RESULTS WITH POTASH

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 12 (Supplement)

RESULTS WITH POTASH

EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE. RESPONSE BY ROOT CROPS. Interesting; figures relating to the yield increases following the use of potash under ordinary farm conditions in Germany have lately been published in an account of the field experiments carried out by the Deutsche Landwirtschafts Gesellschaft in 1931. The data are presented as kilogrammes of crop increase produced by 1 kg. of potash (KjO) per hectare. A simple comparison enables them to be stated as cwt. of crop increase per 1 cwt. of 50 per cent, muriate of potash per acre, -a more convenient form for English readers. Increases in crops following the use of potash, converted tb this basis, were as follows:— Cwt. per Crop 1 cwt. mur. pot. Rye .. .. 1.8 Wheat .. 1-3 Barley .. .. .. .. 1.1 Oats .. ,I'2 Peas, beans .. ' 1.1 Clover hay .. 5.0 Lucerne hay .. 5.0 Meadow hay .. 7.0 Potatoes ... .. .. .. .. H.O Sugar beet.. .. .. .. .. 17.5 Mangolds .. .. .. .. .. 36.0 The above increases were obtained in presence of. nitrogen and phosphate, so that the action of potash would not be restricted through lack of the other nutrients. The general. effects are similar' to those observed in Great Britain. The cereals respond to a lesser degree than the root crops, probably because grain usually follows a crop which receives both dung and potassic fertilisers. Nevertheless, on a dry matter basis the grain increases fall closer in line with those given by roots. Thus, assuming normal composition of the crops, we have:— Per 1 cwt. Muriate of Potash.

In- England, there have been more experiments with potash on potatoes than on any other crop, and an increase of 11 cwt of potatoes for each 1 cwt. of high-grade potassic fertiliser is considered quite normal. Many experiments are on record in which this rate of increase is considerably exceeded. A point in the manuring of potatoes is well illustrated by these namely, the effect of sulphate of potash compared: with chloride of potash. The results of 93 experiments conducted by the Deutsche Landwirtschafts Gesellschaft since 1919 were as follows (yeilds converted to English units):— ■

The 40 per cent salt. is a muriate and stands between 30 per cent potash salt and muriate of potash. It is not used in Great Britain. In spite of its rather high grade it is Surpassed both in yield and in starch content of tubers by the manures providing potash as sulphate. Similar effects have been observed in England, especially when low-grade potash salt (30 per cent or less of 'KbO) has been used. One point of interest in the German experiment is the extraordinary difference in the number of trials conducted on potatoes and sugar beet. Probably this is a reflection of the fact, which has often been observed in Great Britain also, that the potato is much more certain in its responses to potassic fertilisers them the other rpot crops. A NEW ONION. SUITABLE FOR WARM CONDITIONS. •• w A new onion—Mac’s Moonbeam —has been evolved by Mr. A. McLean, a wellknown onion grower in the Bellarine district, near Geelong. After years of patient and careful selection the strain has now been fixed, and, it is claimed, will come from 95 to 97 per cent, true from seed. It is a new departure in onions, being a silver-skinned variety, similar in appearance to either white Queen or white Pearl, but with the shape and long-keeping qualixies of the main crop sorts, such as brown Spanish. In shape the bulbs resemble long-keep-ing brown Spanish and average from 2Jin. to 2fin. in diameter. While the flavour is not quite so jnild as that of white Queen, it is considerably less odorous than either brown Spanish or brown globe varieties. The bulbs are heavy in weight and of good uniform size. While in colour and to a certain degree, mildness of flavour, it approaches closely to white Queen and white Pearl, it is much later in maturing, being 14 days earlier than brown, Spanish, and, like tiie latter is a first-class keeping onion, especially well adapted for shipping. Having from three to five skins, the bulbs may be stored if required, and will keep in first-class condition as late as the end of August or early September. In this respect it is particularly valuable in bridging the gap until the new crop of white onions are ready, thus maintaining a sequence of silver-skinned onions practically throughout the whole year. Owing to its several skins this new onion resists hot sun and does not bum or go to pulp like the non-keeping, earlier-maturing silverskinned sorts. Another favourable feature is that the cost of harvesting is no more than for the brown sorts, there being no need to top and tail as with the ordinary white varieties.

Dry Cwt Cwt. as matter dry harvested, per cent, matter. •Cereals .1 1.4 85 1.2 Potatoes .. n.o 23 2.5 Sugar beet . 17.5 23 4.0 Mangolds .. 36.0 12 4.3

Yield of Potatoes. Tons per acre Starch in tubers per cent No potash .. .. Increase for 40 per cent potash salt, cwt. per 8.1 16.8 acre. 19 16.5 Increase for sulphate of potash, magnesia, cwt. per acre. .. I ■. 172 23 Increase for sulphate of 172 potash, cwt. per acre. 27