PASTURE EXPERT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1930, Page 11

PASTURE EXPERT

NEW ZEALAND'S KNOWLEDGE

(Special to "The Everting Post.")

PALMERSTON N., This Day.

At present on a visit to PalmerstonNorth is Mr. J. Griffiths Davies, Ph.D., agristologist of the Waite'Besearch Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, and a brother of Mr. W. Davies, of Aberystwith Plant Eeseareh Station,: Wales,

who is at present attached to the' Palmerston North Research Station.

In a conversation; with a "Post"' representative, Dr. Davies stated that as an agristologist it was a. great and instructive experience^ to visit New Zealand. Besearch > into pasture problems early received the attention of the .Department of Agriculture, and today New Zealand probably knew more about its pastures than any other country in the world, with the-possible, exception of Britain. New Zealand rightly devoted considerable attention to this fundamental source of prosperity.

"I am here as a learner,.and even the glimpse that I have had has served to show the valuable results of scientific inquiry in New Zealand," said Dr. Davies. "There are many problems that still await solution, and in due course these will be solved to the ultimate and lasting benefit of the pastoralist."

lii South Australia they:had to deal with pastures of a totally different kind, he explained. There they had a period of nearly six months' drought occurring every year. Pasture plants there were essentially suited to semiarid conditions. Too many types existed. Firstly, there were the alow-grow-ing perennials like danthonia, capable of Jying dormant during the dry summer period and commencing growth with the advent of the first autumn rains. Secondly, there were the shortlived, quick-growing annuals which flowered and shed their seed in the spring, the seed germinating in the following autumn but not making appreciable growth during the spring. As the growing period of the pasture crop was exceedingly short, it seriously limited the stock-carrying capacity of the best pasture lands. Land that. carried two sheep to the acre was considered very £ood, and it was seldom that they could carry more. As in New Zealand, Australian soils were remarkably deficient in phosphates. Applications of superphosphate increased the carrying capacity to a very marked extent. Further, it' was becoming apparent that the application of nitrogenous fertilisers in conjunction with phosphate, would materially increase the productivity. The problem as to whether the application of nitrogen was economic was now being investigated at the Waite Institute. The place of nitrogen would appear to be in the lengthening of the growing season. ..•'.'

The laying down of pastures'was not carried on to' any great extent in South Australia, with the. exception, of the irrigated areas along the Murray Biver flats. At present these flats were mainly devoted to lucerne growing for dairying purposes. The labour costs involved in cutting and carting lucerne were making it imperative that these areas should carry pasture. The work of the Plant Besearch' Station _at Palmerston North in developing improved strains of pasture species would certainly be of great value in effecting this change-over. Sown pastures were, however, becoming increasingly important, particularly on the higher rainfall areas of the south-east of South. Australia. The: Waite Institute • was devoting considerable attention to ; tho search for pasture species capable under careful management of withstanding periodic drought. ; ...'. . ■