LAND UTILISATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 162, 8 June 1940, Page 12

LAND UTILISATION.

CARRYING CAPACITY. HOW TO OBTAIN INCREASE. A policy of ploughing up and resowing land and rebuilding fertility was advocated, on Thursday, by Mr E. Bruce Levy, Director of the Grasslands Division of the, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in addressing the sheeplarmers 1 conference at Massey College on pasture management in relation to increased carrying capacity. It, was his firm belief, ho said, that New Zealand should emburk on this policy us a war-time measure, if not for .the sake of efficiency, then for land utilisation and production itself. The maintenance of the fertility standard up to the ryegrass-white clover dominant sward over very large Pacts of country was manifestly impossible, die said, but some millions of . acres more could be established

The use of certified seeds, or better still, of pedigree seeds, was imperative in such a plough-up and sown-down programme, and in order that ample supplies of those seeds should be available at a reasonable price more certified and pedigree seeds must be produced. Seed production at present was essentially part of any programme that envisaged increased carrying capacity as its objective. After analysying different systems of grazing and the nutritive value and other characteristics of various grasses, Mr Levy said that however the indiiagenieht of pastures was viewed the full utilisation concept must ulways bo to the fore. Viewed in terms of monetary returns, the more fond that was consumod and utilised by milk and young flesh-producing animals, tho higher Would be the returns an acre. Carrying capacity must therefore bo viewed in terms of the class of . animal used to convert herbage into animal products. Uo considered that there was no question that tho dairy cow would outyield any other form of live-stock from the point of view of monetary returns an acre from grassland. Fat lamb production came next; beef and fattening cattle next, -with store (kittle and store sheep. Rotational grazing, with its frequent shifts and relatively small paddocks, enabled the dairyman and fat lamb raiser to convert the whole year’s growth into animal products. " In sheep research work recently inaugurated at Massey College, an effort was being made to study lush, high-pro-ducing , pastures in relation to animal thrift, and moans had been adopted to eliminate as far as possible factors such as footrot, worms,' and other parasites. A comparatively light sheep stocking under a system of rotational grazing with calt'o had been adopted in order that the one factor of lush pasture might the more closely be studied. “We in New Zealand arc over-apt to view topdressing with phosphate as the beginning and end of fertility-getting,” said Mr Levy. Phosphates and lime were the starting point, but by far tl.i most potent factor was the animal and its residues, and he thought control of the animal and where it placed its residues was not given tho consideration. warranted. Great care was taken to distribute uniformly pliosphalic manures, and similar care to distribute stock residues evenly over the farm would have equally beneficial effects. Efficient control of stock was imperative, and that in practice could only he secured by a high concentration of stock in periodic movements over the farm.

That was a further plea for more sys-s tematic rotational grazing. It did not necessarily mean small paddocks and lots of fences, but it did mean-big flocks or big mobs rather than small. The practice was On the. increase on much hill country to-day, and it had his hearty support. The folly of burning off vegetation instead of converting it into animal residue, therefore, need hardly be stressed.