SUPER AND MORE STOCK URGED

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 9

SUPER AND MORE STOCK URGED

The virtues of topdressing and increasing stock carrying were expounded by Professor I. E. Coop, professor of animal science at Lincoln College, speaking to farmers at the annual field day held by the Banks Peninsula branch of Federated Farmers at French Farm last week.

“Topdressing and increasing carrying capacity pays,” he says. “If you are going in for a topdressing policy you have got to put a lot more stock on. And even if you are not convinced about topdressing you should put more stock on anyway.” Professor Coop referred to the impact and effects of topdressing on peninsula properties of which he had knowledge. On one property of about 2000 acres he said that about £3OOO had been spent on superphosphate since 1960. On the basis of the average for the last three years compared with the position in the 1950 s before topdressing began, stocking had increased by about 10 per cent and wool production by about 15 per cent or 60001 b weight, which represented a bonus of about £lOOO for the expenditure of £3OOO which did not look to be a bad sort of investment. In the most recent year, under favourable conditions, wool production had increased by close to 30 per cent compared with the 19505. Second Property On the other property, he said, about £5OOO had been spent on superphosphate since 1959. Here converting cattle to sheep equivalents stocking had increased 10 to 15 per cent in five years, and total production by about 15 per cent. Wool production had increased by 5000 to 70001 b compared with 1950. On neither of the properties had subdivision been a factor in the increased output, but on the latter property part of the increase in wool production could be attributed to the use of stronger rams.

Professor Coop said it was 1 unfortunate that the penin- i sula, comprising about s 450,000 acres, was too small i an area to interest research j stations and like organisa- ’ tions in the South Island. For 1 the kind of management j

needed for this class of country, he said, they had to look to the North Island.

Clover was the basis of development on this country and it had to be made to grow to synthesise the nitrogen to make the grass grow. Basically the story was clover, superphosphate, and a lot of stock showering urine over the pasture. There had to be sufficient stock to set the cycle going and to get the benefit of clover and superphosphate. For every 20s spent on superphosphate, he said, the farmer should spend 10s for the purchase of more livestock.

Referring to studies in the

North Island with varying stocking rates. Professor Coop said that at more normal stocking rates only 60 to 70 per cent of the available grass was eaten whereas at higher levels it could be up to about 100 per cent. As the higher

stocking levels were reached, he said, the body weight of sheep, lambing percentages

and the wool weight a head declined, but total production an acre increased enormously

More Vulnerable

As stocking rates increased, he said, however, that the farmer was in a more vulnerable position in a bad season. To diminish such hazards be could adopt a mob stocking policy as opposed to set stocking, which in the North Island was as good a management policy until higher stocking rates of four or more sheep to the acre were reached. It was also necessary to build a few hay barns so that hay could be held for two or three years being bought in when it was plentiful and cheap. Another aid was early weaning. Trials at Lincoln and also in the back country had shown that lambs could be weaned at eight weeks of age or at 401 b liveweight, whichever stage was reached first By following this course in a dry season feed could be reserved for young stock and ewes could be concentrated on limited feed. White clover was the outstanding feed for weaned lambs, so for maximum growth they should go onto the most clover dominant pasture that a farmer had—the clover wanted to be rather dry and a bit mature. Mr B. J. McSweeney, farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture at Akaroa, said that in the period up to last June 2800 tons of superphosphate had been spread by air on the peninsula compared with 1800 tons and 1000 tons in the previous two years. At the same time the latest agricultural and pastoral statistics showed that the' district had increased its carrying capacity by just over 5 per cent on a ewe equivalent basis after a 4 per cent increase in the previous four years.