Clover-based farming study

Press, 23 September 1988, Page 18

Clover-based farming study

A prominent Welsh grassland scientist has come to New Zealand to work with the D.S.I.R’s Grasslands Division scientists for the next six months.

Mr Arthur Davies, an agronomist testing clovers and grasses in the hills of Wales for the Welsh Plant Breeding Station, wants to learn about New Zealand’s clover-based grassland farming.

Mr Davies will work on a clover-based comparison of high and low fibre selections of perennial ryegrass at the D.S.I.R.’s Aorangi lowland research station near Palmerston North.

Liveweight gain studies will determine any nutritive advantage of the lowfibre selection. Mr Davies will also travel to the division’s

other regional research areas to see how New Zealand farms its “wonder plant” — the white clover which is the cornerstone of the primary industry.

Mr Davies said British farmers needed white clover in their pastures. "Most have none because of poor grazing management — overgrazing in spring and undergrazing later, and of course, very high rates of nitrogen fertiliser applied.

“Removal of grants for hill land improvement has stopped further development there,” he said.