AUTUMN TOP-DRESSING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4954, 11 February 1937, Page 3

AUTUMN TOP-DRESSING.

On many farms some at least of the pastures advantageously may be dressed with phosphates in February or thereabouts. When the supply of moisture in the soil is sufficient to admit of growth, then the application of phosphates at the time mentioned usually increases the leafy growth of pastures from shortly after the phosphates are applied until well into the beginning of winter. Hence the feed position during the critical winter and early spring period is strengthened. Further, during the following spring and summer, the stimulating influence of the phosphate continues, although not so intensely as if the phosphate were applied in the winter or early spring. Hence the application of phosphates in the late summer or early autumn tends to a more

even growth of grass throughout the year than does the spring application of phosphates, and therefore efficient grazing management of pastures can be obtained more easily under autumn application than under spring application of phosphates. It should be borne in mind, further, that both autumn application and spring application of phosphates increase the absolute gap between the peak of high production and that of low production of permanent grassland, and that both therefore intensify the need for provision of special feed for use during the critical periods in which the amount of feed directly available from grassland is customarily below the current requirements of the stock unless substantial under-stocking is practised.