FORMULATION OF A RATlONAL FERTILISER PROGRAMME IN TUSSOCK COUNTRY

Abstract

New Zealand agriculture is primarily dependent on the growth of high-producing pastures which rely on legumes for their nitrogen supply. Legumes under favourable conditions are able to. fix large amounts of nitrogen through nodule bacteria attached to their roots. Nitrogen is supplied to grasses by underground transference after the needs of the host plant are satisfied, and is also provided from the urine and dung of grazing animals. Almost invariably, poor pasture growth in New Zealand is the result of low legume production. Contributing factors to this are a poor supply of available phosphorus, sulphur, molybdenum, and potassium, ineffective nodulation, and acid soil conditions.