VALUE OF FERTILISERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21319, 21 October 1932, Page 3

VALUE OF FERTILISERS

USE ON GRASSLAND " COMPLETE " MANURING BALANCE OF NUTRITION Testimony to the value of fertilisers recently appeared in the Farmer and Stockbreeder in the course of a contribution by a well-known practical farmer, Mr. Theo. A. Stephens. The crop he refers to is grassland, and the proof of improvement in quality was shown by the animals' preference for the treated areas. Stating that the majority of farmers now agree that the principal requirement of grassland is a phosphatic manure, which they usually apply in the form of either basic slag or finely-ground rock phosphate, both of which produce certain and rapid results, he says that there is not the same unanimity of opinion about potash dressings, probably for the reason that these do not produce such spectacular results in the form of increased yields. It is Mr. Stephens' experience that potash dressings do not give a greatly increased yield, though over and over again ho has proved that they give extraordinary rcsu Its in improving the quality. One example he cites in which he dressed onehalf of a field only with 2c\vt. of knimt per acre one year after it had been diessed with 10cwt. of basic slag, and, as has often been remarked in similar comparative trials, the animals closely grazed the potash-treated half before touching the untreated portion. In another experiment the field was divided into two portions, and one-half only was treated with kainit. In this case he found that the young stock kept to the kairiit-treated half, put on more weight in a given time, and had a much better bloom than a. similar bunch in the other half of the field. Mention is also made in the article of the good effects obtained on grasslands by treating them with wood ashes, this being due to the potash content of the ashes. There is matter for consideration in these results, as far as this country is concerned, for it is becoming obvious that, beneficial and, indeed, vitally necessary as is phosphatic fertilising, failure to employ other forms of plant-food may lead to a disturbed nutritional balance in pastures, which in turn may have grave consequences to the health and production of stock.