AUTUMN PASTURES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18536, 5 April 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

AUTUMN PASTURES

SEEDS AND MIXTURES. AN EXPERT RECOMMENDATION. One of the most important autumn considerations on the farm is that of pasture seed mixtures. The research of later years has considerably modified the work of deciding upon the constitution of mixtures suitable for use over much of New Zealand. Fortunately, the tendency has been towards simplicity, brought about both by a reduction in the number of species commonly used and by a reduction in the number of seed mixtures it is deemed necessary to employ. The changed position may be summed up by saying that now the tendency is to modify soil conditions by manuring, draining, etc. to suit the best pasture species, rather than to adapt pasture mixtures to the soil conditions as they exist on the farm. The extent to which this can be practised is subject to important limitations due to climatic and economic considerations, but it can be done to a greater extent than would at first sight seem to many to be possible. The changed position arises mainly from a fuller realisation of the importance that may be assigned to topdressing as an aid in grassland farming. For many years the natural fertility of the soil has been a large factor in determining the contents of seed mixtures and the results obtained from the mixtures. To-day, now that the farmer often has'the influence of topdressing available, the ingredients of pasture seed mixtures are being determined not so much by the initial fertility of the soil as by the soil moisturesupply, the climate, and the top-dress-ing plans which are made. Further, apart from the place being played by top-dressing in seed mixture considerations, weight requires to be given to the fact that a relatively simple seed mixture may suitably be used over a fairly wide range of soil. This is because the species in the mixture which are suited to the particular fertility conditions will become dominant, while other species included will play a valuable though subordinate role. Permanent Pasture The position is possibly best made clear by citing a seed mixture for the establishment of permanent pasture recommended by Mr E. Bruce Levy, agrostologist, Department of Agriculture, for use on fairly good quality ploughable land over wide areas in both the North and South Islands. The mixture is: True perennial ryegrass, 201 b to 251 b; New Zealand cocksfoot 101 b to 151 b; crested dogstail, 31b; timothy, 31b; New Zealand white clover, 21b; red clover, 31b; total, 461 b. (All amounts given here in this and other mixtures are per acre.) The large amount of cocksfoot is to be used only when the smaller amount of ryegrass is used. The smaller amount of ryegrass is used mainly when the summer rain fall is below that suitable for permanence of ryegrass as under Canterbury or certain similar conditions; and, again, when fertility is below that demanded by ryegrass and cannot economically be raised to ryegrass standard.

This mixture is recommended for use on country with a carrying capacity which is or can economically be made at the rate of one cow to two or three acres or better; or at the rate of two to three ewes to the acre or better. Such a mixture, if used on land of the higher carrying capacity mentioned, would result in a permanent pasture in which ryegrass and white clover would be dominant unless, when soil moisture supply was favourable, it proved profitable to top-dress to bring fertility up to the standard of ryegrass and white clover dominance.

The mixture detailed above may advantageously be modified under certain special conditions. The following are cases given by Mr Levy:—On land of naturally high fertility, where the permanence and good growth of ryegrass all the year is known to be assured, cocksfoot may be omitted, as its presence would add to the difficulties of management. Poa triviaiis, at the rate of 21b per acre, is a species which should be included on high-class country which is inclined to be damp in the winter. Meadow foxtail is a grass of first-class value on fertile swamps where the winter conditions are too wet for ryegrass to thrive, and 61b should be included for such conditions. However, it is recommended in respect to such land that, instead of sowing foxtail. if it is at all possible the land be drained and made habitable for ryegrass. Strawberry clover at the rate of lib may be added for use on salty marshy conditions, or it may be substituted for white clover on saline soil, which becomes wet because of tidal action. ,