SEASONAL NOTES

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 70, Issue 4, 16 April 1945, Page 417

SEASONAL NOTES

Winter Spelling for Rationing Grass On the Dairy Farm

TJIGH per-acre production on a dairy farm is usually found on pastures which contain a goodly proportion of ryegrass. When the' majority, of grasses are practically dormant . ryegrass is capable of making reasonable winter and early spring growth. This characteristic may be exploited in producing grass for rationing to the early calving cows in the more favoured districts. Reasonable spelling and judicious lenient grazing on chosen paddocks will avoid unduly rank growth at any stage preceding rationing and keep the pastures growing. It is well known that clover frequently becomes dominant in the spring if ryegrass is weakened by close and continuous winter grazing. Moreover, when the clover eventually comes away in the spring it often constitutes a dangerous flush growth, causing feed flavours in the cream and bloat among the best producers. Number of Paddocks Winter spelling has exactly the opposite effect in that the pastures become more grassy. The number of paddocks which may receive special treatment will depend on factors such as pasture conditions, winter feed reserves, subdivisions, winter carrying capacity, and rotational grazing technique. Four, paddocks should be the minimum number to build up and maintain growth for the period of rationing. Spelling of these paddocks should be started now before growth slows up. Allowance should also be made for earlier supplementary feeding.

This should be possible following a good season for hay, ensilage, and root crops in most districts. Timely culling of low-producing cows may be a factor in lessening the risk of overstocking during winter. Electric fences have come into favour in some localities for subdivision of paddocks to be fed off in breaks. A single-wire fence with a few standards is sufficient and is easily moved across for the next break. The cows will graze the fresh feed in preference to that in the adjoining grazed breaks. Method of Rationing Rationing is usually carried out immediately after milking, the herd being on the new break for half an hour or longer before being put on to normal grazing. When the rationed grazing is completed harrowing and further spelling follow while the next rationed paddock is being grazed. The system is continued until rationing is no longer necessary. August and September are usually critical months, particularly in cold weather, and such grass is then invaluable in maintaining the milk flow and the condition of the herd. As night paddocks should become the strongest ryegrass areas on the farm under reasonable treatment, they could be made to produce good feed during the August-September period. Night paddocks become very dirty after about a fortnight’s grazing, but if they are then given a good harrowing and are spelled for a period, they should throw strong feed. A second night paddock could then be similarly treated.

Handling the Potato Crop

THE main potato crops in the South Island are now being lifted. Late blight was widespread towards the end of this season, and many crops were dug earlier than was anticipated. The bulk of supplies of table potatoes for New Zealand’s domestic requirements and a proportion for export to the Armed Forces during the winter and early spring are obtained from the South Island. From this source also comes the main supply of see'd fo'r n’ext season’s plantings. Un-

fortunately, heavy losses occur annually, largely through rough handling, which results in much rot during storage. Dry rot is the chief cause of. most storage losses, and small injuries and bruises incurred during harvesting and transport are the ideal places of entry for this widespread disease, Varieties with tender skins, or crops dug on the early side before the skins have hardened, are very prone to infe'ctioti, as they are easily injured.

Any measures which avoid injury before storage will ' therefore largely minimise losses. The following is the . sequence of operations in which injury is likely to occur.

Damage in Harvesting

The potato digger may be set at too shallow a draft or driven too fast to shake off dirt without sufficient regard to damage. This machine is far from perfect, and some growers utilise old motor-car tubes on it to cushion the fall of the tubers. Under dry conditions the second apron should be taken off. Another point to be watched by the grower is rough handling into the buckets when picking up the tubers. Neither mutilated and diseased potatoes nor dirt should be included.

With the mechanical grader, damage is reduced if . a minimum effective speed is maintained and the machine kept full. Extra care in the removal of the remainder of the injured and damaged tubers is warranted.

Damage in Transport

Rolling and dumping of the heavy sacks and the use of hooks by carriers is difficult to overcome; possibly a more general use of crates, at least for seed, is the solution. Iron railway wagons are most unsuitable for the transport of potatoes as they promote rapid infection and spread of rots due to sweating.

Storage of Potatoes

Many lines shipped to the North Island and stored under more humid atmospheric conditions may deteriorate rapidly. As far as possible storage conditions should be cool, well ventilated, and dry. If potatoes are left in the sacks, they will soon require picking over, and as the season advances' long, spindly sprouts may develop. Seed potatoes pitted in -the south over the winter should be well protected. Baled hay round, the clamps is a good safeguard, while provision for ventilation at the top is required. Periodical inspection for diseased tubers is necessary if losses are to be kept down to a minimum.

Treatment of Young Pastures

rpHE season has been excellent for A the early sowing of new pasture, and provided a good strike of grass and clover has been obtained, success in establishment will now depend mainly on good grazing management. Great care must be taken with the newly-sown permanent pastures, and they must not be made to act as supplementary feed at the expense of successful establishment of any of the pasture constituents.

Ryegrass Establishes Readily The ryegrasses are rapid in estab-

lishment under a wide range of conditions. Other grasses such as cocksfoot and dogstail are less adaptable, and late sowings containing these grasses and red clover are frequently failures. Under average conditions ryegrass will be through the ground in a week, and cocksfoot and dogstail in about a fortnight. Under adverse conditions ryegrass has the best chance of establishment, although a check during early development will reduce vigour. Early-sown pasture will be making good growth during the early winter, but latesown pastures will be slower establishing, require more careful handling, and yield less winter feed. Clovers may not establish well when sowing is delayed and there is a greater risk of poaching the ground with stock.

Stocking the New Pastures

Light stock such as sheep are preferable for the first grazing of the new pasture. High per-acre stocking over shorter grazing periods should be adopted. This will bring about evenness of grazing without selective effect and a good, even hoof consolidation. Firmness of the ground is essential to pasture vigour and the carrying of heavier stock. The stock nitrogen will then act as a useful and even topdressing when the pastures are grazed in this way. An application of superphosphate in the early spring will further assist young plants, particularly clovers.

Overgrazing and Under grazing Young pastures should not be grazed too closely in winter, as recovery is unduly delayed and the action of frost and rain is detrimental on ground

with a depleted grass . and clover cover. Any persistent close grazing will reduce root development and plant vigour. On the other hand, undergrazing of young pasture is a common fault and equally undesirable. It is most harmful when Italian ryegrass has been included in the seed mixture due to the strong shading of the slower and more permanent species of a mixed pasture sowing. Rank growth between grazings, while not usual under sheep grazing, is more likely to occur on the dairy farm. Under most conditions a March sowing should provide at least three grazings before September. Every endeavour should be made by careful grazing control to promote a dense and vigorous sward, able to withstand winter conditions. Such a pasture will yield well and maintain the balance between grass and clover.

Weeds give least trouble in autumnsown pastures. Most pasture sowings contain a good proportion of ryegrass which will smother most annual and perennial weeds that are attempting to establish at the same time as the ryegrass. Most aggressive perennial weeds are more or less dormant in the late autumn-winter period. In control of perennial weeds, such as fern, blackberry, and ragwort, the aim is to establish a good cover over the winter and have sufficient growth to maintain heavy stocking when the weeds are most vulnerable. The young fronds of fern and young tender shoots of blackberry require this treatment as they appear in spring. Young ragwort is eaten by sheep but not by cattle. Summer annuals are of little moment in the new autumn-sown pastures, but may establish in the spring if the ground has been badly poached during the winter by grazing when the ground was wet and soft. Weeds such as docks and ox-eye daisy, which are slow to establish from seed, have a better chance of establishing in the autumn-sown pastures. Competition at this time is less keen than it would be with a spring sowing.

Harrowing of Pastures

FTIHE regular harrowing of pastures A to spread stock droppings is one of the principal operations at this season on a dairy farm. The up-to-date dairy farmer rightly classes this work as essential from the point of view of fertility, productiveness of pastures, and health of both plants and animals.

Harrowing is of greatest value from the start of autumn growth right through to the spring. Early harrowing is especially valuable, as it enables the pastures to make full use of the natural fertiliser before winter slows up growth. In many cases harrowing is urgently needed now. A herd of 20 cows each year drop fertilising material approximately equivalent to 6 tons of sulphate of ammonia, lj tons of superphosphate, and 3 tons of sulphate of potash. If undisturbed, the summer accumulation of dung destroys the grass beneath, while rank growth neglected by stock encircles the droppings. Yorkshire fog, which is a winter-growing grass, frequently develops in this way, while weeds rapidly occupy bare ground as the droppings decay. Unevenness in the pasture will be accentuated in the spring, while the rough unpalatable grasses will prove difficult to control by grazing alone and are liable to harbour pests. Harrowing is most effective following any concentration of stock on the pastures, as is the case with high peracre stocking or with winter supplementary feeding. Distribution by harrowing becomes a definite and a cheap topdressing. Harrows used should be of a type that will disintegrate the droppings. Tripod harrows follow unevenness in the ground. Light tine and chain

harrow combinations are popular. The tine harrows are frequently used in the inverted position. Harrowing as grass cultivation is an entirely different proposition. Any tearing action on . a good sward is liable .to open the pasture to weed invasion and has a weakening effect on most of the useful grasses which are shallow rooted. A ryegrass pasture requires rather the consolidation of hoof cultivation. Drastic harrowing has a place in opening up a sod-bound pasture, perhaps with a view to surface sowing of seed on the existing sward at a seasonable time of the year. Moss is more of an indication of low fertility than anything else— condition which harrowing alone cannot rectify. Care of Young Stock IV/INTER is the most trying period • vv for all young stock, and unless particular care is taken their future production may be seriously impaired. Calves The average dairy farmer is often more solicitous towards the stock which are in production, to the detri-

ment of the . younger animals. There is an old saying that “feeding is half the breeding,” and if this is so it would be preferable to pay as much, if not more, attention to young stock than mature animals. During the first winter calves should be the first stock on the dairy, farm to be given small rations of hay and roots. This will accustom them to supplementary feeds which they will have to consume in larger quantities as grass growth falls away. Some time elapses before young stock acquire a taste for feed other than grass. If this feeding is delayed unduly, digestive troubles are more likely to result. Any tendency for the growing animals to receive a check which may undermine constitution will also lower their resistance to disease. Impure drinking water is a common source of disease and young stock should therefore be provided with a good, clean water supply. In colder climates lack of reasonable shelter for the young stock also reduces vitality. Hoggets Dry country lying to the sun is the most suitable for wintering hoggets, while frequent changes to fresh, clean pasture are desirable. The general opinion among sheep farmers is that heavy set stocking with hoggets is injudicious.

To have the country in good order for hoggets thorough grazing by cattle is usually the first requirement. Pastures are subsequently kept short and free of roughage with an adequate number of cattle grazing with the hoggets. In feeding supplementary fodders, too sudden a change in diet is detrimental, and watery feeds such as roots require supplementing with hay. Full use should be made of a suitable runoff to pasture. Grazing on turnips , and swedes is difficult due to tender gums when hoggets are about a year old. Where these crops are grown, the hoggets should consume the tops on . each break and should be the first stock to be put on the crop. If they commence the winter in the best possible condition and special attention is then paid to their feeding requirements, there should be little risk of a check in the development of carcass or wool. If in poor condition by. spring, they are more susceptible to infestation of internal parasites and digestive troubles which cause scouring. —E. M. BATES, Instructor in Agriculture, Alexandra. Advice to farmers for top-dressing, drenches, and licks to prevent cobalt deficiency in sheep and cattle is contained in Bulletin No. 180, which is available free from offices of the Department of Agriculture.