LUCERNE CULTURE.

Shannon News, 26 July 1921, Page 3

LUCERNE CULTURE.

A SCIENTIFIC AND INFORMATIVE ADDRESS. Under the auspices of the local branch of the Farmers’ Union, Mr . F. W. Greenwood, agricultural instructor to the Department of Agriculture, delivered a highly informative address in Levin on the growing of lucerne. The address was keenly followed by those present, and was excellently illustrated by a number of lantern slides. ORIGIN OF LUCERNE. Referring to the . origin of lucerne,. Mr Greenwood said: Lucerne has been known from the earliest date. It is supposed to have been grown first of all^on,, the central and southern, plateaux of Asia. In 450 8.C., at the time of the invasion of Greece by Xerxes, we find mention of it. Lucerne was extensively used as a fodder for the horses of the Imperial Roman army. From Italy the plant travelled to Spain, thence to the Spanish South American colonies. After this it became widely known, and soon found its way to all parts of Europe and America. Later we find it introduced into Australasia. So far as New Zealand itself is concerned, .lucerne was first, grown successfully between 40 and 50 years ago in Marlborough. Lucerne belongs to the botanical order Leguminosae, an oi’der which includes also peas, beans, lupins, gorse, broom, clover, etc. Its leaf consists of three leaflets. The flower of most varieties of lucerne is purple, but there are exceptions such as Chermo Lucerne, which is yellow. The seed pod, unlike that of peas and beans, is curled. In common with all other legumes, lucerne has on its roots nodules containing bacteria, which collect nitrogen from the air. In one important. characteristic, however, Jucerne differs from other legumes —it has roots which reach down to a much greater depth. While the roots of red clover commonly reach to a depth of five or six feet, it is quite common for those of lucerne to reach a length of 30 or 40 feet, while it is claimed in the land of prodigies, America, that lucerne- roots have been found 129 feet long. We may say in this respect that the resemblance is closer to a tree than to another clover plant. The long branching roots of lucerne, perform an important work as sub-soilers. Once the plant gains sufficient impetus, it is possible for. it to penetrate an ironstone pan, or even concrete. However, I do not advise deliberately trying to make the plant do this, as bringing it to a stage where it is capable of doing this may involve great lack of economy. Mr Greenwood quoted Coburn, the American authority, as follows: “Its long, branching roots penetrate far down, push and crowd the earth this Way and that, and thus constitute a gigantic sub-soiler. These become an immense magazine of fertility. As soon as cut, they begin to decay and liberate the vast -reservoir of fertilising matter-below the plough, to be drawn upon by other crops for years to come.” There are some silent, sub-soilers that do their work with ease, and in their way more effectually than any team or plough ever hitched. The clover plant is rightly famed as one of these, but alfalfa is its superior. Its roots work Sunday as well as ‘ Saturday, night, and day; they strike 5, *lO, 15 cr 20 feet deep, making innumerable perforations, while storing up nitrogen, and when these roots decay they leave riot only a generous supply of fertiuity for any desired crop, but millions of openings into which the air and rain of heaven find their way, and help to constitute an unfailing reservoir of wealth upon which the hus-

bandman can, draw; with little fear ot protest or overdrafts.” INOCULATION. * The most important fact about the roots is that they have situated on them nodules which contain nitrogenfixing bacteria. These bacteria, which scientists now agree are organisms belonging to the plant kingdom, live in what may be termed “symbolic relationship with the host plant.” The bacteria in the nodules have the power of collecting nitrogen, which, when rendered soluble, is used as food by the plant. The bacteria; however, in their turn, live upon the protoplasmic cell substance of the plants, and so this system of mutual help is continuously carried on. Soil containing these

bacteria, and the nitrates formed by them, is said to be “inoculated.” It is often advisable to give an impetus to the growth of the crop by applying inoculated soil at the rate of two to three cwt. per acre. To take inoculated soil, mow a portion of a good lucerne stand, then dig a trench about 9 inches deep, take soil from it and put it into bags. This should be done in dull as strong sunlight injures bacterial life. For similar reasons inoculated soil ■should be spread over the soil on a dull day, then harrowed in. Inoculation cannot take place successfully without lime. Various acids exist in the soil, such as humic, citric and nitric, and it is impossible for bacteria to work successfully in the presencq of these acids: Furthermore, ,the free nitric nom which is formed through the agency of the lucerne bacteria, caniiot be absorbed as plant food. The acid must first be neutralised by some such substance as lime. As nitrate of lime, the nitrogen becomes readily available to the plant. It is often asked whether the bacteria present in the nodules on lucerne roots are the same as those present on the roots of other legumes. Investigation seems to show that, with the exception of King Island mellilot, Mellilotia parviflora—a clover-like plant, recognised by the, peculiar red marks on the leaves, and several other plants—this is not the case. SOILS. ’ The most burning question with the farmer contemplating, the sowing of lucerne should be, “Is my soil suitable?” Lucerne will not, as is often erroneously supposed, grow ' where. The soils most suitable to lucerne culture are: (1) A good river silt; (2) a sandy soil, once it is given sufficient by green manuring, etc; (3) a limestone soil.-All my practical investigations have tended to show me that one of the niost important' features of a soil having reference to its suitability for lucerne is the subsoil. The tap root should be able to strike through the soil easily; this is even truer of the longer fibrous roots. Stiff clay subsoils and iron-, stone pans, while they do not abso lutely preclude the establishment of lucerne, often make it so difficult ;as to render the growing of the crop a very poor commercial proposition. The question for the farmer should not be so much “Can I .grow lucerne on my farm?” but “Can I jfrow it profitably?” An impenetrable subsoil often has the additional disadvantage of allowing stagnant water to accumulate, thus causing'acid soil conditions and coldness of the roots. Lucerne must have> water, but that water must be running water. It is generally found that the level of’the water-table should not be less than six feet below the surface, and in most cases not more’ than twenty feet. CULTIVATION. Having ascertained that he is the fortunate possessor of a suitable soil* the farmer must next, decide just what cultivation will best prepare the seedbed, and when the seed may most advantageously be sown. As the young plant. is" apt to suffer seriously from frost, drilling must be done either well on in the spring or early in the autumn. The land should be well ploughed, then cross .ploughed, or disced, provided the paddock is not overrun with twitch. Twitch is often spread by discing. The spring-toothed cultivator should be used either after in lieu of the discs, or immediately preceding or succeeding them. The surface for sowing may be rolled, and tha drilling followed by a light harrowing. » LIMING. Before drilling is commenced, however, liming is necessary. We can know exactly how much lime any particular soil requires only by finding its lime requirement. However, in most cases, I may say that the farmer will be safe to commence‘by applying l to 2 tons carbonate of lime per acre, cr quicklime at half that rate. Crushed • lime in the carbonate form may be applied some months before the crop is sown. It acts slowly, being but slightly soluble in water, though more soluble in the soil water on account cf its acidity. On account of the acid nature of superphosphate, if super and lime are used together, Ihe super becomes less soluble, while the carbonate of lime is made somewhat more readily available through the formation of calcium phosphate. Quicklime, (r burnit lime, much quicker in its action than the carbonate form, may be applied beneficially a few Veeks or even’ a very short time before drilling. SlvfD AND SOWING. Lucerne seed is normally of a bright yellow colour, and varies from kidney to oval in shape. Reddish black or dark brown seeds should be avoided These discolorations may be due to heating or burning in the slack. .So far as ihe tynount of seed per aero is v concerned, from 12 to 151 b-has proved, in my experience, a suitable seed-

ing for either a broadcast or 21-inch drill crop. . The seed may be sown:— (a) The broadcast method should be employed where the farmer has good lucerne soil and where it is considered that with such cultivation as can ‘ be applied after cutting, by means of the tine harrows or the Berger rotary disc cultivator, • after each cut, the weeds will not beat the crop. (b) The 14in drill method is suitable more for inter-cultivation with implements worked by hand. (c) The 21in and 14in drill systems are employed where the ground is unsuitable for lucerne, but where'the farmer still wishes to grow it.

' On river silts and sandy soils it is ’ often also necessary to employ this ! system on account of the prolific weed growth, which woujd 'otherwise smother the crop. On the. banks of the Mangaroa stream the ?in drill crop ‘ was smothered in this way,- while iri the Ashburton River basin the crop has often been more successful in 21in drills than when sown broadcast. In order to ensure the successful establishment of the crop, it may be necessary to topdress with phosphatic fertiliser, e.g., "super (following lime), basic slag, Nauru Island ground roek phosphate, etc. This fertiliser is probably best applied Trom the manure box simultaneously with the drilling of the seed. 'Frequent cultivations after cutting are necessaiy to keep the crop clean, and to allow it to beat all competing weeds. CUTTING AND FEEDING OFF. In New Zealand it is best to cut when the young shoots begin to tiller or to come away from' the base of the stem. By so doing the new growth should be assured. Frequently one is advised to cut when one tenth is in bloom. Both methods have their merits. If we follow the former, we provide for the future growth of the crop, while if we adopt the latter mode of procedure we secure the maximum of fodder from our crop. As I view the permanency of the crop as one of its chief recommendations, and as it is evident that a policy of foresight will ultimately secure the greatest financial’return, I do not Ifesitate in recommending cutting when the young shoots begin to come away. Upon the subject of feeding off lueprne we find violent controversy': Some affirm that it is a policy fraught with ruin for the crop, whilst others, of the opposing school, say that it can be fed off as easily as can a good grass paddock. Personally, I do not espouse either of these opinions. How, may we ask, do people' come by such diverse views? Feeding oft stands which are struggling to become established has -proved injurious, whilst the same may be said of many good stands. If lucerne is to be fed off;, cattle or'sheep must not be allowed to graze it too heavily—abottt one hour per day in the autumn seems to give satisfactory results. In such places as the Blenheim district, it seems possible 'to feed -it off far more heavily with little , damage to the crop., We have to remember, however, that in this instance the plant is growing under exceptionally favourable conditions, viz., a good river silt soil with which is mixed limestone washed from the surrounding hills. In most cases cutting and feeding green, or making hay are the ways in which the crop is utilised. Care must be taken not to give a cow too much green lucerne at a time, or too feed too soon after cutting, otherwise blowing may result. The .cut made fn spring is too early for hay, consequently some utilise it for ensilage. Ensilage is made by building a stack about Bft high, say in a niche cut out of the side of a hill. This is allowed to settle down, then the process is repeated until all the lucerne is used. A pipe is theh put down the centre of the stack, and into it a thermometer is inserted. The stack is allowed to heat until the temperature reaches 130 or 140 deg. Fahr, i.e., decay is allowed to take' place just to this stage. Sometimes proper silos, either of concrete or iron, are built. These are provided with doors at different heights. Ensilage making, however, is little needed and little practised in New Zealand. When hay is to be made, care must be taken not to allow the mown portion to get wet „on the ground, otherwise most of the nutrient matter will he washed out and the hay rendered of little value. It should be put into cocks or heaps after cutting, so that in the event of rain, it may run off. . In America canvas is sometimes placed over these heaps. USE OF LUCERNE AS FODDER. A well-balaTiced food is one which combines about one part of proteid or nitrogenous matter to six parts starches, sugars and fats. Red clover hay, which contains proteids 1 to 5.8 carbohydrates and fa Is, and green oats, containing 1 of. prole id. 1 * to £.2 of carbohydrates and fais, may be said to be well balanced rations. Lucerne hay is 1 to 3.7. We see from this that- it is a concentrated food, containing a high proportion of proteid or 1 issue building, rather- than lieat producing materials. It should, therefore, he fed

with green, watery Joods, such as maize, grass, turnips’, mangolds, etc. The following tables will show something of its .value:— EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP. Proportion of each constituent digested for 100; supplied:— *• i ’

APPROXIMATE YIELD PER ACRE.

Points represent the decimals of a pound, and the bars ure an exact representation of the superiority of one kind of food over another i'oMhe production of milk. USES AND CONCLUSION.

Coburn, the famous American authority on lucerne, says, alfalfa plant furnishes the protein to construct and repair the brains of statesmen. It builds up the muscles and bones of the war-liorse, arid gives his' rider sinews of iron. -Alfalfa' makes the hens cackle and the turkeys gobble. It induces the pigs to squeal and grunt with satisfaction. It causes the contented cow to give pailsful of creamy milk, and the Shorthorn and white-faced steers to bawl for the feed rack. Alfalfa softens the disposition of the colt and hardens his bones and muscles. It fattens, lambs as no other feed, and promotes a wool clip that is a veritable golden fleece. It compels skim milk calves to make gains of 21b per day. It helps the farmer to produce pork at a cent and a-half a pound and beef at 2 cents. Alfalfa drills for water, working 365 days in the year without any recompense from man. The labour it performs in pene : trating the subsoil is enormous. No other agricultural plant leaves the soil in sdch good physical condition as alfalfa.” QUESTIONS. Replying ip questions, Mr Greenwood stated that lucerne could be sown either in the spring or autumn. If the sowing was made in spring it should be about the middle or end of November, but if in the autumn no later than the end of February. Different districts, of course, ’ " , ' 1 their peculiarities, and these should m a measure be a factor in deciding a farmer in making a spring or autumn sowing. Personally, he was inclined to spring sowing, because it would have the benefit of the warm weather and warm rains that were to follow. As regards liming land prior to sowing lucerne, if carbonate were used, It must be put out some months before the crop was put in, as it was slow of action. ' Quicklime, on the other hand, need only be distributed a short time before the sowing was made. One ton per acre of' carbonate was used in a lucerne crop at Paraparaumu with good results. Replying to a query as to which was the best variety of seed, Mr Greenwood stated that there was no seed like acclimatised seed. For instance, lucerne had become thoroughly acclimatised in Marlborough, where it was grown with great success. People spoke of Marlborough seed on account of the success of the plant in that district, but they might also speak in the way of Levin seed.

- O a m d o o h . - i * j ' Total Org Matter. 1 s li O f4—. rZ X u* Soluble Carbohydi i Pasture grass... 75 73 65 76 80 Meadow hay ... 64 65 54 65 63 (very good) 62 Meadow hay ... 59 57 51 56 (ordinary) 49 Red clover hay 56 56 58 61 Lucerne hay .., 59 71 41 66 *5' (very good) 71 80 83 76 ?.o Beans 90 87 84 91 79 Maize 89. 79 85 91 62:

’ Tons. Points. Com clover 6 to 8 - 17 Drilled corn fodder 10 to 14 2p Timothy hay ........ O. 28 Prairie hay 2 30 Millet hay ............... 3 32 Oat hay 3 to 4 43 Red top 2 48 died clover 0 68 Alsike 3 ' 84 Alfalfa. (Lucerne)'... 6 to 8 110