The role of the roots of some grass and clover species in the improvement of the soil structure of a Tokomaru silt loam : a thesis presented at Massey Agricultural College in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agricultural Science, University of New Zealand

Abstract

It has been long been realised that grassland has a beneficial effect on the fertility of soil. This is not only the case with the natural grasslands of the world which are found in areas of limited precipitation and cold winters, and which have provided a rich harvest of grain products for many years after their initial ploughing. It is also so in those other agricultural areas where forest was the natural cover, and where it has now been found necessary to alternate the exhaustive periods of crop growing with restorative periods in pastures. [From Introduction]