SULPHATE OF AMMONIA

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1931, Page 5

SULPHATE OF AMMONIA

PROPER USE NECESSARY

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

The resultant effect of applying a nitrogenous manure as sulphate of ammonia to a pasture gives an excellent indication aa to the condition ot that pasture. It gives a good indication ns to the amount of ryegrass In a pasture and in some measure denotes the type of ryegraswe.g., Httwkcs Bay, gives better response to nitrogen than a les s persistent type—e.g., Canterbury. A good, well maintained, growth from the use of nitrogen indicates that other factors in fertility such as presence of lime, phosphates, >and potash are evident. It also shows that the management of the pasture lias been fairly sound. Where a farmer applies nitrogen and gets a poor response, he should consider; 1. Whether he lias put it on at the -right time of the year. 2. Whether the quantity applied has been sufficient.

3. Whether the pasture is of the right type-.

4. "Whether there is sufficient lime, phosphates, and potash in-the soil.

Nitrogen must give response on pastures if conditions are right. It would seem that the degree of success obtained by a grassland farmer in the use of a nitrogenous fertiliser on his pasture is a good measure of his success. It should be the aim of every grassland fanner so to treat and manage his pastures that he gets a profitable response from the application of nitrogen.

There is a feeling among many farmers which is easily understood, that this season, owing to low prices of products, they cannot afford to topdress. On second thoughts, farmers will probably realise that they “can’t afford not to topdress,” for, if .they are.to weather the present economio storm with the least effect to themselves, it will he by making high production compensate for lower prices. So far as the price of fertiliser is concerned, it is cheaper to-day than prewar. sulphate of ammonia being only a little more than what it was in 1914, while super is also substantially reduced.

An investigation by the eoouomie section of-the Department of Agriculture showed that it was on farms where the heaviest top dressing was practised that the cost of butter-fat was. lowest. It should be remembered that there has been an increase in the number of bead of cattle carried on farms and an improvement in the quality of the stock over the last few years, so that this, together with the fact that there is less area devoted to supplementary crops, means that farmers will have to rely on grass to give tfiem the extra feed. Again, farmers have alrendv made arrangements, for the period of calving their cows and it would surelv be very poor economy to starve stock in the eailj spring and so affect their whole season’s production. This .nl«o applies to the lambing of ewes. This year, owing to the severe winter, spring grass .may be late in coming, so nitrogenous manuring at the present juncture should lie considered bv all win are likely to be short of spring feed.