Dept. Finds That Air Top-Dressing Is Successful

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 5, 9 October 1950, Page 8

Dept. Finds That Air Top-Dressing Is Successful

There was no reason for suspecting that distribution over hill country would differ markedly from coverage of flat land if aeroplanes were used for topdressing. _ Mr P. Lynch, crop experimental ist of the extension division of the Department of Agriculture. sai:l this in an address to students at Massey Agricultural College. Mr Lynch disclosed for the first time results of departmental research dating from 1945. Effective dissemination on high country was dependent on the frowth of pasture or verdure covering the slopes he said. Though blower topdressers were cheaper to operate 'on a cost-an-acre basis than aeroplanes, their dissemination was less efficient. Their effective length of spread was very restricted. Maximum spread with materials experimented with to date was six chains. Certain fertilisers, such as superphosphate and serpentine superphosphate,- were quite unsuitable for blowers, which required finelyground material. The aerial method was regarded as highly successful. Light planes could fly contours with perfect success and could be used over varying types of country. On hill country the aerial method .appeared to be the most effective.