PASTURES AND SOIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20923, 13 July 1931, Page 14

PASTURES AND SOIL.

MANAGEMENT METHODS,. THE INTENSIVE SYSTEM. The enthusiastic movement in Europe, New Zealand and Australia, which aims at more inteosivo production in good rainfall areas (or with irrigation) by the introduction of intensive methods, is worthy of every dairy farmer's attention, suggests Mr. W. H. Blewett, of Imperial Chemical Industries (Australia and New Zealand) Ltd. The intensive pasture system, lie says,'can be divided into four divisions, and each of these must be studied if the best results are to be obtained. The subject matter may appear somewhat dry, but any progressive grassland farmer will find himself becoming enthusiastic in this work if he gives his attention to it, and it is as well for him to get a good grip of the fundamentals. The four divisions are:—(l) Species, i.e., the different kinds of grasses and clovers.

(2) Strain, i.e., the right strain, pedigree or " blood" of the grasses and clovers used. (3) Fertility. (4) Management. It is impossible for any dairy farmer to get the best results from his pastures, and therefore from his herc>,< unless attention is given to each of the four heads mentioned above, he says. It is only commonsense that he uses the . right grasses. He may already have them on Tiis farm, or perhaps he should introduce new grasses or clovers and compare them with those in his already-established pastures. But if he values his farm and his herd -he will realise the importance of getting the right strain of grasses ans will understand that if he buys something called Perennial ryegrass from some unknown source, while ho may be getting a bonafide perennial ryegrass, he may not be' buying tho right, strain. The progressive dairy farmer to-day would not think of buying a cow because it was a Jersey or an Ayrshire cow; he would want to know the pedigree and the productivity of that cow, and would also require a guarantee. On the other hand, the dairy farmer buying grass seed today rarely asks for a guarantee as to the pedigree or the productivity of the grass seed. New Zealand Certified Seed.

In New Zealand, however, it is possible to buy grass and clover seeds which are certified and sealed by the "Now Zealand Department of Agriculture. No doubt there are strains of grasses and clovers in Australia quite equal to any in New Zealand, but it is impossible to tell whether you are buying the best strains or pobr by a mere inspection of the seeds or by a test of germination. He recommends farmers to try at fust, on a small scale, certified New Zealand perennial, ryegrass and certified New Zealand white clover. ' These can easily be tested on a small scale against local strains of those plants. (The day will come, of course, when certification of grass seed of the best strain of each grass will be undertaken by agricultural departments in Australia, but *' that dav has not yet arrived.) The best grasses (and the best clovers too) demand fairly high fertility. It is by no means uncommon to meet farmers who say that they once had good ryegrass pastures, but that the ryegrass was gping out. On the other hand, in many places to-day where the ryegrass was reported as going out it is now coming in again, thanks to the use of superphosphate for top-dressing and the maintenance of clovers Superphosphate particularly stimulates clovers ana the clovers supply nitrogen, thus the two essential plant foods are provided; the fertility is raised,' and the better grasses become more vigorous and i'eplaco tho poorer grasses and weeds. . Of recent years a good deal of attention has been given to the use of nitrogen fertilisers applied in the autumn or late winter, as it has been found that there is often insufficient available nitrogen in the soils during the cold, wet portion of

the year. The Australian Dairy Council has not -overlooked the possibility of fertilisers other than superphosphate being required, and is co-operating in trials with various fertilisers in all States of Australia. Methods in England.

Management, of course, cannot _ be separated from the other three divisions of pasture work, and the farmer would perhaps not bo justified in devoting a good deal of time and attention -o manage-, merit unless hS-' also gave attention to s])ecies, strain and fertility. It has long been known that short grass is preferred by stock of all kinds, and rotational grazing has been advocated for at least 150 years. In England,, as long ago as that, writers stressed the need for small paddocks, feeding short grass, harrowing the droppings after grazing, and the use of the mower and scythe to get rid of grass (hat was too long for the best grazing; also the use of " leaders," with " followers " to clean up the pastures.

These methods, although perfectly sound, had been 1 neglected for many years, but recent intensive work on pastures (started in Germany about 30 years ago, and carried on vigorously during the war when their food supplies were short) and other work in England by Woodman, etc., have shown that short grass is altogether more palatable and richer in foodstuff and minerals than grass allowed to become too long. This knowledge, and better knowledge of fertilisers, has led to the resurrection of rotational grazing methods which were advocated so long ago, and leading dairy farmers in Europe, New Zealand and Australia have satisfied themselves that these methods are sound.