A NEW MIXTURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1941, Page 7

A NEW MIXTURE

TOP DRESSING AND CROPS

SERPENTINE-SUPERPHOSPHATE. RECOMMENDATIONS TO FARMERS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. At the last meeting of the National Council of Primary Production a report on the supplies of serpentinesuperphosphate was submitted by the Supervisor of Fertiliser Supplies and fully discussed. It was disclosed that manufacturers in the North Island were able to supply large orders of serpentine-superphosphate and the Council decided to make an immediate appeal to farmers urging them where possible to take advantage of the fact that ' serpentine-superphosphate was now available by changing their superphosphate orders. It was realised as. a result of the rationing of phosphatic fertilisers the majority of orders for fertiliser had already been placed, but it was felt that individual farmers in their own interest had much to gain by changing to-serpentine-superphosphate. The Council also fully endorsed the recommendations of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture and felt that wide publicity should be given to the results obtained from this fertiliser.

The results so far indicate that the new mixture had definite advantages over superphosphate and superphosphate plus lime in a number of districts as a pasture topdressing and also on most of the common farm crops. Since 1939 over 200 field trials have been carried out on pastures and crops on the major soil types and under varying climatic conditions in the Dominion and from the results it was possible to make the following recommendations to farmers: 1. That in the higher rainfall districts* and on soil types where water soluble phosphate tends to become unavailable to plants (through fixation) the new mixture might replace superphosphate as a pasture topdressing without lowering production. 2. On most of the common farm crops throughout the Dominion, serpentinesuperphosphate will give yields equal to those obtained from superphosphate or superphosphate plus lime. Trials have been carried out with potatoes, wheat, barley, oats, turnips, swedes, rape and chou moellier over a widely varying range of conditions.

3. The new mixture may profitably be used in all cases where seeds arc liable to germination injury and where a true reverted phosphate is not available. These crops include all members "of the brassica family such as turnips, rape, swedes and chou moellier. 4. Serpentine-superphosphate may be safely stored for some time without damaging bags or becoming caked and difficult to apply through either a drill or broadcasting machine.

The point was also emphasised at the Council meeting that serpentinesuperphosphate raises the farmer's quota from 40 per cent to 54 per cent of the- amount used on, the average by him over the past two seasons. That is to say, 1 ton 7 cwt of serpentine-super-phosphate may be obtained for every ton to which a farmer is entitled under the rationing scheme.