GRASSLAND EFFICIENCY

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1934, Page 24 (Supplement)

GRASSLAND EFFICIENCY

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AUTUMN SOWING OF PASTURES. VALUE OF ADEQUATE WATER. Under the title of “The Latest Development in Grassland Efficiency” Mr. J. M. Smith, of the Fields Division of the De,partment of Agriculture recently gave the following address from Station 2YB, New Plymouth:— In Taranaki the bulk of sowing to permanent pasture takes place during the autumn months so that a discussion on this phase of farming should not be out of place at the present time. What forms efficiency in grass farming and what are the principal means of securing this efficiency ? At this juncture some consideration may well be given to these two questions because of certain facts which affect the position. In the first place the position to-day is materially different from what it was five years ago—different even from what it was two years ago. This is reflected in the fact that what some of the more progressive farmers were contented with five years ago would far from satisfy them to-day. They have tasted the fruits of new methods and materials which have been evolved, and they have definitely established the superiority in practice of the innovations. The second point, is that these innovations of proven value are not being adopted by some, and this is so because they are not fully understood. This statement does not aim to give full understanding. It will at least partially have served its purpose if it directs attention to the advisibility of becoming fully informed about what constitutes grass farming efficiency. In the third place the whole matter may well be considered now because in many instances the grassland work done during the next few months will have an important influence on the degree of efficiency secured during next season and possibly during many following seasons. FOUNDATIONS OF EFFICIENCY. Let us first consider what constitutes this grass farming efficiency. Unfortunately it is not always recognised that as a rule as many as four components form its foundation. These are:—(l) The greatest quantity of growth which is consistent with quality and equality of growth mentioned below; (2) The quality of the growth; (3) The permanence of sward; (4) Greater equality in the rate of growth throughout the year. While the quantity of growth from pastures is of such obvious and basic importance that it calls for every attention that will bring about economic improvement, it is highly desirable to remember that other matters also deserve close attention. While there is room for greater attention in respect to quantity of growth yet, relatively, in the past, other matters have been neglected mainly because they were not so obvious in their bearing and so well understood. Quality of growth is one of these matters which relatively has been neglected. Differences in quality bring about differences in feeding value. Recent work has thrown much new light on the matter of quality, and has shown that many long accepted beliefs are without foundation. Foi' instance, it has shown that lOOlbs. of herbage from well managed Yorkshire fog or Brown top may be markedly superior in nutritive value to lOOlbs. of poorly managed ryegrass or cocksfoot. These results are in direct contradiction of the widely accepted idea that certain pasture species are intrinsically inferior in nutritive value. These results indicate that Yorkshire fog, for instance, is not always and necessarily to be considered as rubbishy feed. The investigations which gave these results went further in that they pointed to the conclusion that the stage of growth at which pasture is utilised determines the feeding value of a given weight of the pasture more than do the species which constitute the pasture. IMPORTANCE OF SOIL FERTILITY. Other work shows that the fertility of the soil which so frequently is virtually influenced by top-dressing. has an important bearing on the nutritive value. of feed from grassland, so that the position may be summed up by saying, that the quality of feed from pasture is determined more by top-dressing and utilisation methods than by the botanical composition of the pasture; that good quality results from young, leafy, rather than from the matured stemming growth; that the feeding and the stage of growth of the plants affect quality more than does the kind of plant. _ Permanence of sward has widely been recognised as of paramount importance, but until fairly .recently the outlook as regards improvement in this direction did not seem hopeful. On the one hand it was keenly realised as most desirable that pastures should persist without serious deterioration. On the other hand., it was felt that in many instances the pastures could not be induced to persist without serious deterioration. Just how to remedy the weak position was not at all clear until recently what is implied in the “strain” conception was tried and established as providing a suitable solution especially when judicious strain utilisation is linked with appropriate top-dressing. The strain conception originates in the fact that plants which are of the same kind and to which the same name is applied differ considerably from one another. Field trials have shown during recent years that in the case of certain important pasture plants such as ryegrass, cocksfoot and clovers, these differences between plants of the same name are of great economic significance- For instance what is known commercially as perennial . ryegrass proves to consist both of strains which are so persistent as to justify fully the application of the term perennial to them, and of other strains which, .when they are not allowed to reseed, die out so quickly as to make the term perennial absolutely misleading when applied to them. These latter strains at times are not even biennial, let alone perennial. To these latter strains so definitely temporary in habit may be attributed much of the lack of permanence in pastures experienced in the past. EXAMPLES OF STRAIN VARIATION. Perennial ryegrass has been cited as exemplifying strain variation, but within other pasture species of importance,, such as cocksfoot and clovers, strain variation of outstanding economic significance has been discovered. Detailed accounts of the nature and importance of strain, differences in ryegrass have been widely published and need no further mention here. The white clover strain position is being looked closely into and farmers can rest assured that with specialists of Mr E. Bruce Levy’s calibre on the job pastures will, in the future, much more permanently remain free from serious deterioration than in the best use is made of the material and the knowledge regarding strains and topdressing which has been made available. In New Zealand livestock farming, any given supply of feed produced fairly evenly throughout the year as a rule is of decidedly more value than, weight of feed produced principally in a relatively few months. Against this must be set the characteristic of pastures which constitutes their great natural weakness as a sole source of livestock rations. Thja weakness hes tn the tagt

tha| pastures naturally produce the greater portion of their whole annual growth within a relatively few months. It has been found for instance, under good management, that 70 per cent, of the total growth of grass occurred in approximately four months—mid-Sep-tember to mid-January. In fairly recent times new ways of coping with this seasonal weakness of grassland have beenintroduced, but there remains much scope for profitable extension of their practice. Having considered what, constitutes efficiency in grass farming, there remains for consideration the methods of securing it. It has long been known that the quantity factor is governed to an important extent by fertility, which embraces not only soil composition but moisture and warmth. The modem addition to our knowledge regarding . the quantity of growth that may be obtained from pastures lies in the role that “strain” may play. Given similar conditions some strains are annually more productive than others. Later, strain will be referred to in another connection. IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY. Generally it has not been fully appreciated how important is quality in herbage, and even now the means of securing quality are but poorly practised. Quality comes from maintaining leafiness. The extra vigour that top-dressing normally gives, if properly controlled, will give extra leafiness. Hence, topdressing properly co-ordinated with other practices begets quality. Autumn, rather than spring, top-dressing facilitates propelcontrol of the extra growth stimulated by top-dressing. This brings us to the point that because of tile present financial position of farmers, some are contemplating the omission of autumn top-dressing and so it will be of value to indicate a considered opinion on this point. At a recent conference of grassland workers a matter that was considered among other things was the value of autumn topdressing. The conference was attended by leading grassland workers representative of Canterbury Agricultural College, Cawthron Institute, Department of Agriculture, Massey Agricultural College and the Plant Research Station. The following statement was adopted as the unanimous opinion of the conference: • “In the average, autumn application of phosphates on dairy land results in a lowered maintenance cost per pound of butterfat, and every endeavour should be made to ensure an adequate provision of top-dressing this autumn.” This considered and authoritative statement calls for no comment. But top-dressing by itself will not necessarily give quality. Indeed, if not suitably linked up with all that is implied by the words “controlled grazing,” then topdressing may lead to lack of quality. Hence it becomes particularly important to know what is involved in controlled grazing. In practice, controlled grazing means the arrangement of grazing in such a way that the paddocks under stocking produce the minimum possible amount of stemmy woody growth. No hard and fast rules governing the details of controlled grazing can be framed. The general aim is the avoidance of rank and woody herbage. To eliminate woody herbage as much as is practicable, it will be necessary on many farms to erect additional fencing. Fortunately, in many instances, not a great deal of additional fencing is immediately necessary. Indeed, as a rule, much improvement could be effected without any addition to the fences already in existence. Often all that is needed to bring about substantial grazing improvement is more skilfully planned arrangement of grazing. But the possibility of the need of additional fencing should be considered now, for time and care should be given to the planning of the location of any new fences. ENSILAGE A VALUABLE AID. In the majority of cases also,’ ensilage from grass is a valuable aid in the securing of controlled grazing, a point it is of considerable importance to have in mind well ahead in order that the possibility of pits may be explored. The. practices which give quality of growth are also the ones of most importance in practice for the securing of as much evenness or equality of growth throughout the year as is possible. Hence no separate consideration of this aspect is necessary. There remains to be considered the matter of permanency. The most important recent development in this con- | nection relates to strains of pasture plants as distinct from species. The position may be illustrated by saying that it is not enough for the efficient farmer to say that he desires a given weight, of perennial ryegrass or of cocksfoot mixtures. It is of the utmost importance that he say also just what strain or type of ryegrass or cocksfoot or white clover is to be used. The striking evidence that is available in support of this view may be readily seen on any of the demonstration areas in Taranaki. The fullest possible value will often not be obtained from the use of good strains unless such use is suitably linked up with top-dress-ing-’ ■ , From the outline just given it will be seen that a new conception of what constitutes grass farming efficiency has gradually been evolved. It is well to remember that efficiency comes only from harmonious co-ordination of the various practices that go to the making of grass farming.’ There is nothing r ® a lly new in the ideas behind any of the indi“ vidual practices—top-dressing is a well bred ally; ensilage was known to Julius Caesar; the merits of controlled grazing were being extolled in England during the reign of George 111, if not earlier, the value of strain in plants has long received close attention from the grower of roots and cereals and vegetables, and to a limited extent even from the grower of pastures. What is new to-day in our conception, of grass farming efficiency is the manner these separate ideas or practices are employed in the construction of an efficient system of management, which, taken as a whole, is new to many; particularly during the present difficult times. The sooner all grass farmers become acquainted with this new friend the better it will be individually and nationally. ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY. Another factor, while not actually a grassland one, but one that is closely linked with high grassland production and one that is oftimes overlooked, is the adequate supply of good drinking water. No matter how efficient the various phases of grassland management, no matter what the top-dressing, no matter how good the strain or how well controlled the grazing, if the cows lack drinking water production will be seriously reduced. Many farmers have lulled themselves into a false sense of security as far as their water supply is concerned in that they have water of a kind” in each paddock; water of a kind is not sufficient, the water should be clean, and plentiful, and of easy access. Summed up, grassland efficiency comes from:—(1) Judicious top-dressing in which the autumn use of phosphates occupies an important plane; (2) careful attention to strain as well species m the purchase of pasture seeds. Because of an incomplete appreciation of its real value strain is the matter which is most likely to be neglected; (3) more effective utilisation of growth than generally obtained. Some hold that utilisation is the weakest side of our grass farming to-day. and in certain cases this is true, even if it is not true of all farming. One of the most attractive features of improved utilisation is that . calls for veiy little outlay, and often for no outlay at all; (4) the provision of suitable and abundant dxmking watei of .asafijL &££■&& *