PERENNIAL RYEGRASS

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 3 September 1932, Page 7

PERENNIAL RYEGRASS

HAWKE’S BAY STRAIN PROMINENCE IN HOMELAND RESEARCH STATION ACTIVITIES Hawke’s Bay perennial ryegrass, due to the activities of Messrs. E. Bruce Levy, of the Ralmerst.on North Plant Research Station, and William Davies, Empire Grassland Officer, is coming more and more into prominence in the Homeland, as is shown in the particulars of work of the Plant Breeding Station, Aberystwyth, given in the annual report of the Empire Marketing Beard.

The activities of Mr Davies during the period in which lie was working in conjunction with Mr Bruce Levy included several visits to Hawke’s- Bay, when he showed himself as keenly enthusistic as to the merits of the excellent strain of perennial “ryegrass, grown in Hawke’s Bay pastures. The report which has just come to hand shows that Mr Davies is still doing much to boost the Hawke’s Bay product by his activities at Aberystwvth. where trials of Hawke’is Bay ryegrass strains have demonstrated clearly the hardihood and general excellent qualities of the strain.

GRASSLAND TRIALS. “As the result of the station’s close contact with oversea workers,” says the report, “a large number of strains are received every year for growing on and for critical report. Mr. William Davies (whose appointment as ■Empire- grassland officer was -made possible by a grant from the Eimpirc Marketing runu; brought back from New Zealand a number of strains oi porenmai ryegrass and cocksfoot.

“The results obtained from these have tended to confirm the interesting conclusions of Mr. Bruce Levy and Mi Davies as to the great difference si that exist between the Hawke’s Bay anc Canterbury perennial ryegrass.

“In all 22 reports, covering some 200 samples, were sent out during the year. This is a service that n much appreciated both at home anc overseas. It also provides the station with valuable and interesting plant material.”

WORK AT PALMERSTON. . The report also mentions thai marked advances in a number of direc oions have characterised the activities of the Plant Research Station a. Palmerston .North during the year. Lit fect-ive control of the serious club-root disease of turnips bars been achieved by the use of resistant strains and the application of lime and non-acid phos pliates to the soil. These simple p.e cautions are easy of adoption by th< farming community and will make, n passible again to grow swedes and turnips m many areas where, on account of the ravages of this disease, they have been abandoned as farm crops. Steady development with strains o pasture grasses and clovors hats pro ceded and, through certification, tht time is fast approaching when it wii. be possible, by the proper utilisation of approved strains of pasture plants, to increase the stock-carrying capacity of the Dominion’s grasslands. It is satisfactory that the local strains oi ryegrass, cocksfoot, white, clover ant. other grasses have shown themselves after trials conducted at the Plant lie search Station, to be' unsurpassed by zhe best imported lines in their suitability as permanent pasture grasses. Control of dry-rot in swedes has been shown to- be dependent on the use of disease-free seed, supplies of which it is possible to grow locally. Useful light has been thrown on the problem of controlling wheat rust; improvements in the- growth of lucerne have been secured through the use of special cultures; investigations -on strains of rape and lucerne have been commenced and show promise. Experiments in top dressing have ascertained the best times for the application of fertilisers, and shown the advantages of irequent small applications of phosphates. Similar progress has been made with almost every farm, crop. These advances come at a tiniei when low prices fuive adversely affected faiiiiers’ returns; and their application w ill have some influence, not only in mitigating these losses, but in encouraging higher yields- per acre in the future. SCOPE OF THE WORK.

During 1931 approximately 30 r res of pedigree grasses were harvested for seed at Aberystwyth, and 20' additional acres were sown with a view to testing the suitability of various districts for seed -production of glasses. Demonstration plots of cocksfoot and timothy ware established in order to draw the attention of farmers to the method of growing pedigree grass©? in drills for seed production, whilp 4 strains of pedigree red clovers were grown for .seed in 1931. . These were m the first stage of growmg-on.