Pasture Production

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 98, Issue 3, 16 March 1959, Page 237

Pasture Production

Seasonal Notes by the Extension Division

CLEARING DRAIN OUTLETS

A LARGE amount is spent every year on mole and tile drainage of farm land. The value received from this expenditure can be greatly reduced if the free movement of surplus water is restricted by lack of attention to outlets.

MUCH of the success of underdrainage depends on the drain outlets remaining clear. If an outlet

becomes permanently blocked, breakdown of the drainage takes place. For this reason it is good practice to place tiles at the end of mole drains and set the outlets of tile drains in concrete to protect them and reduce the ease with which they can be blocked. All outlets should be inspected every autumn and cleared of mud, weed growth, and other obstructions. It is also a wise practice to inspect these outlets at frequent intervals throughout winter to see that they remain cleared. Such inspections also afford an opportunity to observe the flow of water coming from the drains and note any irregularity in them which might be caused by a blockage or partial breakdown of the drain. - The trouble may then be rectified before the drained area suffers. - i Trees and such weeds as redshank {Polygonum persicaria), commonly called willow weed, will send their roots into tile drains and block them, and this is another reason for keeping a close watch on the outlets. Trees close to subsurface drains are better removed. —K. L. MAYO, Palmerston North * * *

SAVING THE AUTUMN FLUSH OF GRASS

THE importance of having ample saved grass for feeding to dairy cows in winter and spring until growth comes away properly has been demon-

strated by research workers and proved by farmers in all dairying districts. A third of the farm shut in April-May used to be considered sufficient to carry the herd through from calving, but now it is recommended that two-thirds be shut and that the feeding of this grass should begin 2 to 3 weeks before calving,. To be able to shut up two-thirds of the farm by mid May, about a third should be shut in early April and a half by the end of April. This requires careful planning. In late February-early March three or four paddocks should be missed from the rotation so that by the end of March they will have extra grass that can be break fed to the herd, giving say 10 to 15 days’ feed. This gives the opportunity of shutting up several paddocks which will not be grazed until mid June.

With a greater area being . closed in autumn the area available for grazing during the last 4 to 6 weeks of the present season is of course reduced considerably. However, the experience of those farmers practising this system is that the production of the herd does not drop unduly, even though the rotation of paddocks being grazed is reduced to about a week. The grass can be supplemented by some good-quality silage as required.

This system of management is much simplified if an autumn crop is grown. Some farmers are adopting the practice of growing an extra autumn crop, either white

fleshed turnips or chou moellier, and if this is available in early April, extra grass can be saved while the crop is being fed.

The essential factor in the success of saving the maximum area of autumn grass is to be able to shut the paddocks while they are growing vigorously. The winter and early spring grasses such as short-rotation ryegrass and prairie grass begin their new season’s growth in early April as a rule, and if the paddocks are spelled, these grasses produce to the maximum, whereas if close grazing continues until well into May, much of the potential winter production .of the grasses is lost. Research workers at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Grasslands Division, Palmerston North, have shown that by shutting up paddocks of short-rotation ryegrass early in April and grazing in mid June and again in early August almost double the production is obtained compared with closing in early May and letting the pasture grow right through until early August. —A. C. BURGESS, Palmerston North * * * NITROGENOUS fertilisers should be

NITROGEN FOR WINTER GRASS

applied to pastures in good heart and which contain plenty of perennial

ryegrass, short-rotation ryegrass, or other winter growing grasses. Drainage should be good; otherwise feed may be grown which cannot be grazed without being spoilt by poaching. Pastures to be treated should be well supplied with lime, phosphate, and potash. If extra growth is required for feeding in June and July, the nitrogen should be applied early enough to allow several weeks of growth before winter. For best results applications should be made in the mild, showery weather usual in April. The normal cold and wet conditions in June tend to prevent a response to nitrogen, and July is the best time to apply it to provide extra feed in August. One hundredweight of sulphate of ammonia or its equivalent in other forms of quick-acting nitrogenous fertilisers is the usual dressing. - —J. A. GRAHAM, Palmerston North * * *

DESICCANTS FOR RED CLOVER SEED CROPS

CROP desiccants can be used successfully for drying out the leaf and stem of red clover seed crops before harvest. The necessity for using

desiccants is more apparent in Montgomery red clover, which is late maturing and presents difficulties at harvest time owing to the presence of a considerable bulk of green leaf and stem. This problem is not so evident in cowgrass (broad red clover), which is earlier in reaching maturity, and consequently dries out sufficiently for normal harvesting in most seasons. Within 3 to 4 days of applying these chemicals a seed crop of Montgomrey red clover is sufficiently desiccated to enable it to be harvested by direct heading. In this way the harvest can be brought forward by 8 to 10 weeks.

A number of commercial preparations are available, though experiments have shown that the most efficient desiccant for Montgomery red clover is a trade preparation containing dinoseb (DNBP) and dinosam (DNAP) as the active ingredients. The minimum rate of application per acre is 1 pint (.75 lb. of phenol equivalent), in 11 gallons of diesel fuel. A spray unit used with hollow cone nozzles at 35 to 40 lb. pressure and at a speed of approximately 4. m.p.h. should give the required coverage. This material is classed as a poison and operators must use protective clothing when using this chemical.

— W. V. HADFIELD,

Timaru