HAY EXPERIMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19048, 27 June 1924, Page 9

HAY EXPERIMENTS

CAWTHRON INSTITUTE INVESTIGATIONS. ( The following report gives the results of the hay experiments conducted by the Cawthron Institute at Richmond, Nelson; Richmond is fortunate in possessing a considerable area of excellent grass pastures, which provide good grazing for dairy cows during the greater part of the year. Owing to the porous nature of the soil, the grass comes away early in the spring, while the comparatively high water table ensures satisfactory growth in all but the driest months of the year. In view of the rapid increase in the number of dairy herds and pedigree stock at Richmond, the question of obtaining the maximum production of high quality fodder is yearly becoming more important.

Through the kindness of Mr. J. Hunt, a field was placed at the disposal of officers of the Cawthron Institute for the conduct of manurial experiments in connection with the hay crop. The field chosen for the experiments is typical of much light land in the vicinity of Richmond. The soil is a light gravelly loam which promotes rapid growth in the early spring. The pasture has been established for many years, and contains a variety of elovers and English grasses. Perennial rye is the most conspicuous grass on this field.

In September, 1923, nine plots were measured off in the most uniform part of the field and treated in different ways. Manures, with the exception of nitrate of soda, were broadcasted about the middle of the month. The plots receiving nitrate of soda were top-dressed with this manure a month later. Owing to the dry weather experienced in th,e spring, it may be safely assumed that full benefit was not obtained from the phosphatie and potassic manures used in the experiments. The nitrate of soda, however, produced early in the season a striking effect both on the colour of the grass and on its rate of growth. The following table shows the treatment given to the plots and the yields of hay at the time of harvest early in December:— SERIES A,

ireatment. xiay inI lot per acre. per acre, crease, cwt. cwt. « No. I—2cwt nitrate of soda 66 17 No. 2.—1 cwt „ 58 9 No. 3.—Untreated 49 No. 4.—2 cwt superphosphate, J cwt sulphate of potash and lewt nitrate of soda. 59 10 SERIES B. No. s.—2cwt basic super., scwt sulphate of potash and lewt nitrate of soda 53 10 No. 6.—Untreated 43 No. 7.—2 cwt basic super. and lewt nitrate ol soda 50$ 7$ SERIES C. No. B.—2cwt basic super. 49 nil No. 9. —Untreated 50$ ‘lncrease over untreated plot. The divergence in the yields of ths untreated plots in Series A. B, and C shows that soil conditions thoughout Series B are inferior to those obtaining in A and C. The results from each series must therefore be considered separately. The effect of any treatment may be ascertained by comparing the yield of the treated plot with that of the untreated plot in the same series.

As far as the yield of hay is concerned, the experiments emphasis the great importance of nitrogenous manuring. The applicat ion of lewt of nitrate of soda has resulted in an increase of 9 cwt of hay per acre. The use of 2 cwt of nitrate of soda nearly doubled the incease in yield. Even if hay is valued at the low figure of £ 3 per ton, the use of nitrate of soda (& 1 per cwt) for the hay crop is unquestionably profitable. The complete man ures used on Plots Nos. 4 and 5 have had little effect on yield beyond that which might be legitimately assigned to the nitrate of soda, which formed a part of the manurial treatment of these plots. The quality of the .hay, however, was undoubtedly superior, the proportion of clovers and fine brasses being greater than on the plots receiving nitrate only. Basic superphosphate used alone or in conjunction with nitrate of soda had a beneficial effect on the quality of the hay, but no increase in yield could be attributed to its use. The plots were last inspected in April, having been grazed since December, and the influence of the phosphatie and potassic manures in promoting a vigorous development of clovers was still clearly marked. Although the dry spring militated against a rapid effect upon the use of these manures, it seems clear that phosphatic and potassic manures should be applied to grass land in the winter in order to secure the maximum effect in the spring growth of grass. Nitrate of soda, however, should be reserved for spring application.