Description
Pasture legumes, like clovers, are the key to the success of New Zealand’s pastoral systems. Nitrogen is maintained by the biological fixation of nitrogen gas from the air by rhizobium bacteria that reside in the root nodules of legumes, to supply nitrates for plant growth. While this theory is still dominant in New Zealand agriculture, nitrogen, particularly in intensive systems such as dairying, can remain deficient with increasing amounts of nitrogen fertilisers applied.