ANIMAL NUTRITION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 4 August 1928, Page 3

ANIMAL NUTRITION

MINERAL REQUIREMENTS An address on minor.')] requirements of live stock.was delivered to the chemical section of the Wellington Philosophical'Society by Mr R.. E. R. Grimmett, of the Department, of Agriculture-, says the "Post." Until recent years, he said, tlio science of nutrition had been mainly concerned with organic components of body, and treated mineral substances as moro or less necessary, if not accidental accessories which would, in any case be adequately provided. Mr Grimmett gave examples of the many deliciency diseases, and said that on the high, veldt in South. Africa there. was a. deijeiency of phosphate and lime; in the.. Falkland Islands, lime and phosphate was deficient; in the eastern.provinces of Canada, iodine was short- In New Zealand they

were familiar with YY'aihi diseases caused through a deliciency of phosphate; Mniroi disease, through a deliciency of lime and phosphate, and bush-sickness, caused through a deliciency of iron. There were, also other obscure troubles duo to these, and other deficiencies. Referring to iron deliciency diseases, he said there was generally complete recovery on administering iron.;salts to affected animals, especially iron ammonium citrate or similar salts. There were less proved effects from top-dressing pastures with iron-containing fertilisers, or from soil treatment such as green manuring. "The present, position. sauJ -Mr Grimmett, after showing and explaining a number of graphs to show the variation in constituents of pastures, "is then that wc aro advancing from the old tacit idea. that, any pasture, if botanically balanced and of sood growth, is necessarily suitable and economic food

for animals. Mineral, substances may vary very greatly in amount, to tho cxtoufc of even being so deficient or unbalanced to preclude certain animals living on tho pasture, and in any case as to constitute limiting factors in pro? duction through limiting tho utilisation of other mineral and organic substances. Simply manuring for growth is not sufficient; manuring must be scientifically adapted to mineral needs of the stuck, and the deficiencies found to exist in (lie* pasture -of a: district by 'chemical analysis. It is possiblo .that in tho future tho a,vora.gc composition of pasture growing on each typo of soil, and iu each district, will.'-'Bc known, together with tho effects of manuring treatment, and that the latter, will be so adjusted from time';to tinio as to keep this ' mineral substance, balanced, and ensure maximum utilisation of feed. In this way a basis will be assured for ma xim u in • production.''