NEW PERMANENT PASTURE AS GREEN-FEED IN CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 54, Issue 3, 20 March 1937, Page 138

NEW PERMANENT PASTURE AS GREEN-FEED IN CANTERBURY.

A. H. Flay and C. P. Tebb,

Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln.

The Canterbury farmer depends upon supplementary green-feeds as part of the diet of sheep and dairy cows. A low and uncertain rainfall necessitates the use of such feeds in dry autumns for maintaining the milk-production of cows and for the flushing of ewes. Green-feed for lambing is a well recognized essential, especially on medium and light lands. The actual extent to which the farmer is dependent upon such feeds is seldom realized fully until the occurrence of a very dry period. For instance, the low lambing-percentages and high mortality in the spring of 1933 can be attributed in general to defective or unbalanced nutrition arising from . feed-shortage. This feed-shortage occurred in the spring and autumn of that year. Both seasons were dry, and supplementary green-feed crops were very much reduced in production. Had there been ample and better-balanced green-feeds or abundance of freshly grown grass, as occurs in seasons of high rainfall, for autumn and spring flushing and for lambing, more lambs would have been born and more would have survived. ' Many Canterbury farmers summer-fallow a paddock which is sown to. Italian rye-grass in February for the purpose of providing a large volume of green-feed at the appropriate seasons. The fallow-period may extend from the time turnips are eaten offabout the end of September — sowing-time in early . February, a four months’ fallow. The

aim is usually a two or three months’ fallow-period. Where oats are sown for green-feed, often the fallow-period, especially on the lighter soils, occupies two months. Although under many systems of farmmanagement it would be difficult to do away with such green-feeds, it is well recognized that, their cost of production is high when considered on a food-unit basis. The question may well be asked, then, if greenfeed could be provided in any cheaper manner and, if in the establishment of permanent pasture on soil fallowed as for Italian rye-grass, sufficient green-feed could not thereby be . provided so that ordinary temporary green-feeds may be largely dispensed with, or, at least, reduced in area with advantage. It is the object of this article to discuss this question and to show that new permanent grass can provide at least a part of the green-feed ration. Green-feed Crops : Method of Growing, Uses, etc. Green-feed is usually provided by such crops as oats, barley, Italian rye-grass, kale, rape, and sometimes turnip-tops. Oats and Italian rye-grass form the main spring green-feeds, while these and others mentioned are used for flushing and for late-autumn feed. Turnips, as well as providing the bulk of the winter feed, often provide the very early spring supplementary feed, especially along the foothills. On many farms green-feed oats or barley are sown after a grain crop. Under these circumstances, except on the best soils, little autumn feed is secured. Fair grazing is provided in the spring. If these crops are sown in February on land fallowed from December or' earlier, then very good production is obtained in autumn, winter, and spring. Italian rye-grass is generally sown in January or February after a fallow, or it may be sown in February or March following a grain crop. It provides a bulk of feed in the late autumn, some winter feed, and good spring feed. Part or all of it, on good land, may be shut up in the late spring for seed-production. . . When green-feed oats or Italian rye-grass are grown purely for greenfeed, the cost per food-unit, or per sheep-week of grazing, is high. If seed-production or a chaff crop can also be secured the cost may be kept low, and this can be, and usually is, done, on the better classes of land. On the medium and light lands, however, where the- growing of large areas of green crops is the general practice, green-feed and a cash crop cannot be secured satisfactorily or profitably from the same sowing. Present Method of sowing Grass. In spring and summer many farmers sow grass with turnips, kale, or rape, and with oats in the autumn. The threefold object in adopting this procedure is to obtain (i) a better-balanced supplementary feed ; (2) • cheap sowing ; and (3) a permanent pasture following the supplementary crop without the necessity of further tillage. Although a thin and open sward usually results from this method of sowing, in a normal season on light land the first object is generally achieved. The second, cheap sowing, may prove to be false economy, however, when the weedinvasion and lowered production resulting from the bare spaces of such a pasture are considered over a period of years. So far as a permanent pasture is concerned this object is at the best, only partially achieved

by the production of a poor pasture for a few years. On heavy land the supplementary crop, if as good ,as it should be, often smothers the young establishing pasture to a large extent. . In either case, the young grass is severely treated by (i) the heavy tramping in autumn and winter when the higher yielding crop is being grazed, and (2) the severe grazing of rape and kale at an early stage and during dry weather. In connection with the latter consideration it is characteristic of sheep to eat out the lesser constituent before turning to the more bulky crop. With normal seedings for the supplementary ■crops this lesser constituent is nearly always the pasture. The supplementary crop also uses a portion of the fertilizer which might be available to the pasture-plants. . In general, the practice of sowing permanent pastures along with a supplementary feed crop is unsatisfactory. Because of the smothering and the early severe grazing, often little autumn, winter, or lambing green-feed is obtained from the new pastures sown down with these supplementary crops. Establishment of Permanent Pasture. < From the point of view of season and fallow, permanent pasture sown alone on a firm seed-bed could be established in the place of any of the crops that have been under discussion above. The only exception to this is that first-class permanent pastures rarely can be established in the autumn following a grain crop, though fair green-feed oats can be grown.’ x ' ' . The best method(i) of permanent-pasture establishment, whether it be on heavy or light land, is that of sowing a suitable mixture of truly perennial strains alone on a properly prepared and well-fallowed seedbed. The length of time between the original ploughing and the sowing should not be less than three months. Deep cultivation . should be completed at least six weeks before the intended sowing-date, and the final period should be filled in with surface-working onlythat is, suitable, light harrowing and rolling that result in moisture-conservation and weedcontrol, and leave, ultimately, a fine, firm, moist, weed-free seed-bed. Sowing a pasture under such conditions in October or November, on almost any soil, gives a good germination, a rapid establishment, and a complete cover. Where annual weeds such as fat-hen and spurrey are excessively troublesome early autumn (February) sowing is quite satisfactory. If properly regulated grazing is maintained, particularly.-in the first year, a good permanent pasture is assured. The new pasture provides luscious grazing as green-feed as soon as it is several inches high. Seed-mixture. • The seed-mixture which is recommended for maximum green-feed production and a permanent pasture, and which can be grazed in a hard manner for a short time if absolutely necessary, is the dominant-rye-grass type as follows: — . . ~ Pounds per Acre. . True or certified perennial rye-grass .. . . 30 to 35 . Akaroa cocksfoot .. .. .. .. sto 7 Montgomeryshire red clover .. .. * .. 3to 4 • ' : Wild or certified white clover ’ .. .. Ito 2 :' (1) New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, September, 1933, pp. 176-180.

On heavy land cocksfoot may be omitted from this mixture, and on light or poor land subterranean clover at i lb. to 2 lb. per acre should be included. At present-day prices this mixture costs 18s. to 245., say, £1 per acre. To those accustomed to sowing temporary strains of seed this cost may seem excessive. That this is not so, however, may be appreciated by the long-term view being taken : the cultivation costs are no more for the establishment of this permanent pasture than for the proper sowing of a temporary pasture. As against green-feed alone, the cost may appear even more excessive, but it is easily offset by the cultivation, seeding, and manuring costs of green-feed production over a period of, say, five years, during the whole of which time the one permanent pasture is involving no other expenditure than that of annual top-dressing. : ■- Time to sow Permanent Pasture for Maximum Green-feed ' .. Production. The establishment of good rye-grass pasture may be obtained by autumn sowing, and on heavy land in a high state of fertility early autumn sowing of cocksfoot and clovers may be highly successful. Because of better weed-control, early autumn or summer sowing on heavy or weed - infested land is preferred. The degree of success, although dependent upon the weather experienced at and after sowing, .varies with the length of fallow and fitness of the seed-bed. These pastures usually give late autumn green-feed for fattening late lambs, for flushing of ewes, and abundant spring green-feed. It would probably be April, at the earliest, before grazing could be commencedassuming a February sowing. Sowing should generally take place in February, and certainly not later than the end of March. On the medium and light land spring and early summer sowings are not affected, as a rule, by the annual weeds that are troublesome on the heavy lands. Along the foothills of Canterbury, however, spurrey (or yarr) may be troublesome in certain areas. Although December sowing is desirable on these foothill lands, January and February sowings on well-fallowed land make a rapid and thorough establishment, on account of the favourable rainfall that generally occurs. On these areas extremely good pastures have also been obtained by sowing alone in November and December on well-fallowed land after turnips. ' On every class of land the earlier the sowing can take place the longer will be the green-feed season. On light land, pasture sown at the end of September should be ready for grazing in December. According to the conditions of rainfall and fertility such a pasture will give green-feed throughout the autumn and up to October of the following spring. Regardless of the time of sowing, the green-feed value of the pasture disappears with the approach of - November, about thirteen months after spring sowings and eight months after autumn sowings, because, firstly, the rye-grass (especially on lighter soils) tends to shoot rapidly to seed at this time, and, secondly, there is usually adequate feed from the other grazing pastures. In general, and especially on medium and light land, spring and early summer sowings are the best for securing maximum green-feed and a good mixed pasture, and should be the aim wherever tillage and weed conditions will permit.

Uses and Management of New Permanent Pasture.

In a season of average rainfall a new permanent pasture of the type ■described, and sown in October or November as indicated, should be ready for a light grazing in the latter part of January or the beginning of February. Throughout the autumn, provided that rainfall is adequate and nor’westers are not too frequent, such a pasture provides useful green-feed, and if reserved for special purposes such as lamb-fattening or flushing of ewes and rams allows a reduction in area of feeds grown for these purposes. It has been found that such a pasture on medium land, throughout the autumn period, fattens five or more lambs per acre without supplementary hand-feeding. With J lb. wheat per lamb daily, eight to ten lambs per acre have been fattened. With a very light seeding of | lb. rape per acre on this class of land eight to ten lambs per acre have been fattened, and it has been found that this thin supplementary crop does not, with proper grazing-management, harm the new permanent pasture. The fattening-period should not occupy longer than two to three months. By spelling the new pasture depending upon the use to which it is to be put, late autumn feed, some winter feed, and spring lambing-feed ■can be obtained. Except in the case of fattening lambs or cull ewes, this pasture should, of course, be rationed at the rate of two or more hours per day as is good practice with green-feeds. In the spring ewes and lambs should be put on in groups of several ■days lambing, or mobs of ewes and lambs may be put on breaks for .several hours daily. At no time should the pasture be subjected to hard grazing for a lengthy period. This is important, particularly if the ■cocksfoot and clovers are to be given a fair start. The permanent pasture sown in October, November, or December under average-rainfall conditions assists in the provision of the following : lamb-fattening feed, flushing feed, late-autumn feed, some winter .green-feed, spring flushing-feed, and lambing-feed up to October or November following sowing. At this time the rye-grass begins to shoot to seed, and the whole or part of such a pasture may be shut up for a profitable seed-crop. If a high yield of easily cut seed is desired, shutting up at the end of September for medium and light land and the middle or end of October for medium to heavy land is necessary. If not used for seed-production, the pasture may be grazed in the usual manner throughout the spring. Under ordinary grazing-conditions a payable yield of seed may be obtained by means of stripping. Gentle or light grazing. from October onwards allows the cocksfoot and clovers to recover after the closer grazing during lambing. By spelling the pasture from mid-November to about the end of December, a bulk of succulent grazing may then be obtained from the clover in the sward in late December and January at a time when it is most valuable for maintaining ewes and lambs in a thriving condition. The rye-grass that shoots to seed during this “spelling” period, ■even if it is not stripped, need not cause any concern, because under Canterbury conditions, if the pasture and stock are to receive the best treatment, and if fat-lamb production is the object, some seed-stalks ■cannot be avoidedeven with continuous grazing. If grazing in the first year is hard enough to prevent the growth of seed-stalks, then ■cocksfoot and clover development is very poor, the value of the pasture in- January and February is lost, and fat-lamb production is proportionately retarded.

Carrying-capacities of New Permanent Pastures used as Green-feed. Although there are no comparative figures for green-feed oats, Italian rye-grass, and new permanent pastures grown under experimental and exactly similar conditions-, yet records have been kept of the grazing obtained from new permanent pasture when grazed as though it were green-feed. A few representative figures are given in the following table: —

Records have also been kept of the grazing obtained from green-feed oats and from Italian rye-grass whenever opportunity permitted. Some of these figures are given below:—

It is not intended that these tables should be taken as truly comparative ■of the grazing-capacity of new permanent pasture as against that of green-feed, nor should it be imagined that an attempt has been made

to prove that new permanent pasture when properly sown can equal during its first year the production from similarly sown Italian rye-grass. But the figures do: indicate that new permanent pasture sown alone, in the fashion outlined, is. capable, under ordinary circumstances, of giving" satisfactorily high grazing when used as green-feed. It should be ' stated that the examples recorded above have been used because the methods of tillage and seed-bed preparation and the grazing procedure were under close observation, and are known to have been most satisfactory.

Conclusion.

Where permanent pastures are. desired, whether it be on light or heavy land’farms, the method of establishment and grazing-management as outlined is economically applicable to at least one paddock each year. Such a practice allows some reduction at least in the area of costly temporary feeds ; on account of the method and time of sowing, successful establishment is almost certain ; by correct management valuable feed is obtainable at every special green-feed season for a period of approximately one year ; the production of a valuable strain of seed is possible in the first harvest year if:desired, but otherwise in later years ; and, finally, a truly permanent first-class pasture is established. This last consideration, on all. farms except those of the dominantly cropping type, and they are few, cannot help but appeal to the farmer who has tried the method thoroughly. . This method of establishing and managing new. permanent pasture has become a definite part of a profitable programme on a large number of Canterbury farms. " . ; .

Locality. Light Land (Plains). Light Land (Foothills).' Medium Land (Foothills). Mediumheavy Land (Plains). Grass sown. November, November, November, December, . November, 1932. . 19331933. 1933January ■ .. ... 8 .. 7'63 7-63 7 • 12 7-12 February .. . . £?8 . 7-96 14-50 . 12-01 March .. | 4 -6o 9-20 2-20 3-68 April 8 | 4 -6o <3-8i . 9 • 20 8-96 2 • 20 5’30 3’68 3-8 5 May . .. . . ■q3'°5 . 3’59 5-60 3-66 June £2-31 2-73 1 • 06 July 0-13 0 • 91 August 0-62 1 • 84 September . . 3-8i 3-02 0-07 Shut seed October ... 3’29 9-06 5-20 No records lodged, and November . . 3’47 6-93 2-30 kept. only 20 December . . . . i-35 • 84 I • 40 bushels per acre saved.

Table I. Carrying-capacity of New Permanent Pastures when grazed as Green-feed : Dry. Sheep or Ewes per Acre, by Months.

Locality, Green-feed Oats. Italian Rye-grass. : Light Land (Plains). Light Land (Plains). Mediumheavy Land (Plains). Light Land (Plains). Heavy Land (Plains). Sown. January, 1930. March, 1934. February, 1932- . February, 1930.' February, 1930. March . . .. 0-86 April . . 9-28 O • 11 O • 81 ■i -13 May . . 3'18 o-34 2-10 2-14 . June .. 1 -15 i-95 O • 10 3-36 July ... o-73 9-65 0-14 0 ■ 14 August 0-32 o-95 0 • 07 0-23 ■ 2-12 September 3-76 3'94 0 • 07 4-28 3-58 October . . . 2' 60 4'23 ■ 8-77 3'45 ■ 5'34 ■ November ...... 2’5° 4-48 . 2-97 • 84 2-58 December 4-71 • 81 2-28 Yielded 49 January • 18 ? . bushels per acre February ? 7-60

Table II.-Carrying-capacity of Green-feed, Oats and, Italian Rye-grass when used as Green-feed : Dry Sheep or Ewes per Acre, by Months.