PASTURES AND MANURES

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1930, Page 11

PASTURES AND MANURES

VALUABLE DATA GAINED CAWTHRON INSTITUTE INQUIRY. ROTATIONAL GRAZING RESULTS. By: Telegraph,—Press Association. -. Nelson, Last Night. > Important Institute experiments connected with,-the manuring ef pastures under the .7 system of ' grazing were announced...t<?-day ; by Mr. T. Rigg, assistant director and chief agriculturist to the institute. Complete manure, consisting of superphosphate, sulphur of potash and sulphate erf ammonia, has given the best results in maintaining both yield and quality of pasture. In the absence of potassic manures ammonium sulphate has detrimentally affected pasture sward, the percentage, of clovers being notably reduced.

■Suitable: deinperaXurn • and :< niolsture conditions infipenee greatly the rapidity and magnitude of effect of ammonium; sulphate. An application made in early August gave an increased production of nearly 100 per cent, during this month. During September its effect on yield, was more iharked; a'alaily production of nearly 221bs of dry matter per acre be-, ing’ obtained 'agaihst Tlslbs on untreat-, ed pastures. Taking the figure of 22y 2 lbs of dry matt'et to bb the production requirement of an average dairy cow in' milk, it would appear that the application of l-cwt of ammonium sulphate .per acre would provide for an increased, stocking of approximately one-third ,of a cow per acre for a period of at least six wepks,•/■./. Chkhncal ‘’ alioW.. very; I 'definitely ■ tha’ both , j ;t]ie \ ,'.scjas’<i ri:'' arid •'. manorial treatipen't havend ‘pronounced■ effect';oil the chemical' composition of pasture. Phosphates of potash and nitrogen have been readily taken up by pasture plants, so that quantities of these constituents are notably increased. Lime treatment of land has always given a higher percentage of desirable constituents m pasture grass under manurial treatment than has been the case on unlimed ground. On a number of pastures it has been found that the chemical composition is most suitable for growing or lactating animals in mid-spring and autumn. In early spring, the -amounts of certain minerals have been found to be somewhat low. At the end of December, and particularly during drought periods, the chemical composition of pastures tends to be poor. In certain poor pastures the amounts of phosphate and protein have decreased almost. 50 per cent. Experience has shown that stock on certain mineral-deficient pastures suffer most from stock ailments at this time.