FIRST MEETING FOR 10 YEARS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22200, 10 December 1946, Page 4

FIRST MEETING FOR 10 YEARS

POVERTY BAY RYEGRASS GROWER? SHORT-ROTATION’S DEATH RATTLE Growers of perennial ryegrass gathered in strength at the Makaraka-Matawhero Hall last night, the first occasion they had met for more than 10 years, to oppose the growing of shortrotation ryegrass in this district and thereby protect an industry worth more than £35,000 annually to Gisborne. The chairman of the meeting was Mr. C. 11. Williams, provincial president of the Federated Farmers of New Zealand. The following motion was carried, on the motion of Mr. S.. D. Briant, seconded by Mr. G. V. Smith, there being some dissentient voices, particularly in regard to clause 5: —

“1. That this meeting of grassseed growers views with alarm the introduction of short rotation ryegrass into the seed-growing areas areas of Poverty Bay and asks all farmers to co-operate by refusing to plant it in this district. •‘2. That tills meeting requests Hie executive committee of the Gisborne branch of Federated Farmers of New Zealand to take ail steps possible to discourage the growing of H-l in Poverty Bay.

”3. That the local officer of the Department of Agriculture be asked to apply the same methods dealing with the certification of H-l as is being carried out in Hawke’s Bay. “4. That the merchants be asked for their co-operation in discouraging the growing of 11-1. ‘‘s. That the contractors be asked to refuse to thresh H-l rycgress.”

ALLEGED MENACE TO INDUSTRY

‘'The federation as an organisation cannot take sides in the case o[ a conflict of interests amongst a section of members of the federation; they have to settle those differences amongst themselves,” said the chairman, who explained how tiie federation could handle such a matter if the small-seed growers formed a sub-section of the federation.

The alleged menace to the Poverty Day perennial ryegrass industry by the introduction of short-rotation ryegrass, such as Hybrid No. 1. a cross between perennial and Italian ryegrasses, was outlined by the deputation that placed its views before the last meeting of the Gisborne branch of tile Federated Farmers. This deputation consisted of Messrs. S. D. Briant, G. V. Smith. L. R. Witters, and D. G. Smith. In short, their views were that the perennial areas of the district would become contaminated and that impurities would result eventually in noncertification of those areas. The contamination could be effected through cross-fertilisation in the field, its unintentional spread also by medium of header harvesters and drills, and the

interchange of stock from one farm to another.

Mr. Briant explained that tiie deputation had been a self-appointed one because the old association was defunct. They had no.t gathered last night .to debate the merits of H-l, but to influence tiro growers of the hybrid to turn in their crops because of the potential danger. He understood that only .two paddocks of H-l had been entered for certification.

At this stage Mr. Briant was informed by a voice that one of the growers concerned already had turned the cows into his field. In regard to nuclear ryegrass, Mr. Briant said it had come to be regarded as a perquisite of the Hawke’s Bay growers, and Gisborne small-seed growers felt they should have a share in those contracts. Experts had told Gisborne growers that the conditions in Gisborne were absolutely ideal for the growing of nuclear rye. A difficulty appeared to be that Hawke’s Bay had an exceptionally good plant for processing the seed. Apart from that, it was agreed that Gisborne probably could produce better seed.

DEPARTMENT’S ATTITUDE EXPLAINED

The fields instructor of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. V. P. Boot, told the meeting he had been dubious concerning the advisability of allowing H-l to come into this district at the outset and he had gone to a great deal of trouble to discourage its growth in the disrict. The department was unable to adopt a dictatorial attitude by refusing a farmer facilities to grow the seed.

The matter was one for local farmers and merchants to handle. The department was not in a position to refuse certification as long as the crop complied with the regulations. Italian ryegrass had been grown in .the area without any danger to perennial. Mr. Boot said it was largely a matter of commonsense and there was a danger of spread through stock feeding on a headed paddock and then moving to other pastures, and also by the use of header harvesters and drills. “I do feel that if the merchants and contractors got together there would not be the danger you think there is,”

he continued. “It would be best to stack the short rotation grass and after all the other crops have been 1 andled they could then be threshed and machine-dressed. If a commonsense attitude was taken a lot of the danger you see at present would be overcome ”

He discounted the statements that perennial and short rotation varieties would cross fertilise in the field, and when asked by Mr. G V. Smith if it was worth taking the risk of spreading Mr. Boot said that if there was any danger and the district was successful in obtaining an allocation of nuclear seed it would be better to keep H-l out of the district To Mr. H Miller, Mr. Boot said that if a few heads got into a permanent pasture they would probably last indefinitely in this district. There had been a trial area on Mr. E. R. Black’s property since April, 1941, and it was still existing. Ev~n Italian would persist for three or four years.

NEVER INTENDED FOR NORTH ISLAND

Mr. H. D. C. Lange reminded the speaker of a visit of Mr. E. Bruce Levy to his property in company with Mr. Boot. They had discussed PI-1 and Mr. Levy Pad stressed the point thti it. was not advisable to grow the shorlotation gras; :n Gisborne where perennial wis established.

“That is perfectly correct. Short rotation ryegrass was never intended for the North Island. It was serving a wonderful purpose in the South Island and there was no question that it was not intended for the North Island, where we get perennial to grow so well,” said Mr. Boot. Mr. W. Keith said Gisborne smallseed growers had little opportunity to grow stock seed ar.d asked who made the allocation of the nuclear seed. Mr. Boot replied that the allocations were made by the agronomist at Wellingtoi and grasslands division at Palmerston North witn the final recommendation of the fields instructor of a district as to the most suitable growers tendering their names as applicants. Government Stock Seed Referring to Government stock seed, Mr. Boot said that in the 1944-45 season applications were received for Cl 4 bushels and only G 9 bushels were forthcoming. In 1945-56 there were applications for 710 bushels and only 47 came to hand. Last sowing season 810 bushels were applied for and Gisborne expected to get 49 bushels, but something went amiss and there was no distribution at all this season. The total requirements of the district would be approximately 2000 bushels of stock seed.

“If the H-l seed was evolved for the South Island why was it not made quite clear to us that it would be unwise to grow it?” asked Mr. C. H. Cooper. In reply to Mr. N Cooper, Mr. Boot said there was Italian Ryegrass in the

district, but to his knowledge none had been certified. It did not appear to have spread much.

To Mr. J. Eivers, Mr. Boot said one of the chief dangers of the spread of H-l was through the movement of stock.

Mr. J. B. Greig said he had had an experience with Italian ryegrass, which re-established itself from reseeding. He had never had a top price for his seed on account of the percentage of Italian seed in it.

Mr. E. K. F. Cameron asked why no nuclear seed was allocated to this district.

“There is a hush-hush policy about that seed down in Hawke’s Bay, and we should know more about it. We should have our own allocation as well as Hawke’s Bay.” said Mr. C. Tietjen. Mr. Boot said 'expert opinions had been expressed to the effect that Gisborne was the most suitable area in the North Island to grow that stock seed. The officer in charge of allocations was Mr. J. H. Claridge, agronomist of the Department of Agriculture, Wellington. Trial Area Sowed in 1941 Mr. H. Cooper spoke in favour of the growth of H-l in the district, and said the department's journal had declared it to be 25 per cent better than perennial ryegrass. The short-rotation ryegrass had been grown in the district since 1941 as a trial area and the department should now be able to tell if there had been any signs of spread or not.

He was not in opposition to one grass or the other, but was of the opinion that the new grass should be given a fair trial. If it proved superior to perennial and could be grown for the hill country, it should be allowed to take its place in the district, particularly if it was to give higher production.

EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH ISLAND

Mr. J. Leslie said his father had grown H-l in Canterbury 30 years ago, and it soon reverted back to perennial. He had recently been in the South Island, and the farmers had been concerned about the amount of crossing going on in their pastures. It served their purpose, but they did not advise the North Island to grow the short-term grass.

Mr. G. V. Smith said the H-l had almost disappeared from Mr. Black’s trial area, and that at the experimental station they had ploughed up that paddock after the second year. Poverty Bay had a world-wide reputation for grass seed, and eiforts should be made to maintain that reputation. Mr. Levy had told him that it had Been noticed that many of the old pastures in Gisborne were becoming contaminated with a false perennial.

Mr. Boot said the crux of the situation seemed to be a monetary one, The value of the perennial seed to the district was from £31,000 to £37,000 and appeared to be on the increase, as against £l5O to £2OO for the H-l. The issue seemed to be whether the growers

thought it worthwhile or not to protect that very lucrative industry, or let H-l remain in the district.

Unsuitable For Hill Country

Mr. Lange said the short-rotation grass would be unsuitable for hill country. Canterbury seed had been bought by growers in this -district because it looked attractive and was less expensive, and he claimed that that had much to do with the deterioration of the hill country in the district. The only thing to sow down on the hills was a permanent seed. He criticised some of the stock seed he had sown, and claimed that his paddocks with permanent pastures 70 or 80 years old still compared more than favourably with any of those sown more recently. Mr. H. Cooper asked if it was not correct that the Poverty Bay Catchment Board had sown 250 acres of short-rotation grass on the East Coast, and Mr. Boot replied that H-l had been included in the mixture at the rate of 51b for quick feed, cover and consolidation, and it was never intended that H-l should have a permanent identity in the pasture.

READY SALE FOR P.B. RYEGRASS

“The sooner you get back to something of your old pasture—some has never been touched with a plough—the better: and you are never going to get any further ahead.” said Mr. F. R. Bould, who had had experience with the department in the certification of (he seeds. “You have lost the leaf from your permanent pasture: the perennial has not got (he leaf it had 25 years ago. H-l is probably good, but you have been told no( to use it, so why do so?" Mr. H. Cooper said the two grasses were for different purposes and they could not be compared. Mr. C. 11. Cooper said he had been persuaded to grow the short-rotation grass by an article in the department’s journal, but if it was proved to be a menace he would get rid of bis crop.

The original deputation was thanked

by Mr. Tietjen for drawing attention to the threat to the perennial ryegrass. Mr. W. Keith explained that Poverty Bay ryegrass had gained for itself a ready sale overseas, in Australia, England, Africa, and Ireland. He agreed that H-l was doing a good job in the South Island, but doubted the wisdom of continuing its growth in the Gisborne district to the detriment of the perennial industry. Mr. Stuart McGuinness said he had contacted a Hawke’s Bay grower and nothing was known by him of any prohibition of H-l in Hawke’s Bay. Mr. Briant replied to criticism concerning various sections of the motion. The" motion was then nut to the meeting in its separate clauses after two and a-half hours of discussion.