TOP-DRESSING IN SOUTHLAND

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 18

TOP-DRESSING IN SOUTHLAND

Autumn Sowing More Popular i STIMULATING GRASS IN SPRING It has been truly stated that a good farmer leaves his farm in a better state of fertility at the end of his term compared with the state at which he commenced operations, writes Mr A. Stuart, instructor in agriculture at Invercargill, in The New Zealand Journal of Agriculture.

While farming in Southland is essentially mixed in character, there is no doubt that the grasslands are playing an ever-increasing part in the P r °“ duction of lamb in particular, and, to a lesser extent wool, mutton and dairy products —mainly cheese in the lastnamed case.

The value of top-dressing pastures has long been realized, but there is still room for extension with profitable results.

Unlike farmers in other districts, the average Southland farmer need have no hesitation in applying lime, and the consensus of opinion is that lime is more effective when applied during the course of cultivation. Many progressive farmers have adopted the practice of applying one tone of carbonate of lune at each ploughing during the croppmg rotation. This results in the application of two or three tons of carbonate ot lime before sowing out to grass.

When it is considered that on the bigger farms these pastures may remain down for from 12 to 20 years, this quantity is not excessive, although in addition to this the fairly general practice of applying small quantities of lime with the annual application oi phosphate is not to be condemned. On the dairy farms where pastures may be broken up after a period of six to 12 years, lighter applications before sowing out may be deemed advisable, and where liming has been consistently practised over a life-time the farmer would be wise to obtain a limerequirement check test of his arable field. This test is carried out free of charge by the Department of Agriculture on application to the local instructor.

PHOSPHATES The next consideration is the phosphate to apply and its time of application. The choice will lie between superphosphate -and basic slag, with the price in most cases being the main consideration in the higher rainfall districts. Farmers who are obtaining excellent results from either phosphate are not advised to make any change. It a trial is desired, divide one paddock, and for each half keep grazing and production figures, which, extended oyer a number of years, should provide interesting and reliable results. The autumn is becoming increasingly popular as the time of application, and January to March dressings should be the rule in Southland. Dressings after March could more profitably be held over till early spring. In a wet season, such as has been experienced this year, grass growth has been excellent, but this in turn means

a heavier drain on available fertility. Autumn dressings rectify this drain and, in addition, bring about an appreciable increase in growth before the dormant winter period. Coupled with this important advantage lies the fact that early spring growth is also stimulated, while late spring growth may not provide the same embarrassment, to the farmer concerned, as it undoubtedly does with spring top-dressing. The pastures to be top-dressed in the autumn should be the better-class pastures on the farm, and this will mean, in the majority of cases, the younger pastures. POTASH

In certain districts of Southland notably the Edendale plain, potash salts in addition to phosphate have given very good results. In general, the 30 per cent, potash salts are used, and these are applied with phosphate in the autumn. In certain instances the palatability of certified perennial rye-grass has been improved by applications of potash, and a number of farmers claim increased fattening capacity from pastures so treated.

Autumn application of nitrogenous fertilizers has made no headway in Southland, but in backward seasons spring applications of ammoniated super to young pastures dominant in ryegrass and on land adequately limed have given excellent results. Generally speaking, provided a pasture has adequate clovers growing throughout the sward, nitrogenous fertilizers are not necessary, the clover plant itself supplying sufficient nitrogen to ensure adequate growth of grass.