PRAIRIE GRASS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30667, 5 February 1965, Page 6

PRAIRIE GRASS

Test Work For Grazing The Grasslands Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research considered it should not be difficult to produce selections of prairie grass with well-recog-nised and stable characteristics for large-scale grazing trials the Dominion agriculture produce section council of Federated Farmers which met in Christchurch was told. Outlining the work done by the division in the development of prairie grass the division’s scientific officer (Mr G. S. Harris), in a letter to the coucil, said that an officer of the D.S.I.R. had been assessing in the field 36 introductions of the grass from overseas and 154 pasture and roadside collections from throughout New Zealand.

This latter group, made available by the Department of Agriculture, covered a range of climates, soils and farming practices in 31 districts, said Mr Harris. All were being assessed at Palmerston North and smaller numbers at the Grasslands Division sub-stations at Kaikohe, Lincoln, and Gore. “We are not yet prepared to forecast the extent to which prairie grass can be improved but large differences do exist in tiller density, habit, coarseness, yield and flowering behaviour.” Mr Harris said that work on producing selection for largescale grazing trials was proceding. Mr W. V. Hadfield, assistant director of the Farm Advisory Division of the Department of Agriculture, said the question was how important was prairio grass to fanners and could a wholesale breeding programme be carried out?

If a persistent line could be assured then farmers would be interested, said a speaker. Something was wanted which would stand up for more than just three or four years.