Plants For High Country

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30633, 26 December 1964, Page 9

Plants For High Country

AT its meeting last week the management committee of the Tussock Grasslands and Mountain Lands Institute adopted a report of its director, Mr L. W. McCaskill, on plant introduction and testing for the tussock grasslands and mountain lands for forwarding to the National Research Advisory Council.

In its investigations, the report says, the institute had become convinced that it was necessary to look afresh at the question of plant introduction and testing, especially for the higher and more eroded areas.

Recently the institute called a meeting of interested research workers from the Departments of Scientific and Industrial Research, Agriculture, the Forest Service and Lincoln College to discuss a research programme for plant introduction and testing for the tussock grasslands. The report, which has the general approval of the participants without necessarily committing their organisations, notes that since 1910 many hundreds of species and strains of grasses and legumes and some other herbs have been introduced and tested in some way as to their suitability for use in the tussock grasslands, but out of the vast amount of unco-ordi-nated and often uncompleted testing work has come little published material which would point the way to action on the more difficult sites.

Nevertheless in spite* Of the many difficulties certain species could be recommended for use now on the more favourable sites and methods of establishment and fertiliser requirements were reasonably well known. Some at least of the species had possibilities for use at higher altitudes and on unfavourable sites—these included cocksfoot, improved strains of tall oat grass and of tall fescue, species of Agropyron and white and alsike clovers.

It was highly desirable that a comprehensive, co-ordinated research plan be implemented to explore the possibilities of species already available in

the country, or promising introductions not previously available or not satisfactorily tested. Any scheme of plant introduction had to take cognisance of the dangers of indiscriminate introduction and make provision for conscientious screening of species before release for trial in the field.

Two needs had to be kept in mind. The first was that there was a demand for increased production from the tussock country and this stressed the need for considering grazing value, and the other was that there were areas where the need was solely for protection for soil and water conservation. “It is highly desirable that further introductions be made to enable the incorporation into existing grasses and clovers, with potential for use in the tussock grasslands, of genes for such factors as hardiness, winter growth, ability to forage for phosphate, and ability to establish and grow at a low pH. “To enable the maximum benefit to be obtained from future introductions it is essential that New Zealand should send collecting expeditions overseas. In addition to selecting plants of species already used here, if they have the characteristics mentioned above, they should search for species of grasses, legumes, other herbs and edible shrubs which might have a place in the New Zealand programme. In the case of plants already tried here, expeditions should remember that available provenances today may perform very dif-

feronitly here from those previously tried.”

The records of past introductions should be assembled and analysed and species which show high potential should be further tested using modern techniques. A few selected species from previous introductions should be tried on ploughable land on runs under conditions of high fertility and in conjunction with legumes in several climatic zones. It was possible that there might be strains which could give a wider spread of production than the grasses now used. Old material being reassessed and new introductions should be given every chance to establish (whether by sod-seeding or oversowing) by using the best techniques of inoculation and pelleting. To this end a comprehensive programme involving testing of techniques of pelleting with lime and with fertiliser of both grasses and clover was needed. Rhizobia for use in tussock grasslands were almost always faced with a low pH and work should be aimed at locating and selecting strains of rhizobia which could tolerate low pH and other adverse conditions. On badly depleted areas testing should include the use of annuals, including annual clovers, as a base for the establishment of perennials. The report also states that it is considered that there Should be a programme of testing known strains of indigenous species to assess their suitability for both occupied and unoccupied land.