PASTURE MANAGEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21710, 30 July 1932, Page 21

PASTURE MANAGEMENT

GRASS IN EARLY SPRING VALUE OF NITROGENOUS MANURES The succession of heavy frosts experienced in the south during July is likely to exert a retarding action on the spring growth of grass. The early spring months is always a trying time for stock-owners and this year it is likely to be more so than usual. The droughty conditions experienced last summer made for limited supplies of hay and it also meant that in some districts the root crops were on the light side. Supplies of hay and roots are not likely to be exhausted earlier than usual, but farmers will be particularly anxious about the growth of early spring grass. Fortunately, experience in recent years has shown that on suitable pastures the spring growth of grass can be brought forward several weeks by the use of a quick-acting nitrogenous fertiliser such as sulphate or ammonia.

There are few farms on which a field or two of “ out-of-season ” grass would not be welcome, particularly in the early spring months of this year. The questions is, what is the best method to adopt in getting this early spring growth? Experience has shown that ryegrass gives the earliest growth and -so pastures containing a good hulk of this valuable grass should be selected for top-dressing. In this connection, it is now realised that true perennial ryegrass (Hawke’s Bay type) gives the best response from top-dressing. Autumn-sown Italian ryegrass also gives a big growth in early spring if a nitrogenous manure is applied to it in late winter. Sheltered pastures also give the quickest response to top-dressing. Farmers should apply 1 cwt. per acre of sulphate of ammonia—fortunately now substantially, reduced in price—to the selected pastures. If no phosphate has been applied this year, it is as well to apply 1 cwt. of super along with the sulphate of ammonia—or to use ammoniated super—3 cwt. per acre for dairy pastures and 2 cwt. per acre on sheep lands. The early part of August is a good time to apply the manure in Canterbury—a little later applications can be made further south.