Blue Lupins As A Sheep Feed

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 2, 15 February 1940, Page 95

Blue Lupins As A Sheep Feed

Mid-Canterbury Farmer Proves Their Value

-By

G.K. McPherson

Instructor in Agriculture, Ashburton.

ALTHOUGH the A. and P. statistics for the 1938-39 season do not reveal the area devoted to the blue lupin'crop in the Ashburton County, the statistics do indicate that, excluding cereal crops, rape, and chou moellier, there were almost 600 acres of green feed grown and classed as “other green fodder.” It would probably be correct to assume that the greater portion of this area was sown in blue lupins. In addition to lupin- dominant crops, many farmers in recent years have sown a sprinkling of blue lupins in conjunction with . turnips, oats, and Italian ryegrass. At all events, this crop has now attained a fair measure of popularity. Originally confined principally to the medium soils in the Chertsey, Pendarves, Mitcham districts, it has now spread to better quality land in such localities as Greenstreet, Winchmore, and Methven, and this last season some crops were observed on the light land of the HindsEaling plains. Three Kinds There are three kinds of lupins, blue, yellow, and white, but the blue lupin, Lupinus augustifolium, is the only one which is grown in the Ashburton

County, probably because it is the least susceptible to frost injury. In this county, however, frosts will injure the blue lupins when the plants are in the seedling stage, and also when the crop has reached, or is approaching, the flowering stage. Many of the original growers of blue lupins expressed disappointment with the results obtained, and consequently the crop lost favour for a time. It was claimed that the crop was liable 'to frost injury, that sheep did not take kindly to the herbage, and that the plant possessed an alkaloid which was liable to cause death or to produce a

trembling or staggering gait, particularly among breeding ewes. It was also claimed that it was a difficult crop to harvest. There would appear to be a certain measure of truth in these statements, but the experiences of farmers who have persevered with the crop suggest that, with a proper knowledge of its characteristics, any limitations possessed by the plant can be largely eliminated. - The past season saw many failures with the turnip crop in Canterbury, and for this season it is possible that during the coming season some, farmers will turn towards the blue lupin crop as a means of augmenting, their supply of winter sheep feed. In this connection, farmers will be interested in the experiences of Mr. W. H. Wilkinson, of Chertsey, the pioneer of the blue lupin crop in the Ashburton County. Mr. Wilkinson is farming n property of light to medium land three or four miles west of Chertsey, and some indication of the fertility of his soil can be gauged from the fact that the wheat yield in a normal season varies between 20 and 25 bushels per acre. Mr. Wilkinson was not only the first farmer to grow blue lupins in the

Ashburton County, but he is also one of the few who have persevered with the crop and made a success of it. First Trial ■ Years ago it occurred to Mr. Wilkinson that the failure of pastures to establish and hold on the light land of Canterbury was possibly due to a deficiency of nitrogen in the soil, which to some extent could be rectified by growing a legume, and as far back as 1925 he purchased two bushels of blue lupin seed. The area sown was harvested, and 40 to 50 bushels of seed were obtained. ■" Mr. Wilkinson’s sole intention at this time was to augment his supply of seed so that he could sow areas each year and gradually build up the fertility of the soil by ploughing under the green material when the crop had attained sufficient height. On the original area sown, however, it was found that a line of hoggets put on to clean up the weed growth ate the young plants from the re-seeding also. The hoggets came through the winter in very good condition, and had an excellent bloom. This trial demonstrated that blue

lupins had possibilities as a forage crop as well as a builder of soil fertility, and from that time onwards Mr. Wilkinson experimented with the crop to determine the best methods to' follow to combine these two desirable features to the best advantage. The methods described are those which he ultimately found to be the most suitable for his particular soil and climatic conditions.

It may be mentioned, however, that it was not until the advent of the tractor, which permitted rapid cultivation, that their possibilities as a crop for the light and medium land could be fully exploited. Time of Sowing Time of sowing is a most important factor in the successful growing of the lupin crop. This should be regulated

to avoid frost injury and to correspond with the period when the feed is required. Mr. Wilkinson arranges his sowings to provide autumn feed (April, May, June) and spring and early summer feed (September to December inclusive). For July feeding, and until the ewes lamb in August, turnips are fed. Sowing for Autumn Feed For autumn feed, lupins are preferably sown in fallowed ground out of grass. A long fallow is not necessary, but sufficient moisture must be conserved to offset any dry period which may intervene. . Sowings may take place at intervals from mid-December until the third week in January. Seeding for this sowing should be at the rate of two or three bushels per acre, preferably the heavier seeding.

No fertilisers are necessary if the land is in reasonably good heart. The seed should be drilled very lightly l inch —and the land should not be rolled either before or after sowing. Lupins sown at this time will provide feed from mid-April until the end of June, the great advantage being that during this period the grass paddocks are being spelled. Some indication of the carrying capacity of lupins for autumn feed may be gauged from the following examples. In one instance 50 acres with bare,' run-out paddock carried 850 breeding ewes for J months; in another case 70 acres of lupins carried 950 breeding ewes for seven to eight weeks. In still another instance a 50acre paddock carried 1100 ewes for six

weeks and 1300 ewes for an additional two weeks. When this feeding- off is completed the soil is usually very friable and is in excellent order for one-furrow wheat. Sowing for Spring Feed For spring feed, lupins are sown after wheat in March or April, preferably the former month. It is not considered advisable that lupins should follow a legume. Frosts will retard the growth of the plants when they are in the seedling stage, and therefore sowings later than April are not recommended. Perennial ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, or oats are included with the lupins.- the grass or oats being sown at g to 1 bushels per acre, and the lupins at 1 to lj bushels per acre. To facilitate the strike of grass the land should be rolled in this instance.

Given reasonable weather conditions, the crop is ready for feeding-off in late August or early September, and ewes as they lamb are shifted on to the lupins and grass. This sowing may be grazed until the ripening stage, but as the pods ripen care must be exercised, as there is a danger of sheep losses. Provided a good run-off paddock is made available, however, . the sheep automatically, balance their own diet, and any danger is largely eliminated. As the crop approaches the ripening stage, feeding-off is regulated in order, to allow sufficient seed—two to three bushels per acre or more—shell out for next season. Immediately the bulk of the seeds have shelled out the area is grubbed once or twice with a stiff tine grubber, and if it is desired to obtain a good strike this operation naturally must be carried out before rain is experienced. The resultant crop is equivalent to a December or January sowing, so that a good supply of autumn feed .is provided at very little cost. The grubbing to cover the lupin seed will injure the sward of grass, but not to the extent one would expect. It is the crop obtained from the re-seeding which confers the greatest benefit on the soil. Lupins and Turnips In Mid-Canterbury it has been a common practice during the past few years for farmers to sow about J to f bushels of lupins per acre with the turnip crop. This practice is to be recommended. Not only are the sheep provided with a variety of food, but it is also a good method of acclimatising the sheep to the taste of the lupins. Mr. Wilkinson considers that cross-drilling the lupin seed in the turnip crop in February or March would probably be an advantage, as there would be less chance of frost damage. Seed Production For seed production, lupins are best sown about the middle of March at the rate of 1| to 2 bushels per acre. If sown at this time the crop is ready to harvest some time in December, when harvesting machinery is easy to procure and weather conditions are most suitable for maturing the seed. In addition, seed harvested at this time is available for sowing the following autumn. If, spring-sown, the crop will not be ready for harvesting until late * in the .autumn, when there is less heat in the,

sun and consequently greater difficulty in curing the seed. Moreover, seed harvested at this time may be too late for autumn sowing. Harvesting the Crop The blue lupin is a very tricky crop to harvest, and even under the best of conditions only 75 per cent, of the seed is obtained. If harvested a little on the green , side, k the seed may be difficult to mature, whereas, if left a little late, the pods may crack open. Probably the safest and the best method is to reap the crop with the binder, stack, and allow the seed to mature in the stack before threshing. While producing a good sample, this method is fairly expensive, and can only be adopted with a crop which is reasonably high. Windrowing of crops is a common practice, but has the disadvantage that the seed is inclined to drop out in rows, making the resulting crop from the reseeding rather. uneven. In addition, if the crop is rather heavy the top layer of the windrow is inclined to become over-mature while the bottom layer is still quite green. With direct heading there may be a greater risk of the seed shelling, but the method has the advantage that- the seed shells form an even spread over .the whole paddock. If the crop is windrowed or directheaded the seed should be allowed to mature in the paddock in manure sacks, or, if in grain sacks, they should be only partly filled with seed. Feeding the Lupins ' s Lupins are bitter to the taste, and consequently sheep do not take kindly to them for a start. Once a taste for

them is acquired, however, they graze the crop readily. Sheep not accustomed to lupins should be worked on to them graduallyput on in the daytime and removed to a rather bare paddock at night. A liking for them is thus acquired in the course of a few days. Ewes foreign to lupins should not be put on the crop at or near tupping time. With autumn feeding, sheep should have access to the lupins in the daytime and be removed each night to grass, whereas, with spring feeding, the ewes and lambs may be left on the crop continuously if frosts are not being experienced. Lupins cannot be classed as a fattening crop in the same way, as turnips or rape, although sheep grazing on them will actually improve in condition and maintain a good, healthy appearance. Mr. Wilkinson considers that lupins up to 2 feet in height are unsurpassed for carrying hoggets through the autumn. It has also been Mr. Wilkinson’s experience that lupins act as a tonic —

that they cure scouring and generally improve the health of the- sheep. If reasonable care is taken deaths are no more frequent than with any other crop. Avoiding Frost Injury It is quite possible that crops sown in December may begin flowering towards the end of June, at a time when heavy frosts are experienced. If the crop has not been completely fed-off by this time it may be advisable to mow the remaining portion. The mown material will not frost, and by this means a week or ten days’ extra feeding can be obtained. Summary Mr. Wilkinson has been growing blue lupins for many years now, and has shown that - on the light to medium land of Canterbury they are an excellent crop both as a sheep feed and a soil- builder. This crop has not only enabled him to increase his sheep-

carrying capacity, but it has also been the means of raising considerably the yield per acre of wheat. That lupins improve the physical condition of the soil, rendering it more friable and thereby reducing cultivation costs for the succeeding crop, has been amply demonstrated. In addition, it has been found that twitch is more easily eradicated after a crop, of lupins has been taken off the land. Summarised, the main features of Mr. Wilkinson’s system of growing and utilising the crop are as follows: — (1) Provision of spring feed (September to December inclusive) by • sowing lupins and grass after a cereal in March or April, preferably March. (2) Provision of autumn ' feed (April, May, June) by sowing lupins in December or January, or by allowing sufficient plants from a March sowing to re-seed and produce a second crop.

(3) For seed production, lupins are sown in March by themselves and harvested in December, the re-seed-ing producing a crop for autumn feed. (4) Lupin crops are not ploughed under for green manure, the soil fertility being built up through the rooting system of the lupins and the grazing of the sheep. (5) Wheat usually follows the lupin crop. It should be particularly noted, however, that the methods practised by Mr. Wilkinson may not be entirely applicable to other parts of Canterbury, or even Mid-Canterbury. Mr. Wilkinson has gradually evolved a system of grazing and utilisation of the crop to suit his own particular type of soil, climate, and system of farming. Where these differ, modifications of his system would no doubt be necessary to obtain satisfactory results.

•J* 11- — mi—->llll—mi—mi-—mi——mi—mi—mi—mi——mi—ii#£» I ' The experiences of an Ash- I 1 burton farmer show that on the I 1 light to medium land of Can- | | terbury blue lupins are an j j excellent crop both as a sheep f | feed and a soil builder. With | ? this crop he has increased his | § sheep-carrying capacity, and ! 1 has also raised considerably the 1 1 yield per acre of wheat. His I I system of growing and utilising | J the crop are fully described, j j although modifications may be j J necessary in other districts. | •g«:i—mi—mi—mi——mi—-mi— mi—mi—ini—