SCIENCE ASSISTS THE FARMER TO GROW LUCERNE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 8, 6 July 1949, Page 7

SCIENCE ASSISTS THE FARMER TO GROW LUCERNE

Lucerne is a forage and grazing crop rapidly increasing in popularity in New Zealand and beginning to be grown by farmers throughout the Bay of Plenty. Reliable during dry periods, its cost of production comparatively low, lucerne has the' capacity of increasing the nitrogenous content of soils.

Many farmers today are growing lucerne in areas where formerly the plant, owing to the lack of the' appropriate specific bacteria in the soil, could not thrive. Scientists have helped the farmer to increase his production by bacterial treatment of the lucerne seeds. Living cultures are used to innoculate the seed, and these give to the plant and soil the nitrogen necessary for successful crops.

Dr W. D. Reid, of the Plant Diseases Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, dis-j covered that the' use of soluble fertilisers at the time of seeding killed the bacteria and retarded the establishment of lucerne. Lucerne is dependent'on the presence of these nodule bacteria for supplies of nitrogen, but the organism Rhizobium melilote is not naturally present in New Zealand soils, and they have to be added at the time of seeding.

Expensive. direct treatment of soil is not necessary; the bacteria can be introduced by treating the seed before sowing.

Bottles of culture are supplied by the Plant Diseases Division, and farmers are able to inoculate the seeds themselves. The process is simple and cheap, but precautions against delay before treatment and sowing have to be taken, and certain fertilisers have to be avoided.

This is one of the many ways the scientist helps the farmer in sustaining and increasing the meat, milk, and wool production of New Zealand.