NEW ZEALAND PASTURES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20602, 28 June 1930, Page 22

NEW ZEALAND PASTURES

USE OF FERTILISERS, GREAT RESULTS GAINED. FUTURE INCREASE. No. 11. Mr. A. H, Cockayne, Assistant DirectorGeneral of the Now Zealand Department of Agriculture, in a papor read before the Empire Farmers' Conference at Wellington, said that the greatest single factor - that is tending to stimulate increased production in Now Zealand is • top-dressing, I and well over 300,000 tons of fertilisers, almost all of a phosphatic. nature, are be--1 ing used on grassland, lengthening both the period of growth and: increasing the actual production of high-protein grass. In addition, about one-quarter of that quantity of lime is being used, mainly in the shape of ground limestone. Even though top-dressing has increased greatly of recent years, the total area annually dealt with is still well under 3,000,000 acres. I forecast, said Mr. Cockayne, that within the next decade—provided expanding and payable markets are maintained—our top-dressing tonnage will reach the million mark. The fact that most New Zealand soils are naturally low in phosphates makes phosphatic fertilisers of first consideration, but the change from singe to more complete manuring, where lime, nitrogen, and potash steadily gain in importance, is not far distant. So far as lime and nitrogen are concerned, future requirements need givo us no concern, but the safeguarding of adequate phosphate and potash supplies is of very first importance. Value o! Ensilage. • Another development that is just making itself felt in the more highly developed grassland districts is the conservation of surplus summer herbage as ensilage. The making of grass ensilage has proved itself not only of immense value in pasturemanagement, but provides a summer supplementary feed that is unsurpassed in reliability by any crop that can be sum-mer-produced, with perhaps the exception ol' lucerne, a crop unfortunately that has a comparatively narrow range in New

Zealand. Of perhaps more real significance than any other feature of grassland farming, and at present barely recognised, is the question of strain, so far as the actual grass crop is concerned. Along this line work somewhat similai to that being conducted at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station is being carried out by the New Zealand Plant Research Station. It. has clearly shown that the running-out of pastures is due very 'argely to the types sown being of a bad or non-permanent character, and that when leafy persistent types arc used all those methods of modern management leading to higher production aro rendered far more economical and efficient. So far as perennial ryegrass is concerned the work is well advanced, and other grasses and clovers are being brought ; under study. The pedigree grass, capable of maximum returns under tho hard-stocking conditions contemplated by what has been termed rotational grazing, is really as essential as pedigree stpek if anything like full utilisation ol grass-growth is to bo realised. Recognition of this fact and the application of that recognition is destined to play •*n even more important role in New Zealand grassland-management than any of tho milestones which have been passed in tho history of New Zealand farming. Renewal of Pastures. Failure to establish high-class permanent pasture, even on first-class land, after the land has been ploughed, has been all too common in New Zealand, and has led to the idea that it is generally better to improve existing grassland by liberal management rather than by renewal. The idea has in ma r <y cases been perfectly sound where the seed mixtures used, although permanent in name, aro temporary in effect. So soon, as reliability cau be given to the strain and real leafy permanence of tho seed for laying down permanent pasture, very large areas of the present establishd grassland of inferior botanical composition will bo renewed, with astonishing results so far as production economy in management is concerned.

Improvement in grass and clover strain, improvement in growth conditions, improvement in utilisation, and improvement in stock attuned to grassland management conditions—all of which are being rapidly developed and applied—make it clear that grassland products will enormously increase in the near future, and the estimate of a doubling of our production in a comparatively shoi 4 space of time is likely to become .1 reality. It may bring in its train' several grave difficulties, particularly those of marketing. Another weakness is that grassland farming offers on'y a limited variety of output, and in seasons when price 3 for both cow and ewe products are depressed the farmer's financial position may becomo embarrassed. Nevertheless, the future destiny of New Zealand, to my mind, is grassland farming developed to its very highest stage. Many other features of land-utilisation will no doubt develop and extend, but they are unlikely to ever overshadow, in any way New Zealand's capabilities for growing milk-producing grass. Wealth from Gras3. Of the 18 million acresof sown grass land and • auxiliary forage eiops under grassland .farming, probably about five millions are used for dairying, and 13 millions for sheep with their, accompanying beef animals. A very, large area of this dairying land is, comparatively' speaking, in a more or less unimproved, state .compared with fully developed pasture. If one takes four million acres as the area dairied on, the average yiold is about 701b. of butter-fat per acre. When it is considered that under present conditions yields of over 2501b. per aero have been realised, the potentiality for increase in dairy products is cjuitn evident. In fatlam b production, again, highly topdressed farms are now carrying six and seven owes to the acre, which beforo top-dressing did not do better .than two; and when one considers that topdressing and special sheep grassland management is only in its initial stages,

the outlook for the owe is as favourable as that .for the cow.

Lamb, in ever-increasing quantities, mutton in comparatively slowly increasing amounts, iincreased quantities of wool (particularly of qualities ranging from 40's to 50's), and an enormously increased amount of butter-fat indicate our main grassland products export bill of fare. A feature in our dairying that must liave struck members of the delegation is the comparatively small use made of pigs. There is about one breeding-sow in New Zealand to every twenty cows, and the total annual amount of meat derived from the progeny of each sow is about 7001b., or somewhere about 401b. per sow. This extremely poor result is in many quarters attributed to the fact that owing to the high cost concentrate feeding is not payable. There seems little doubt, however, that increase in pork-production could bo largely brought about by reasonable management connected up with our grassfarming system ' Unfortunately, at the present the argument is that we should adopt feeding and . management systems in vogue in other countries, instead Of working out a system that is applicable to our own conditions. In our agricultural history it has been the adaptation rather than the adoption of method that has made for progress, and the same un doubtedly will bo true in the pig industry. I am convinced, however, that sooner or later pork in large quantities willr rank as our 6econd, if not main, meat export.