Value Of Lotus Species In Reclamation Of Poor, Clay Soils

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 6, 15 June 1940, Page 441

Value Of Lotus Species In Reclamation Of Poor, Clay Soils

By

J. E. BELL,

Instructor in Agriculture, Auckland.

(J.H „» Uh —iiii uu—nu—mi—mi—mi—nn—mi——mi— »<{. 1 Pioneers of the grasslands in -j I the Auckland Province, the a j Lotus species of clover still 1 j play a part in the production' 1 | of food for stock. Especially I = are they a valuable ally in the I = reclamation of poor, clay soils, j 1 . i •J* mi—mi—mi——mi—mi—— mi— mi—mi—— mi—mi—no— nA

WHEREVER you go in the Auckland Province you will find a part played by one or more of the lotus species in the production of food for stock. Whether on swamps or on hard, dry hills, there is a place for one of these lotus species. These clovers have been the pioneers of our grasslands in the Auckland Province, especially on soils which are grassed with difficulty.’ They have no place where the soil is kindly and responds easily to ‘ treatment, but where conditions are severe, where the soil is dry, hard, or poorly drained, •there one or other of these hardy clovers will contribute its quota. In such conditions a legume which will exist is most valuable. Valuable Ally When the pioneers of the Auckland Province turned their attention to the farming of the rolling gumland soils of North Aucklandnotorious for their poverty—they found a valuable ally in lotus hispidus (miscalled lotus ingustissimus'). This clover establish-

ed readily on well-drained areas from seed sown on cultivated ground and after scrub burns. It existed on these soils, lacking as they are in humus, lime, and phosphate. It gave a little fodder, which was much valued, because no other clover lived in such conditions; but if phosphate were supplied it would spring to life in an amazing fashion and produce a fair amount of spring growth. The plant begins to set seed in December, when the hairs on its stems and leaves develop to a considerable extent, so that the vegetation becomes unpalatable, perhaps Nature’s method of ensuring the setting of much seed and the greater chance of survival of the clover. Before this period ,it is quite well liked by stock. After setting seed the plant dies. Much of the gumland was sown with lotus hispidus, which enabled the grazing of a few head of healthy- stock where previously the pasture production was negligible and unsuitable because of the lack of clover. The clover made very little winter growth, but it produced an appreciable amount of

spring feed, especially when topdressed with phosphate. After a time, when the value of phosphate and lime for. gumland was appreciated more fully by the farmer, better clover species than lotus hispidus became established, resulting in a much larger and more sustained production of better feed. Still Useful Yet, to-day, lotus hispidus still plays its part. You will find it on almost any field on the gumland soils. Where the field is highly farmed and contains high-producing, well-maintained species, then, lotus hispidus will not be seen, but wherever pastures are not up to this standard there will be,

according to the degree of fertility, less or more of this clover.

Plough a field even of . highly productive pasture and lotus hispidus will usually. appear if given a chance to establish from the seed lying dormant in the ground. Plough the field and sow a crop, and lotus hispidus will compete with it strongly, for it likes cultivated conditions. Subterranean clover has a similar trait, and frequently I have seen it growing strongly alongside lotus hispidus in a crop of swedes in May. After the swedes are fed out the cows can be turned in to feed off the lotus hispidus and subterranean clover.

I do not think that the clover affects the yield of the swedes a great deal, because their competition is greatest when the swedes are reaching maturity, and they may actually help the crop by providing the muchneeded nitrogen for it. Loose soil conditions are favoured by lotus hispidus and if it is sown on cultivated ground it produces a high yield in the first season, even in the first winter.

After the first season the ground becomes hard, and under such conditions the clover is not vigorous and soon succumbs to other clovers encouraged by lime and fertiliser. Under these hard soil conditions, trefoil, lotus major, subterranean clover and white clover take its place.

In Orchards In its liking for loose soil lotus hispidus has found with lotus angustissimus an ideal habitat in orchards established on gumland, where it has played an important part in the production of green manure in the culti-

vated spaces between' the trees. The fertiliser and lime applied for the trees has been utilised by these clovers, thus adding to the humus in the soil and increasing the fruit production. Under bare fallow conditions it is doubtful whether the fruit production would have increased as rapidly as it has, aided by the growth of lotus hispidus and lotus angustissimus.

A tribute must be paid to the part lotus hispidus has played and still continues to play. This clover has been used so extensively in the past that it is now difficult to find gumland that is free of it or its seed. Lotus hispidus seed is seldom sown now that white clover can be established on soil where it once grew. However, its establishment can be brought about by sowing it on a well-fallowed, firm seed bed or by sowing on a burn about March. The seed is sown at 3 lbs. to 5 lbs. per acre, with about 4 cwt. basic slag or 4 cwt. super, plus 5 cwt. lime per acre. On cultivated ground growth will be good during the following winter and spring. ’

Of recent years sowings of lotus hispidus in the province have been practically confined to a few acres for harvesting seed or on scrub burns. It has a place on scrub burns, where it can be established prior to the cultivation of the ground for the sowing of good ryegrass-white clover-paspalum pastures. Established in this way, lotus hispidus will produce a little fodder, and will raise the fertility a certain amount, making the subsequent grassing of the land with the better species an easier and better accomplishment.

Lotus Major Lotus major, a more vigorous plant,

demands a little higher fertility conditions than lotus hispidus. Being a permanent plant, and therefore having to live through the dry season, it will not exist where soils dry out to such

an extreme. Nevertheless, it is one of the few permanent clovers which will exist under very dry conditions. It will also grow under wet conditions. In this way it can be likened to strawberry clover, which will tolerate fairly wet conditions and thrive and produce under dry conditions. It is a wonderful clover in its tolerance of conditions where most of our other pasture plants will fail. Of the clovers,! know, it is most tolerant of wet conditions, for it will grow in wet gullies. On the reclaimed marine flats at Pipiroa, where failure of white clover was due to either very dry or salty conditions, lotus major existed alongside strawberry clover. It is a wonderful pioneer on peat soils, which are very deficient in available plant foods and are frequently very wet. When drained, these soils dry out in summer, a condition which does not daunt lotus major with its long tap root. Lotus major is common on the steep slopes of our hill country, and, being a great endurer of shade, it will compete against the invading fern, which comes in as the fertility of soil lessens. Feeding Value Lotus major is of better feeding value than lotus hispidus, and does not become unpalatable at any stage of growth. It is today included in almost all seed mixtures sown on second-class soils in the Auckland Province, for if soil conditions prove too poor, too dry, or too moist for white clover establishment, lotus major will take up the running. , At the present time there is some reason to believe that it could be used

more for the breaking-in of secondclass soils. Our gumland soils are nowsown down immediately with highproducing strains of highly productive grasses and clover. The results have proved most satisfactory where proper cultivation methods have been adopted, where sowing has been carried out early in the autumn, and where ample supplies of lime and phosphate have been applied. It is possible, however, that it may pay to sow a pioneer lotus major pasture before sowing these more highly productive grasses and clovers. This pioneer pasture should yield highly during the first season, for lotus major, although more tolerant of hard soil conditions, like lotus hispidus, revels in loose soil conditions. In addition to giving good returns, the lotus major would enrich the soil. As time'goes on and the soil becomes very hard, lotus major loses its vigour. It does not give up as quickly as lotus hispidus, and will give a good return for about three years after establishment. Lotus hispidus, on the other hand, will give a good return for only one year. After the three years are up the farmer should replough the area preparatory to sowing a permanent ryegrass- clover-paspalum t pasture.

Establishment For establishment on gumland lotus major requires the same cultural treatment as lotus hispidus, and should be given annual dressings of 3 to 4 cwt. of slag or 3 to 4 cwt. of super and about 4 cwt. of lime per acre. In sowing permanent pasture on gumland, paspalum, ryegrass, lotus major, red and white clovers are usually included in the mixture. Where neither red nor white clover establishes satisfactorily, the subsequent pasture may be considered a failure. A good establishment of lotus major is difficult to attain under competition from the ryegrass and the more frequent winter and spring grazing the presence of this grass entails. Where white clover establishment is good, then the< pasture establishment is considered successful, for a good permanent clover' establishment is necessary for the maintenance of a strong ryegrass and paspalum growth in the following years of the pasture’s life. In such a pasture, red clover establishment may be satisfactory but not outstandingly good, because red

clover does not usually grow well on gumland. However, I have noticed that, on the few occasions where red clover has made an excellent growth in the summer following the sowing down—so great, in fact, that smothering of the ryegrass and white clover would be ■ fearedthe subsequent establishment was much superior to that where only a good or excellent establishment of white clover - was secured. Paving the Way Excellent red clover establishments on gumland are difficult to secure, and are generally the result of seed sown under ideal conditions, but excellent lotus major establishments are not difficult where this clover is sown alone. It is possible that preliminary stands of lotus major may pave the way to much better permanent pastures on our gumlands. As lotus hispidus is so prevalent, New Zealand lotus major seed usually contains lotus hispidus seed as an impurity. A little lotus hispidus seed will not be detrimental, but purchasers of local seed should take care to see

that the percentage of this impurity is not high. European lotus major seed generally has a low percentage of impurities.

The seed should be sown at the rate of 3 lbs. to 5 lbs. per acre. During the first winter and spring the grazing should be light to allow a good stand to establish. During the following summer production will be high. A seed crop can be taken, which may prove remunerative. The closing up of the field should be timed so that a crop 9 in. to 12 in. high is harvested in January.

If • the crop is shut up too early it is ■ more leafy and costly to harvest, and the yield per acre is often less. If the soil is fairly fertile the field should be closed in late November, and, if poor, in early November. Mowing The crop is generally ready for mowing from 10th to 20th January. It is cut when most of the pods become a bronze colour, when the seed is yellow and doughy in texture, or when the first pods begin to open and shed seed. After cutting with the mowing machine the crop is left about four hours and then raked into light windrows. If the pods are exposed too long to bright sunshine they will shed their seed. The windrows are left until next day, when the material is dry enough to stack. This is the general harvesting procedure if the weather conditions are favourable. The material is conveyed carefully, to avoid seed shedding, from the cocks to the stack by sledge or wheeled sweep. After about ’ one month in the stack threshing begins. In the Riverhead district, near Auckland, this is carried out by small mills, and the charge is about 255. per hour.

Well-managed lotus major stands give good winter grazing during the first two years, an average yield of 1 cwt. of seed per acre, and good late summer and autumn grazing. The dressed seed is worth usually about Is 3d per pound.

Dodder is very prevalent in lotus major stands at Riverhead, and Fig. 2 shows a patch of a stand affected by dodder which has been scythed down. The material thus mown will be gathered and burnt before the stand is harvested.

In . the Auckland Province wet weather often spoils harvesting conditions, and so the gathering of any crop, including lotus major, for seed is a somewhat risky undertaking.