing between cooper and phosphorus, the latter element being constantly added to the soil over the years through the use of sunerphosphate. He had used serpentine superohosphate. which he said contains 10 per cent, of magnesium rock, in an effort to overcome the antagonism between nitrogen and magnesium. This trial had not been entirely sucessful. A better way, he now considered, might bd to reduce the nitrogen content by taking a crop of wheat.

Another mineral being used in trials at Coulmore was sulphur, for the farm was in a sulphur-deficient area. He was also topdressing with soz of cobalt to’ the acre on some pastures and. so far as he was aware, there was no antagonism affecting that element.

Mr Trotter’s farm policy is to provide the balance of minerals necessary to promote the general health of his stotek, through the natural intake of pasture rather than by the employment of the drenching gun and injections. This, he emphasised, was the reason for his originating his trials with trace elements some 11 years ago. “I am not afraid to drench,” he said, “and I do not drench normally. If I have occasion to drench in the future, it will be with copper-cobalt and iron in the ratio of 2 to 1 to onesixteenth, this being the balance of minerals required to encourage the stock to form new red cells in the blood. Generally, however, I am not an advocate of drenching.

“I admit I may have been holding my neck out for years past in my emphasis of the importance of import-

ing into the soil and maintaining there a proper balance of trace elements—notably copper—but my work in this direction has paid me handsomely. The results achieved are excellent, particularly when compared with the 1938-45 period when the drenching gun was the main implement on my property.”

The area of Coulmore is 496 acres, and, in 1938, it carried 1400 ewes and “nothing else.” The wool clip was about 10.0001 b and stock losses were appreciable. Last year the farm wintered and shore 2080 sheep with a wool clip of 21,5001 b, or the high average of 431 b of wool an acre. The sheep wintered included 560 nine-year-old ewes and 150 small cull wether hoggets. Death rate among the hoggets from all causes was 1 per cent and, in addition. 20 of the very old ewes died of ante-partum paralysis. Lamb Meat Production

Calculated on an acreage basis, lamb meat production this season was impressive. Three hundred of the breeding flock at Colmore were stud ewes and. apart from these sheep, the tally of lambs weaned from the com??P r fJ a l 1050 ewes was 1240. Of these, 270 were retained for flock replacements. The balance were killed ?? Iv . the Srass at an average weight of olio—and it has been a very drv season.

, ‘he season just ended, in addition ™ t £> e s at l arr, bs bred on the farm, Mr. Trotter sold off the place an additional 2000 killable lambs. All the nine-year-old ewes, with the exception of 40 which were potted, were fattened and sold off the grass to the freezing works. When the drought was at its worst, the sheep population, including lambs, was 3600. together with 300 cattle Subsequently most of the cattle had to be turned out on another property because of shortage of feed. Another endorsement of Mr Trotter s successful farm management is seen in his outstanding success in the livestock and wool classes at the Mac kenzie Country show at Fairlie thi year, when he won no fewer tha eight points cups, as under:—d) mos points in show; (2) livestock; (3) floc) sheep; (4) crossbred wool; (5) fa Icimbs; (6) fat sheep; (7) ewe lambs and (8) three-quarterbred sheep. Ii addition, he carried off the Burnet Cup for sheep most suitable for stocking hill country below Burkes Pass, as well as the Grant Memorial Cup lor most points in wool, flock sheep, and fat lambs. Incidentallv the competition in the wool classes drew no fewer than 206 entries and many fleeces which were unplaced compared favourably with prize-winning entries at outside shows, where competition was restricted.

Because of Mr Trotter’s show successes, it is worthy of note that he finds three-quarterbreds admirably suited to his class of country, none of which, by the way, is flat. Indeed, much of it is on the steeo side and requires to be top-dressed from the air - His practice is to mate Lincolnhalfbred ewes with Romne” rams, giving him a three-quarterbred flock. He finds these three-quarterbreds give bim a good fleece—his clipped 131 b and 111 b respectively, for the last two years. From 650 threequarterbred ewes last year, he obtained 9201 b of crutchings. He also finds these ewes great milkers. “They will,” he says, “milk right through to February, if required, and in this respect the Romney ewe fails miserably.”