VALUE OF CULTIVATION IN ROOT CROPS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXII, Issue 1, 20 January 1921, Page 44

VALUE OF CULTIVATION IN ROOT CROPS.

A SOUTHLAND DEMONSTRATION.

W. ALEXANDER,

Fields Instructor, Invercargill.

The time appears opportune for drawing attention to the results of a test carried out last season on the Winton Experimental Area, from which some interesting data were obtained. In the course of the investigation into the cause of dry-rot of swedes certain plots were sown out under different manurial and intercultivation treatments, and running through the entire block were control or no-manure plots. It was not intended that any of the swedes should be sown and then left uncultivated, yet that was what actually happened in the case of one of these control plots, owing to a misunderstanding. It was evident at a very early stage that the non-cultivated plot was in a bad way and that the yield was going to be low, a promise which was fulfilled. The accompanying photos, taken last August, will go far towards confirming the following particulars of the respective yields. . . .

Fig. i is a faithful reproduction of a plot where was sown 18 oz. per acre of Superlative swede. No manure was sown with the seed, which was ridged in 26 in. rows. The land was in fair order at time of sowing, but a good deal of twitch was present, and this being a rather low part of the field the twitch, even though worked considerably, was not by any means eradicated, as can be seen. As previously indicated, owing to mistaken instructions this plot was never further cultivated, and when weighed in August last the crop yielded at the rate of only 7 tons 18 cwt. per acre, tops included. Fig.. 2 ■ shows two rows (marked xx) of Superlative swede grown without manure in a straight-out manurial trial. It will be seen from the photo that a fair amount of twitch had been worked out of this piece of ground also, but that was the result of a thorough system of cultivation which provided for the scuffler going through once a month during the growing-period of the swedes. In spite of the fact that no manure was sown with the seed here, when the crop was weighed (same time as previously mentioned plot) in August last this plot yielded at the rate of 24 tons 9 cwt. to the acre, or i6| tons more than the non-cultivated plot. As a matter of fact, the average yield in this series of the experiments, wherein slow-acting phosphatic manures were used, was just over 30 tons per acre, so that from all points of view it is evident that systematic cultivation plays an important part in the production of root crops.

On the one hand. the gain of i6| tons over the non-cultivated plot affords an example of labour being well rewarded, . and on the other hand the loss of 6 tons per acre as against a manured and cultivated plot seems to . just about assess the value of the fertilizer used. There is no doubt that crop-production can be increased enormously, providing a sound system of preparatory cultivation is followed up by as sound a system of subsequent intercultivation.