Lucerne-Growing In N.Z. Increased

Te Puke Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 48, 28 June 1949, Page 3

Lucerne-Growing In N.Z. Increased

SCIENTISTS’ ASSISTANCE TO THE FARMER FORAGE AND GRAZING CROP OF NUTRITIVE VALUE Scientists have helped the farmer to increase his production by bacterial treatment of seeds. Living' cultures are used to inoculate the seed, and these give to the plant and soil the nitrogen necessary for successful crops. Lucerne is a forage and grazing crop characterised by its high yield and nutritive value; it is reliable during dry periods, its cost of production is comparatively low, and it has the capacity of increasing the nitrogenous contents ** of soils. Many farmers today are growing lucerne in areas where formerly the plant, owing to the lack of the appropriate specific .bacteria in the soil, could not thrive. Dr W. D. Reid, of the Plant Diseases Division, Department of .Scientific Research, discovered that the use of soluble fertilisers at the time of seeding killed the bacteria and retarded the establishment of lucerne. Lucerne is dependent on. the presence of these nodule bacteria for supplies of nitrogen, but the organism “Rhizobium melilote” is not naturally present in our soils, and they have to be added at the time of seeding. Expensive direct treatment of soil is not necessary; the bacteria can be introduced by treating the seed before sowing. Bottles of culture are supplied by the Plant Diseases Division, and farmers are able to inoculate the seeds themselves. The process is simple and cheap, but precautions against undue delay before treatment and sowing should be taken, and certain fertilisers have to be avoided. This is one of the many ways the scientist helps the farmer in sustaining and increasing the meat, milk, and wool production Of New Zealand.