Lucerne

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 82, Issue 6, 15 June 1951, Page 505

Lucerne

Trends in Hay Production

COR many years the Department of Agri- • culture has advocated the growing of lucerne for hay in those districts where experience has shown that the crop can be a success. Throughout the country the area so used has fluctuated widely, and in this article officers of the Extension Division attempt to find the reasons for the differing trends. This first part deals with the North Island, and the second and concluding part, which will appear in next month's issue, explains trends in the South Island. THE total acreage of lucerne grown for hay expanded fairly steadily after the First World War. In 1927, 29.000 acres were harvested and in 1944 a peak of 46,000 acres was reached. A study of the statistics over the past 20 years has revealed some quite distinct trends. In some areas the acreage has remained fairly constant while in others a fairly steady expansion has taken place. In still other areas the acreage first increased, but then fell away. In the North Island generally the area of lucerne cut for hay increased rapidly from 12.000 acres in 1927 to more than 20,000 acres in 1935, since when there has been a comparatively steady decrease to below the 1927 acreage. In the South Island, however, from 1927 to 1933 the area of lucerne grown for hay was about 16.000 acres, but the acreage increased rapidly to 33,000 in 1944. Much has been written about lucerne growing and doubtless much more will be written, but it is certain that some of the advice and instruction disseminated in past years has acted as a

hindrance to the wider cultivation of this crop. The original idea in New Zealand was that lucerne should be grown in 28in. rows and intercultivated. This took so much labour that, though many successful crops were grown by an older generation, most farmers preferred to rely on the hay produced from ryegrass and red clover pastures.

Stress was also frequently laid on the necessity for a rich river flat or a silt loam with a reasonably high water-table to grow lucerne successfully. Though these soil types are ideal for the purpose, other soils will also establish successful stands and maintain them long enough for them to be a practical proposition.

The cost of sowing a lucerne stand has also been regarded as a decided drawback, but there is little difference in the cost of preparing an area for lucerne and that of preparing for a good pasture mixture. The cost of lucerne seed is about £2 10s. to £3 10s. per acre, and a pasture sowing may cost from, £2 to £4 10s. per acre, depending upon the mixture used.. When the relative values of the production of the two types of sowings are considered lucerne does not suffer by comparison with a mixed pasture. Several other factors have combined to increase the popularity of lucerne. The discovery that the bacteria essential for healthy growth could be introduced by treatment of the seed has done away with the laborious process of spreading soil from a successful stand on to the area to be established. Appreciation of the value of lime and

phosphates in the establishment and maintenance of lucerne stands has eliminated many of the failures experienced in earlier years, and attention to the pre-cultivation and consolidation of the seed-bed has further reduced the risk of poor establishment of the stand. The advent of the pickup hay baler has also encouraged the growing of lucerne for hay. The baler is not only an answer to the labour problem, but, because of the reduced handling, it enables the hay to be conserved with a minimum loss of leafage, which is the most nutritive part of the plant.

When these facts are considered a rapid expansion in the acreage of lucerne grown for hay might be expected. Under what conditions has such expansion taken place and what has hindered it in other districts?

NORTH ISLAND DISTRICT TRENDS

In the North Island ploughable land is generally used for dairying and fatlamb raising. Supplementary cropping is not a common practice, stock being carried almost entirely on the product of pastures, particularly on those farms where these are in good heart. Lucerne could not be expected to replace much of the rich pastures which are the basis of cheap fat-lamb and dairy production, but it can supplement the production of these pastures and replace to some extent the greenfeed and roots grown for summer feeding. On fat-lamb farms most lambs are sold fat off the mothers and a supplementary fattening feed is not required. Even at lambing time it is possible in most districts to provide sufficient feed from pastures alone. On dairy farms, however, production must be maintained as high as possible for a much longer period. It is on these farms that lucerne can make a very valuable contribution. Most dairy farmers provide pasture hay for winter feeding, but the growing of lucerne to produce additional supplies and also to provide green fodder in summer is not so general. Apart from the over-all trends throughout the country, certain district trends are also very evident and these are now discussed.

North Auckland

The area of lucerne in the North Auckland Land District is so small that trends are not worth much study. The area cut for hay increased to 471 acres in 1930-31 and remained fairly stationary at about this figure until 1936-37, since when it has fluctuated at lower levels. Generally the soils of North Auckland are not suitable for lucerne. Most of them are heavy in texture with a tight subsoil. It is generally recognised that lucerne does not thrive on such soils. Many of the areas of lighter soils are much leached of plant food ■ and will not grow lucerne well enough to warrant any attempt at its establishment.

There are a few areas of soils of light texture which are suitable for lucerne, including the Red Hill sandy soils of the west coast and the immature volcanic soils near Auckland, Whangarei, and Kaikohe. The former soils grow lucerne very well indeed, but on the volcanic types the stands have not been quite so vigorous. On both these soil types lucerne is grown

to a very small extent, although expansion of the area for both hay and silage appears warranted.

Paspalum is very prevalent in North Auckland and usually provides enough grazing in summer and au-tumn, so that lucerne, even if grown, would seldom be required for that purpose. In very dry seasons, when growth from paspalum is slow, lucerne growth is also slow, and the limited area on which lucerne could be grown for grazing would not be of great assistance. On the heavier and infertile soils the growing of lucerne is too difficult to warrant its establishment. The enthusiasm among the few farmers who attempted to grow lucerne on such soils waned after the discovery that the crop did not do well on their farms.

Bay of Plenty and Central Plateau The acreages for the counties of Opotiki, Tauranga, Whakatane, Rotorua, and Taupo have been grouped, though the coastal (Bay of Plenty) and highest acreage saved for hay in Rotorua and Taupo Counties is only 200, however. The coastal portion of Whakatane County is similar to Opotiki and Tauranga Counties but the cqndithe Galatea district are more allied tf those in Taupo and Rotorua Counties. The appreciable acreage of lucerne grown in Whakatane County cannot be divided between these distinct areas, however, and the trends for the whole area have accordingly been grouped.

Bay of Plenty The soils of the Bay of Plenty are generally well suited to lucerne growing. Paspalum, however, is very prevalent and restricts the area sown to lucerne. The area of lucerne increased from 550 acres in 1928 to 1800 acres in 1938, since when it has remained fairly stationary, with sudden temporary fluctuations which may in part be accounted for by increased cuttings in areas such as Galatea which are normally used lor grazing only. Lucerne is a valuable crop in the Galatea district, where dry conditions in late spring, summer, and autumn inhibit grass growth. Winters are cold and settlers are relying more and more on lucerne to provide grazing in the dairying season and hay in winter. Increased sowings in this area account for much of the increased acreage of lucerne in the Bay of Plenty, and wider use of lucerne can be expected at Galatea and on other areas of light soils in the coastal belt which dry out in summer. Farmers on soil types which do not dry out undoubtedly have not taken a very great interest

in lucerne, as they can get high production figures without it.

Nevertheless the crop does well on most of this land and on dairy farms should replace much of the pasture cut for hay and silage. Pasture cut for hay usually deteriorates, whereas lucerne thrives best under such treatment. Lucerne well saved makes better hay than hay well saved from meadows. Perhaps the reasons for the relatively small acreage in the Bay of , Plenty are the greater difficulty in harvesting the crop, including the necessity for making the first cut into silage, and the need for harvesting to be extended throughout the season, upsetting to some extent the farming routine. However, for the second and third cuts of lucerne better harvesting weather is usually available than in December, when the bulk of meadow hay should be saved, while weather for the fourth cut is about as good as any in that month. The Central Plateau The farming potentialities of the Central Plateau have been only slightly realised. Lucerne grows very well in this locality and suffers no competition from paspalum. It should, therefore, have a definite place when farming develops. So far little interest has been shown in the crop, and this may be partly for the same reasons that were given for the small acreage in the Bay of Plenty. In this district the

crop requires ample supplies of phosphate and the shortage of this fertiliser in recent years and the underdeveloped state of the district generally would account for lack of progress in lucerne growing. Waikato The Waikato district includes the middle basin of the Waikato River and the area drained by the Piako and Waihou Rivers. The area cut for hay at the beginning of the 20-year period under review was slightly more than 1100 acres. This increased fairly steadily to 3800 acres 10 years later, but has since declined to under 2000 acres. The chief lucerne-growing counties in this region are Waikato, Waipa, Piako, Matamata, and Otorohanga. Very little lucerne is grown elsewhere. The soils of Hauraki Plains County are generally too wet or rather peaty in nature and therefore unsuitable for lucerne, and Raglan County is generally steep and devoted mainly to sheep farming. In the remaining counties there are large areas of peat and heavy, wet soils, and in the north Waikato heavy, poor soils and steep country unsuitable for lucerne growing. Alongside these, however, there are large areas of land of varying degrees of suitability for lucerne. The light, sandy soils on the flats and on the rolling country are particularly suited when treated with the necessary fertilisers. The heavier clay loams are not as well suited, but nevertheless can grow good crops of lucerne. Paspalum is not the serious competitor it is in the Bay of Plenty or North Auckland districts. The acreage figures do not reveal any real interest in lucerne, which, nevertheless, should have a place on the more suitable soil types for provision of silage and hay and for green fodder in summer when required.- The lack of interest in lucerne growing in these areas can be attributed to difficulties in saving the crop for hay and the need for frequent cutting.

King Country

The King Country district is so rugged and dairying is so little practised that lucerne has little place over large areas of it. .The soil of the rolling country and some flats is suited to lucerne growing, and little paspalum is evident. The district, owing to a well-spread rainfall, does not normally suffer from drought, but further areas of lucerne might well be grown.

Taranaki

In north and central Taranaki the area used for lucerne growing has never exceeded 200 or 300 acres. Lucerne has been tried on many farms over the years, and on most, if not all, of the volcanic soils and recent river-silt soils of the district. Good stands can readily be established, though annual weeds are often troublesome, but good stands are very difficult to maintain because of a climate favourable to grass and weed growth. Whereas in drier and colder districts lucerne areas remain free from weeds and grass through the hot, dry summer following the first cut, and through the winter under, heavy frosts, in north Taranaki the frequent wet summers result in heavy weed and grass invasion between cuttings, and the relatively mild winters also favour the growth of weeds and grass. Twitch grasses are particularly troublesome in lucerne areas on the light, volcanic soils.

Because the lucerne stands are difficult to maintain and grass growth in pastures is sustained with little check from the spring through to the autumn, lucerne growing in north and central Taranaki is not likely to make progress. The frequent loss of good lucerne hay through continued wet weather and the generally plentiful supply of grass for greenfeed throughout the summer are further reasons for lack of interest in the lucerne crop.

In south Taranaki and Patea and Waitotara Counties of Wellington Province the story of lucerne is a little different. Summers are considerably drier in Waimate West, Hawera, Eltham, and Patea Counties, and along the coastal belt of Waitotara County, where the light, free draining, volcanic soils are admirably suited to lucerne growing. In these counties the area used for the crop expanded rapidly on dairy and fat-lamb farms from the early 1920’s until 1931, when it had increased to almost 4000 acres. Since 1933, however, there has been a rapid decline and the area is now about 300 acres.

Lucerne growing in these counties developed during a period when dairy cow and ewe populations were increasing rapidly, but the capacity of the pastures was insufficient to maintain both summer and winter feed for these increases. Unlike north Taranaki, the climate in this area is generally satisfactory for the harvesting of good hay from lucerne stands, and though winter conditions permit invasion by weeds and grasses and are the general cause of stands being broken up, the stands last much longer than they do in north Taranaki. Conditions, too, are generally much more favourable in south Taranaki for the eradication and control of weeds and invading grasses.

There are, however, definite reasons for the reduction in area of lucerne stands in' this district, the most important being the build-up of the fertility and carrying capacity of the pastures through heavier topdressing and increased stocking. As the pastures have improved with more perennial ryegrass and white clover, so the growth period has extended further into the summer and autumn, and winter growth has increased. Moreover it was found that by concentrating on pasture management and the better use of pastures for hay and silage production there was less need for lucerne, with its continued demand for attention for haymaking throughout the summer. As good management and utilisation of pasture brought more all-grass farms to the fore on the basis of butterfat production per acre, it was evident that lucerne growing could be eliminated.

Occasional hot, dry summers, when pastures are dry and bare,* cause the south Taranaki dairy and fat-lamb farmers to question the wisdom of being without a stand of lucerne. They would welcome a good grazing type as a safeguard against such seasons, but are not prepared to sacrifice the all-year-round production from a good pasture and have the trouble of harvesting several crops of hay, particularly in wet seasons, for the sake of having green lucerne for an occasional dry season. For some time at least, therefore, lucerne is not likely again to become of real importance in this area.

Wellington West Coast

In the Wellington west coast district, extending west of the ranges from Makar a to Wanganui and including the inland counties of Waimarino, Kiwitea, and Pohangina, the growing of lucerne has never become general on either dairy or fat-lamb farms. The area in lucerne increased from about 100 acres in 1927 to 2200 acres by 1936, but it has decreased again to 1200 acres.

Most of the lucerne in the district is grown on the sandy soils bordering

the coast. Because of the excessive and early drying out of much of the pasture land on these sandy soils, the value of lucerne has been outstanding, and only the difficulty of establishing a good stand on this type of soil has restricted its use. ,

Good use of lucerne is always made on a number of farms on the sandy, sandy silt, and gravel soils near some of the larger rivers where excessive drying out : of pastures occurs frequently enough to emphasise the need for a special supply of greenfeed. Generally, however, with the two exceptions mentioned, pastures in the district are able to provide adequate green and dry feed to maintain satisfactory carrying capacity throughout the year.

With the exception of the heavier clay . subsoils of much of the rolling and terrace lands in the district, most of the ploughable soils are well suited to the growing of lucerne, and stands can be maintained for more than 10 years before weeds and grass reduce production and make ploughing necessary.

However, lucerne growing is not likely to increase to any extent in the inland districts, but there is a very definite place • for expanded production from the 150,000 to 200,000 acres of coastal sand country.

Lucerne-can be established . satisfactorily on a large proportion of this country, and its part in summer greenfeed production and in the provision of good, nutritious hay makes it a valuable supplement to the pastures on these light, rapidly drying soils. The acreage in lucerne in the coastal counties should increase, and actually has increased in the Manawatu, where the highest acreage yet recorded was returned for 1947.

Poverty Bay

In Poverty Bay the climate and area of soils suitable for lucerne growing are fairly restricted. The Poverty Bay flats and parts of the flats at Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria, with smaller areas

of river flats and similar soils along the coast, are well suited to this crop., During the period 1927 to 1938 the acreage remained fairly steady at 1000 to 1500, but since 1938 the area has been reduced by about half. This is mainly caused by the decline in dairying, there being a close relationship between the lucerne acreage and the number of dairy cows. Some of the reduction is accounted for by the increase in recent years in red clover crops, which are used for seed cropping, the provision of hay, and the supply of greenfeed in late summer, In particularly dry seasons the red clover areas are specially valuable. In Poverty Bay very dry conditions are experienced often enough to warrant special efforts on the part of dairy farmers, fat-lamb producers, and sheep and cattle farmers generally to provide more efficiently for such seasons. The lucerne crop, particularly on the Gisborne flats and other areas built up with river silts, is eminently suitable for this purpose. The small areas of dairy and other small holdings do not justify the introduction of mechanical methods of haymaking, but on other farms the provision of equipment which can reduce to a minimum the labour required to handle succesqivp rrnn’q iq wpII worth whilp Thpqp methods? coupled with adequate storage capacity, enable farmers on such S?7auled P b°; i t e ea't O her eVe A y iso V Tood hlceme hav caS always be dKno’sed ol at Sfactor# n?S and in PoJertv Bav a surnlus of this excellent fodder would generally be welcome. On many soils in this district lucerne yields very well, and the life of the stand is generally long enough to justify the work and cost involved in establishing an arpa Central and Northern Hawkes Bay Central and Northern Hawkes Bay The area in lucerne in central and northern Hawkes Bay ranged from 4000 to 5000 acres during the period 1927 to 1945, since when it has dedined to about 3500 acres. This decline is difficult to account for, as severe droughts are frequent. On more

than one occasion recently considerable quantities of hay have had to be brought into the district, and frequently large numbers of stock have had to be sold at sacrifice prices, In Hawkes Bay, Waipawa, and Waipukurau Counties there are upward of 100,000 acres well suited to the growing of lucerne. The falling-off of dairying and the decline in dairy cow numbers account for most of the reduction in lucerne acreage, as the dairy farmer with his small patch of lucerne to provide both hay and greenfeed accounted for most of the area. The fat-lamb farmer and the sheep and cattle raiser have not developed lucerne growing as such farmers have done in other countries, such as U.S.A, and Argentina, with similar climates. The objection of the smallholder that the harvesting of lucerne hay takes too much time and labour each season does not apply on the larger holdings, where, because of the favourable climate for harvesting, this work can be mechanised. . provide for the occasional but still too frequent very dry season and subii?+^ er / or Vh 6 V u ne s S ood storage facilities for the baled °o fp ™duce from a good area of lucerne is worth while and has be^ n W ®AA demonstrated by those sheep Ju Uves ‘°<* throUßh the most severe droughts. Lucerne hay always brings a good P rice in Hawkes Bay, and for any sur P lus not required locally there a g °° d p ket f districts, because the favourable cli ™ te res ? ts in comparatively highido2? UCe ‘ ? jUCerx ? € j a ?P e ?5« rt to to provide a the blgge landowner to provide a reserve of fodder for all kinds of stock as an insurance against drought and to carry h is stock through instead of haying to dispose of them on an unsatisfactory market. c , L ljid , southern Hawkes Bay In southern Hawkes Bay for the past 20 years the area of lucerne has fluetuated between 250 and 500 acres, with

no decided trends being shown. The climate generally is not suited to lucerne growing and the acreage has never been large. No lucerne at all is grown in Akitio and Weber Counties, which are mainly hilly country, and in Pahiatua County. In these areas pastures, including special red clover areas, and root and green fodder crops are relied on for all stock requirements. In parts of Woodville County and in Dannevirke County the area in lucerne, though still small, recently has shown a decided increase. In both these counties there are soils where lucerne does particularly well, and in Dannevirke County considerable areas of such land could be devoted to this crop. Occasional very dry seasons in these districts have encouraged farmers to establish lucerne stands and these have been found invaluable in providing additional reserves of hay and for use as greenfeed when pastures have dried out completely. The success of an increasing number of good stands around Dannevirke, where weed and grass invasion is relatively slower than in many other districts, is likely to encourage more farmers to establish an area of lucerne.

Wairarapa The area in lucerne in the Wairarapa increased rapidly from about 400 acres in 1930 to almost 1200 acres in 1937. Since then it has steadily declined and now is down to about 600 acres. Except for Eketahuna County, where the rainfall is too high and too well distributed for lucerne, the climate in the Wairarapa is very suitable for this crop, and the frequent very dry summers, with bare pastures, should encourage its wider use. Such counties as Masterton, Wairarapa South, and Featherston need good reserves of hay to carry stock through in seasons of drought and in very cold winters; also these counties have considerable areas of light, shingly soils and river-silt soils where lucerne does well, while, with drainage, much of the rolling clay subsoil country also grows good crops. The growth of grass and weeds in lucerne stands is not as bad here as in Taranaki.

Despite these favourable conditions, and the need for summer-grown feed and extra winter-feed reserves, lucerne has not made the progress in the Wairarapa that the value of the crop would appear to warrant. The only reason that can be given for the decline in lucerne is that a good deal of labour is needed to handle the successive hay crops, so that other methods of providing feed for stock are preferred. Red clover does particularly well in the Wairarapa, and the area in this crop cut for hay and seed has shown a marked increase in recent years, particularly in Masterton County. Cowgrass and Montgomery red clover provide good greenfeed during late summer after giving a good hay or seed crop. Here the improvement in pastures in recent years and the extended use of subterranean clover have also provided additional grazing, with an increased acreage cut for hay.

Though climate and soils in the Wairarapa are suitable for a considerable crop of lucerne, an endeavour has been made to provide more easily handled crops for periods of feed shortage.

District 1928-32 Average of 5-year period 1943-47 1933-37 1938-42 North Auckland 275 365 275 205 Bay of Plenty and Central Plateau .. .. 815 1,565 2,025 1,970 Waikato .. .. .. . . 2,205 3,175 3,110 1,800 King Country .. . . . . .. .. 15 85 95 90 Taranaki .. .. .. .. 3,125 2,710 1,100 ' 475 Wellington west coast .. .. .. ’ .. 2,655 3,375 2,845 1,715 Poverty Bay (excluding Opotiki County) .. . . 1,090 1,365 900 710 Northern and central Hawkes Bay .. ., . . 4,180 4,860 4,720 3,900 Southern Hawkes Bay .; .. .. ,. 305 435 425 395 Walrarapa . . ., 470 1,040 945 660

LUCERNE ACREAGES CUT FOR HAY AND SILAGE