SUMMARY1. Two experiments were conducted, the first during May, July and August, 1958, and the second during August 1960. The first experiment measured the intake and digestive efficiency of cattle fed on fresh cut herbage from low-and high-nitrogen manuring treatments with and without irrigation. The second experiment tested the effect of water added to fresh cut herbage on the intake of cattle.2. Rainfall during the summer of the first experiment was high and irrigation had no effect on any of the criteria used.3. Although the dry-matter content of the fresh herbage from the high nitrogen treatment was consistently lower than that from the low nitrogen treatment (16·6% compared with 19·7% on average when free of surface moisture) the dry-matter intake was the same at 1·97 lb. dry matter per 100 lb. live-weight, on both herbages.4. The average digestibility of the high and low nitrogen treated herbage was 77·6% and 75·4%, the difference being significant. No scouring occurred. Digestibility was 78·9% in May, 76·1% in July and 74·5% in August (average of N levels).5. Rain water carried on the leaf surface was shown to have no effect on dry-matter intake.6. It is concluded that the dry-matter intake of cattle feeding on fresh herbage is unlikely to be restricted either by a high internal water content in the herbage or by rain water on the leaf surface.
SummaryTwelve experiments in the East of Scotland tested a hypothesis that the smaller yield responses to salt in Scotland than in England shown by previous work was due to the adverse effects of soluble salt concentration brought about by ridging, and also to test a wider range of salt and potash than used previously. All combinations of three rates of salt (0, 315, 630 kg/ha) and three rates of muriate of potash (0, 315, 630 kg/ha) were applied in four ways: (1) ploughed down in winter, (2) on the furrow in February, (3) in the seed bed and (4) half as (1) and half as (3). Plant emergence was decreased by salt and potash in only three experiments and then only when the larger amounts of both fertilizers together, along with nitrogen and superphosphate, were applied in the seed bed prior to ridging. Both experiments were in a year when the weather was dry while the plants emerged. Yield of sugar was greatest with the February application on the furrow and smallest with the ploughing down method. At equal weights, salt and muriate of potash had similar effects on sugar yield. Equations derived from the response surface gave the most profitable dressing as 377 kg/ha of salt plus 127 kg/ha of K2O which gave a £4.90 greater margin per hectare over costs than the best potassium application without salt.
Five graziiig experiments each lasting 2 or 3 years were made between 1955 and 1967, all starting in the first year of ryegrass/cocksfoot/clover or ry^rass/clover leys. A high and a low rate of N, 235 and 45 Ib/ac on average (263 and 51 kg/ha) were compared for beef production. Higb-and low-N treatments gave mean clover contents for the grazing season of 8 and 24 % on a dry-weight basis, respectively. High N consistently gave a smaller liveweigbt gain/animal than low N, on average 192 and 208 Ib/day (0 87 and 094 kg/day), respectively. Liveweigbt gain/ac was 20 % greater for hig^ N than for low N, and in terms of net energy tbe production from bigh-and low-N, respectively, was 18,500 and 15,000 MJ/ac (45,700 and 37,100 MJ/ha). Data from these experiments, together with published results, were used to calculate a regression of liveweight gain response on N rate and an equation was derived from this to express tbe output in terms of profit. At 1971 prices profit was maximal at £0 9/ac (f2/ha) with 112 Ib N/ac (125 kg N/ha); it was considerably greater at 1973 prices wben bigber rates of N were justified.
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