LIGHT LAND PASTURES

Abstract

Approximately 8 million acres of the Canterbury Plains are classified as light land. The soils are a shallow, stony loam overlying an open, shingle subsoil with a very low moisture holding capacity. The rainfall ,of 25in. is fairly well distributed, but on these soils is normally inadequate for pasture growth from November to March, due to high evaporation. Under these conditions the pasture mixtures used on moister soils are unsuitable. Subterranean clover has proved the most suitable pioneer legume for this class of land and is still the basic legume for most pasture mixtures.