Stock Prefer Sensation Swedes.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 58, Issue 2, 20 February 1939, Page 131

Stock Prefer Sensation Swedes.

Trials to Find Most Suitable Rations During Winter Months.

K. M. MONTGOMERY,

Fields Instructor, Te Kuiti, and N. T. CLARE, Chemistry Section

- zjjimi ii in i i hi ii i ii ii i 11 ii ii ii in i ii ii in ii ii iii in i n ii n i i in in 11 i Trials to determine whether any particular variety of swedes was more suitable for feeding at different periods during the winter showed an undoubted pre- | ference by stock, firstly, | for the Sensation variety | and, secondly, for the Wil- | helmsburger. Although the j evidence cannot be considered conclusive it is felt that farmers should continue to grow swede crops to supply a plentiful ration during low grass-production •in the winter months. =P| I I 111 HI 111 I 111 I

SWEDE crops are of particular importance in the northern King-country for feeding sheep and cattle during the later months of the winter. Because of -the broken nature of the country most farms have only a limited area which can be economically harvested for hay or ensilage, and consequently great reliance has to be placed' on the swede crop to provide sufficient fodder at a time when pastures are producing very little grass for the stock. Not only is the swede crop very valuable for supplying a bulk of food at a difficult period of the year, but it also plays an important part in the development of the country. Most of the pastures on the rolling to high country are those which were sown after a bush burn, and a large; portion of these pastures have deteriorated into swards comprising, in the main, low-carrying-capacity grasses such as danthonia, brown-top, and Poa pratensis. Much of this deteriorated land can be made to carry pastures of rye-grass, white and subterranean clovers, cocksfoot, and paspalum provided it is adequately manured and managed with stock. In the winning-back of this deteriorated land, which, generally speaking, has

reverted to bracken fern, the swede crop occupies an important place in ' the development programme The ploughing and cultivation of the land helps very considerably in checking the fern growth, and where two crops of roots are taken in .succession, provided the land is ploughed for the second crop, bracken

fern does not cause much trouble in the pasture, which is usually sown in the spring following the grazing-off of the crop. ’ '

Although good crops can be grown on land which has been ploughed out of poor swards badly reverted to fern it is seldom that one sees a good crop where it has been sown on undeveloped fern country. Usually the seed “ strikes ” well, but the bulbs fail to develop, and on this class of fern country it is desirable first of all to lay down a temporary pasture of Italian rye-grass and red clover. The red clover is a valuable pioneer legume, and helps very considerably in building up soil fertility ready for the root crop.

Present Limitations.

Of late years farmers have freely expressed the opinion that whereas at one time they could grow two crops in succession, nowadays it seems to be a thing of the past due to the ravages of disease, particularly dry-rot and clubroot. While this statement is generally true, the writer has also noted that a great number of the first-sown crops are very poor, being light and in many instances badly attacked by diseases such as dry-rot and soft or wet rot. Dry-rot is mainly seed-borne, and the seed-pro-ducers , overseas • are making every endeavour to export seed free of dry-rot infection. In the field the disease is spread from plant to plant mainly by aphides, which are sap-sucking insects. Soft or wet rot is generally a secondary infection, the bacteria of which gain access through the tissues damaged by dry-rot, or where the leaf scars have not healed over perfectly. This last season was a particularly disastrous one, and most of the crops were a total failure. There can be no doubt that the season was largely responsible for this. The weather during . the greater part of the growing season . was humid, and this condition .favours the spread of fungous diseases. Because of this heavy loss greater attention is likely to be paid to the growing of cfaou moellier as an alternative to

the swede crop. While chou moellier is not so readily attacked by disease as the swede crop it must be remembered that not only can it be badly damaged by soft rot, but also that it does not produce the relative feeding value per acre of the swede crop. However, as a safeguard against the possible total loss of the swede crop, farmers could sow J lb. per acre along with the swedes. The leaf offers a change in diet, but in this district chou moellier cannot be expected satisfactorily to replace swedes as a winter fodder, but it is certainly of value as a supplement to an unsatisfactory swede crop. Probably the greatest factor responsible for a large number of poor crops, is the delaying of the ploughing and cultivation of the land until a short time before the sowing of the seed. Early ploughing is important, as it allows the furrow ' slice to settle and gives the freshly exposed earth time to ameliorate. Varieties Used. Figures supplied by local. vseed-mer-chants show that about ten years ago approximately 90 per cent, of the swedeseed sold was of the Crimson King

variety and only about 8 per cent, of the Superlative type, but to-day 85 per cent, is of the Superlative type and only 9 per cent, of the Crimson King variety. It is reasonable to surmise that this “ change over ” has eventuated because farmers generally found the Superlative a more reliable cropper and more palatable to stock. But because the Superlative type is the most popular to-day it is not to say that there are not other, types which will produce as good a crop of equal feeding-value and of better keepingqualities. Trials with Different Varieties. To determine whether any particular variety is more suitable for feeding at different periods during the winter a few trials were laid down. During their progress observations were made to ascertain the amount of soft rot present in the different varieties, and notes were also kept to ascertain whether stock showed a particular preference for any variety. Roots were analysed for sugar, dry matter, nitrogen content, and specific gravity to ascertain whether these factors had any relation to the preference in grazing.

The following varieties* were sown in plots J chain wide by six chains long Suttons Crimson King, Carter’s Tipperary, Suttons Superlative, Suttons Caledonian, Suttons Majestic, Suttons Masterpiece, Suttons Sensation, Suttons Wilhelmsburger Otofte (New - Zealandgrown seed), Webb’s Selected Wilhelmsburger Otofte. The results of the trials for this season have been particularly interesting, as the freedom from disease of some of the varieties as noted at the Plant Research Station has been borne out in the field. During May the following estimate of damage caused through dry and soft rot was made : Crimson King, 85 per cent. ; Tipperary, 60 per cent. ; Superlative, 75 per cent. ; Caledonian, 60 per cent. ; Majestic, 90 per cent,; Masterpiece, 70 per cent. ; Sensation, 65 per cent. ; both strains of Wilhelmsburger Otofte, 10 per cent. Before the stock was turned in for the July grazing the following estimate was' made of the percentage of bulbs still left which would give some feeding but which were not necessarily free of soft rot : Crimson King, 5 per cent. ; Tipperary,

35 per cent. ; Superlative, 30 per cent. ; Caledonian, 60 per cent.; Majestic, 20 per cent. ; Masterpiece, 45 per cent. ; Sensation, 65 per cent. ; Wilhelmsburger Otofte, 90 per cent (both strains). It is interesting to note that whereas in May, Majestic showed a relatively higher disease count than Crimson King, by July Crimson King had deteriorated very markedly ; in fact, in one trial it was with some difficulty that reasonably sound bulbs could be found to forward for analytical purposes. Also, the disease had not spread in the Caledonian, Sensation, and Wilhelmsburger varieties. Although Caledonian did not have quite so many edible bulbs as the Sensation, it had the appearance of being more hardy—tops were still green and the flesh firm, whereas the Sensation appeared to be past maturity—he., tops Were wilting off and the flesh was comparatively soft. Wilhelmsburger appeared to be still growing, the flesh being very firm and the tops very green (see 'the illustration). Grazing Preference. Each experiment was . divided into three breaks,” which were grazed off in June, July, and August respectively. As each “ break ” was fed off several representative roots from each variety ’ were selected and forwarded to the Chemical Laboratory, Wellington, for examination. Later experience indicated that'the. number of roots was insufficient and consequently there was much variation between analyses of the same variety from month to month. In general, however, the percentage dry matter and the . hardness values tended to increase, total sugars and reducing sugars . decreased after hydrolysis, and the

specific gravity of the roots was lower in the later samples. In the tables below only data in respect of the June samples are given. Experiment A. On this trial hoggets were used exclusively for feeding off. In June, after cleaning off the tops, they concentrated on the Sensation, eating out the bulbs and leaving only the shell of the skin in the ground. Next they ate up the Wilhelmsburger, and only when both these varieties had been eaten was there any grazing of the other varieties. In the break fed off in August a slight preference was shown for the Wilhelmsburger,. and although these were not eaten as rapidly as the Sensation more hoggets seemed to congregate on the former. Sensation is not so hard in the flesh as the Wilhelmsburger, and probably this would account for the rapid feeding off of this variety. Some of the results of the chemical determinations carried out on roots fed off in June in this trial are shown in the following table :

Because of the small number of roots from each variety forwarded for analysis the value of these results is somewhat limited ; • nor can they be correlated with the preference shown by stock for the Sensation and Wilhelmsburger varieties. The hardness figures are of interest, however, in that the varieties which give the greatest hardness value (the Wilhelmsburgers) are reported to be “ hardest ” in practical experience. * (These results were obtained by use of a penetrometer, and the figures given are inversely proportional to the distance penetrated by the needle.) Experiment B. In this trial mixed aged sheep were used, and a greater selection was made by them than by the hoggets. In June, after cleaning off the tops, they' ate out the Sensation, then the Wilhelmsburger, and later ate all the remaining varieties, showing no particular preference between any of the latter. In July Wilhelmsburger Otofte and Sensation were the most sought after, particularly the former, and after getting' the best out

of these the ewes more or less fed off the other varieties evenly, except that a slight preference was shown for Caledonian and that they appeared to neglect the Majestic. In August the Wilhelmsburger, especially Webb’s Selected, were the most sought after. Even after driving the ewes away from this portion of the “ break ” it was not long before they had worked their way back again. Some of the chemical results on roots forwarded from the June “ break ” in Experiment B are given in the table below. The main fact arising from the two trials was the undoubted preference

shown by stock, firstly, for the Sensation variety, and, secondly, for the Wilhelmsburger. It is not clear whether this is due to the fact that these were relatively more free from disease than other varieties or whether they were of greater feeding-value. Wilhelmsburger, in particular, does not have a good reputation as regards palatability in other districts, and this is generally put down to the hardness of the bulbs. Accurate determinations by means of the penetrometer indicated that both Wilhelmsburger strains were among the hardest in both trials, particularly when the June “ break ” was fed off, and yet this variety was relatively palatable.

No correlation appears to exist between this factor of stock preference and the other chemical and physical determinations. It is intended to carry out similar examinations on similar trials during the coming season, using fewer varieties and more roots from each. Although the trials have been carried out only one year and the evidence cannot be considered conclusive it is felt that in spite of the heavy loss sustained , this past season farmers should continue to grow swede crops as a means of supplying a plentiful ration during the period of low grass production in the winter months. It would be reasonable to presume that if certain varieties are capable of producing a good crop in an adverse season they should also give good results in an average season. The evidence of this year’s trials show that the Wilhelmsburger Otofte and Sensation are not only varieties which would appear suited to this part of the Dominion, but also that stock have shown a marked preference for them. For the coming season farmers are advised to try these varieties, putting in an area of Sensation more or less specially for the hoggets and the Wilhelmsburger Otofte for the late part -of the season. ■fr 4" 4"

* For full description of the varieties see Journal of Agriculture. Sept.-Oct., 1935. .

Variety. Dry Matter, per Cent. Percentage of Dry Matter. Specific Gravity. Hardness : 1 = soft; 2-5 = hard. Total Nitrogen. Total Sugars after Hydrolysis. Crimson King 8-5 2-19 . 45-6 1 -or 1-6 Tipperary 7-4 2-30 57’° 0-99 ' 1-4 Superlative . . 9-2 2-13 54’8 I -02 - I "5 Caledonian . . 9-4 -98 60-2 -OI i-6 Majestic .. . 8-7 i-37 61 • O 1-02 i-6 Masterpiece . . 9-7 2 • 14 54’5 I -02 1-6 Sensation 9-3 2-42 54'4 0-99 1-5 W ilhelmsburger IO-I 2-02 60-o 0-99 2'4 Wilhelmsburger (Webbs)' 9'7 2-55 47-8 1 -04 i-8

Dry Matter. Dry Matter, per Cent. Percentage of Dry Matter. . . Specific Gravity. Hardness: 1 = soft. . 2-5 = hard. Total Nitrogen. Total Sugars after Hydrolysis. ' Crimson King 8.7 • 46 47’3 , 0-97 1-9 Tipperary 8 • 2 I-5I 51-0 o-97 i-6 Superlative . . 8-5 2'20 . 44*° o-99 2-0 Caledonian . . . 8-3 I • 90 49'2 0-98 1-7 Majestic .. 9-5 • I -84 55-2 ' 1 -oo 1-9 Masterpiece . . 10'2 . I -6i 5i-o I -oo i-9 Sensation. .. 9-6 2-05 38-6 o-99 2-0 Wilhelmsburger io-1-65 • 48-4 o-99 1-9 W ilhelmsburger io • 7 i-55 49*4 1 • 02 2-2 (Webb’s)