South Island Pasture Seed Mixtures

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 94, Issue 2, 15 February 1957, Page 152

South Island Pasture Seed Mixtures

By

A. G. ELLIOTT,

Fields Superintendent, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin THE remarkable variations in topographi- ■ cal, soil, and climatic conditions on arable and unploughable land sown in pasture preclude recommendations of a general nature for pasture seed mixtures in the South Island. Appreciation of the value of quality seed, which when sown under satisfactory conditions and maintained by efficient management practices gives maximum pasture production, is shown by the fact that seed sown is mainly of Certified strain. T’HE soil and climatic conditions of -*■ certain areas of Marlborough, Canterbury, and Otago which enable grass

and clover seed to be harvested satisfactorily have been factors responsible for the sowing in these regions of simple mixtures. These consist of 251 b. to 301 b. of perennial ryegrass with 31b. of white clover per acre, or for shorter-term pastures 251 b. to 301 b. of short-rotation ryegrass with 41b. to 51b. of Montgomery red clover per acre. Seed is usually drilled in 7in. rows or sown with broadcast coulters and the resulting pasture, established with lime and phosphate as required, provides satisfactory production. A ryegrass seed crop and some clover seed are harvested in the first and possibly the second season when

the area is closed to stock at a time of maximum pasture growth. Clover seed crops are harvested in subsequent years. These simple mixtures supply seed for further sowings and a surplus for sale and also provide satisfactory grazing or hay for supplementary feed.

The sowing of seed mixtures of this type has undoubtedly proved to be a highly successful practice in these especially favoured districts and the income from seed production has enabled increased development of new and deteriorated lands requiring lime, phosphate, subdivision, housing, and buildings.

Mixtures in Higher-rainfall Districts

In the higher-rainfall districts seed, mixtures for pastures intended mainly for grazing, hay, or silage contain. 151 b. to 201 b. of perennial ryegrass, 101 b. of short-rotation ryegrass, 51b. of cocksfoot, 31b. of white clover, and 21b. of Montgomery red clover per acre. The addition of crested dogstail (31b.) and. timothy (lib. to 21b.) depends on soil and rainfall conditions, but is common, practice in certain districts. Comprehensive seed mixtures of this typeresult in useful, long-term pastures, which under efficient management provide adequate feed for most of the growing season and hay or silage from, surplus grazing areas.

Mixtures for Lower-fertility Areas

On the lower-fertility areas in parts', of Marlborough and Canterbury the initial pasture seed mixture consists of 51b. to 81b. of cocksfoot, 31b. to 51b. of red clover, and lib. to 21b. of . white clover per acre. Under conditions favouring subterranean clover up to 31b. per acre can replace red clover in the mixture. Increased interest is being shown in special-purpose grazing and hay pastures, particularly in the lighter-rainfall districts, where thesowing of 81b. to 121 b. of lucerne with 21b. to 41b. of cocksfoot per acre, either in alternate drills or as a mixture, isgiving satisfactory results.

With the necessity to reduce costs in production more attention is being given to sowing pastures other than by drilling in 7in. rows and here the use of specially designed coulters and the roller-seeder is reducing sowing ratesand costs per acre as well as giving improved establishment.

Destruction of Rooks

"pOR many years rooks have been A very troublesome on cereal crops in the Christchurch area. Repeated attempts to eradicate them failed, but the outstanding success of a recent poisoning trial with sodium monofluoroacetate or 1080 is shown clearly by the illustration above. The hundreds of dead rooks were collected after bread sprayed with 1080 had been spread on a private road at the Paparua prison farm. Preliminary experiments with 1080 and the poisoning trial were conducted by A. Forrester, Assistant to the Livestock Superintendent, and J. Gibson,

Livestock Instructor, both of the Department of Agriculture, Christchurch. It . would appear from this experiment, in which the two rookeries at Paparua were virtually wiped out, that destruction of the pest is now possible. There are 20 rookeries, with an estimated total population of 14,000 birds, in Canterbury and 18 in the Hastings area. The poison 1080 was introduced into New Zealand for eradication of rabbits. Because it is deadly poison and there is no antidote for it, use of this poison is closely controlled. It cannot be sold to members of the public.