At the conference in Taupo last year, I identified 12 critical issues confronting agriculture that needed to be managed so that we continue to earn a first world living as a nation from the produce off the land. This year I want to discuss two issues related to improving the effectiveness of grassland technologies that will assist in addressing several of the issues listed above: 1. The feed barrier challenge and options to address it, and 2. Marketing of grassland technologies for improved production and productivity.
This paper gives a local perspective of the changing face of Marlborough, and the need for innovation and adoption of new technologies, opportunities, methods and practices to create a future that we all want to be part of. This paper gives a brief history and some of the major changes and adaptations Marlborough has made along the way, to where it is today.
In the Starborough-Flaxbourne area the local farming community, alarmed at the increasing hill slope erosion, set up a soil conservation group. Accelerated erosion was a symptom of the past 12 years of below average rainfall. Removal of vegetative cover by livestock had enabled wind to erode areas of the thin topsoil exposing vulnerable sodic subsoil to rill and tunnel erosion. This highlighted the need for farms to adapt their livestock systems to a drier environment if they were to survive. Keywords: adaptation, conservation, decision making, drought, erosion, lucerne, Medicago sativa
First some science and facts to put the dryland area into a NZ farming perspective. The dryland farming regions of New Zealand make up a significant proportion of the east coast stretching from Hawke’s Bay in the North Island down to East Otago in the South Island. There are also other pockets of dryland in inland areas of Central Otago, Wanganui and South Canterbury. Dryland farming regions are generally defined as those environments where summer evapotranspiration exceeds summer rainfall in the majority of years (Brown et al. 2004).
Pre-weaning lamb growth rates have dramatically increased on the hill country property Tempello, from 258 g/head/day in 2001 to 350 g/head/day in 2007. Total kilograms of lamb liveweight weaned off the Corriedale and Corriedale/Poll Dorset flock area has increased from 60 tonnes to 76 tonnes, despite a reduction in ewe numbers. Keywords: grazing management, hill country, lamb production, subterranean clover, summer dry
The paper précis the key published results from two 26- year grazing trials, involving an initial 25 species mix under 35 different S and P fertiliser rates, three sheep stocking rates and two stocking combinations. Species separation and transition from legume to grass dominance depended on fertiliser rate. Keywords: high country, species suitability, Caucasian clover, lupin, grazing capacity, nutrient balance, fertiliser efficiency, sulphur
Two experiments compared the effects of five rates (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 kg urea/ha) of urea (46% N) applied to existing pasture on subsequent establishment and final yields of two direct drilled brassica crops (turnips and kale, and swedes) on different soils in East Otago. Keywords: brassica, fertiliser, kale, nitrogen, swede, turnip
Annual dry matter (DM) production and botanical composition of six dryland pasture combinations, grown under sheep grazing at Lincoln University for 5 years, are presented. In 4 years, lucerne produced the highest DM yields (13.1-18.5 t/ha/yr) through higher daily growth rates, compared with grass based pastures, particularly during periods of water stress in summer and autumn.
The management practices used by two brothers on their high performing summer-dry semi-finishing sheep and cattle farm were investigated over 2 1/2 years (2006– 2008). The study highlighted that in a dryland environment, the farmers designed their system to cope with both climatic variability and market risk. Keywords: management strategies, production risk, market risk, decision making, drought
Our time from 1978 on the “Pyramid” in the Waihopai Valley is described with particular comments on the benefits gained from the encouragement of land based industries provided by policies of the Muldoon government. Keywords: cattle, dryland farming, family farm, lucerne, Marlborough, sheep, subterranean clover
The water use efficiencies (WUE) of a range of temperate pasture species were calculated from measurements on several different dryland and irrigated pastures in Canterbury. The annual WUE ranged from 6.7 kg DM/ ha/mm for a dryland cocksfoot pasture to 40 kg DM/ha/ mm for a dryland lucerne crop grown on a Wakanui silt loam soil. Keywords: Cichorium intybus, Dactylis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Medicago sativa, Trifolium ambiguum, T. michelianum, T. pratense, T. repens, T. subterraneum
Trials were started in spring, summer and autumn to compare the effect of Agrotain-treated urea and standard urea, at application rates of 25, 50, 75 and 100 kg N/ha, on dairy pasture production on a commercial dairy farm in Canterbury. Keywords: nitrogen, urea, Agrotain, pasture, yield
Recent upgrades to the nutrient budgeting programme Overseer® that affect environmental outputs for deer farms include: the deer intake model, which can influence nitrogen leaching losses; phosphorus losses from areas affected by wallowing and fence-line pacing; and, the greenhouse gas emissions database. Keywords: fence-line pacing, nutrient budgeting, wallowing, water quality, soil quality
The Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) is a commercial demonstration dairy farm achieving over 1700 kg MS/ha with 4.2 cows per hectare on a pasture based system. We compare greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from such a system with the “typical dairy farm”. Keywords: intensive dairying, greenhouse gases, lifecycle assessment, nitrification inhibitor, eco-n
In a field trial the application of 5 and 7% polyurethane coated controlled release urea, 10% dicyanodiamide coated urea and three x 50 split urea (SU) applications at 150 kg N/ha (150 N) increased winter pasture dry matter (DM) production of Italian ryegrass over the June-September period by between 1666 to 2240 kg DM/ha. These treatments also reduced nitrate leaching losses from 6.8 to 1 kg N/ha compared to urea (U). Keywords: controlled release urea, nitrogen utilisation, pasture, ryegrass
Grazing forage crops during winter can lead to soil physical damage and contaminant losses especially on Pallic soils prone to compaction and structural degradation. A site in North Otago (Timaru silt loam) with 2 years sheep and cattle grazing on winter forage crops and pasture was used to measure phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) losses in sub-surface (leachate from shallow lysimeters) flow and P losses in overland flow. Keywords: phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment, irrigation, overland flow, treading, grazing, pasture, crop land
New Zealand pastures often contain a higher concentration of nitrogen (N) than required by ruminants, and this can be exacerbated by application of N fertilisers to boost pasture growth. Excess dietary nitrogen (N) has negative implications for environmental sustainability and animal production, but producers and rural professionals are sometimes unaware of these issues and especially the terminology often used to describe the forms and fate of N. Keywords: nitrogen, ruminant nutrition, protein metabolism
An experiment was established within the Lees Valley (400 m a.s.l.), Canterbury out of low producing, browntop dominant grassland. The aim was to quantify dry matter (DM) production of improved perennial grasses in relation to temperature and nitrogen inputs. Ten grass monocultures were established in 2006. Keywords: Bromus stamineus, Bromus valdivianus, Dactylis glomerata, dryland, Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, pasture establishment, Phleum pratense
Inadequate pasture growth from September to November has been a major constraint on animal production at Limestone Downs, Port Waikato. In an attempt to address this, urea was applied by air in two applications per year (late autumn + winter) at rates up to 250 kg N/ha/year for each of 3 years (2004-2007). Key words: nitrogen, slope, aspect, pasture growth, fertiliser response
Soil organic carbon consists of a mixture of different materials exhibiting various stages of decomposition and decomposing at different rates. Four different fractions are now recognised: plant residues, particulate organic carbon, humus carbon and recalcitrant organic carbon. Keywords: soil carbon fractions, management practices, residues, pasture, modelling
With increasing climate variability, a reliable method of estimating pasture growth has eluded farmers. Rain, temperature, evapotranspiration, radiation and soil moisture status are components which interact and affect pasture production. In 1992, soil moisture monitoring in Marlborough vineyards was extended to pasture. Keywords: soil moisture, pasture production, models, Southern Oscillation Index, Pacific Decadal Oscillation
This study aimed to develop calibrations for the measurement of pasture mass and pasture growth rate on sheep and beef pastures. Herbage within quadrats (0.12-0.2 m2) was measured with either an electronic rising plate meter (RPM) (n=2279), capacitance pasture meter (CPM) (n=693) or pasture ruler (n=2528) for the development of linear and curvilinear seasonal calibrations for pasture mass. Keywords: pasture mass, growth, rising plate meter, capacitance height, dead, dry matter, sheep, cattle
Hill country farmers face major challenges to provide the physical environment and climatic conditions for maximum survival of multiple-born lambs. Farmers and scientists together investigated the opportunities for improved lamb survival on seven high-producing (scanning percentage 150-220%) North Island hill country farms. Keywords: lamb survival, physical environment, land assessment tool
The “FeedSmart” extension programme, focused on improved feed planning for sheep and beef farmers includes two computer models to assist with decision making. The Cost of Pasture model requires the user to input a farm income and cost structure, and a pasture growth curve. It calculates the costs of growing pasture on a dry matter (DM) basis. Keywords: cost of pasture, cost of supplements, cost, pasture, supplements
The Irrigation Calculator is a computer decision support tool that assists dairy farmers to decide when to irrigate, how much water to apply, and the consequences of wrong irrigation timings or amounts. The user interface has two data entry screens, one to enter background soils information, the other main screen for entering irrigator application times and amounts, grazings and run times. Keywords: model, pasture growth, soil moisture, evapotranspiration
Accurate prediction of pasture mass on dairy farms would allow for greater precision and feed allocation planning, and therefore greater utilisation and more profit. Current methods to collect these data, e.g. by rising plate meter or visual assessment, are tedious and time consuming. Daily pasture growth rate (kg DM/ha/ day) can be added to a measured post-grazing residual to estimate the increase in pasture mass after a grazing or cutting event. Keywords: decision support, grazing management, pasture growth rate
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been used experimentally to control insects in pastures and in this study we investigated the use of EPNs against clover root weevil. We tested the ability of two EPNs (Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis zealandica) to control soil-dwelling stages of clover root weevil in a Waikato pasture Keywords: Sitona lepidus, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, larvae, pupae, Galleria, wax moth
GPS (Global Positioning Systems) have considerable potential to assist pastoral farmers in coping with pressures they will face in future. These include managing resource use, environmental constraints and controlling farm input costs. Keywords: GPS, farm mapping, precision agriculture, pastoral farming, fertiliser application, irrigation, K-line, long lateral irrigation, traceability
The effects of legume forages on whole farm productivity and profitability (Economic Farm Surplus, EFS) were assessed for the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 milking years in a dairy farmlet systems trial. Keywords: dairying, Economic Farm Surplus, legumes, lotus, lucerne, milksolids, perennial ryegrass, red clover, white clover
Precision farming requires data on resource status at a very fine, within-paddock scale which is impractical to collect by traditional sampling methods. This paper demonstrates the potential of a modified field hyperspectral radiometer (spectro-CAPP) to predict and map spatial distribution patterns of herbage biomass and standing mass of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S) in a 2.8 ha paddock Keywords: geostatistical analysis, pasture quality, semivariogram, spatial distribution
The impact of irrigation on seasonal and annual pasture production was investigated on two sheep and beef farms in the Central Wairarapa over 4 years (2004-08). The pasture response to irrigation water at Brancepeth Station ranging from 37 to 63% in the first 3 years, while at Glenlean the pasture response was only 22 and 26% in the 2 years (2004/05 and 2006/07, respectively) the irrigation treatment was imposed. Keywords: water harvesting, irrigation, seasonal water deficit
Leaf Rubisco content was monitored over the life span of the sixth leaf blades of hydroponically grown perennial ryegrass tillers of 18 genotypes, to determine protein turnover patterns and investigate possible links between protein turnover pattern and plant performance. Keywords: Rubisco, perennial ryegrass, remobilisation, dynamic model, mapping population
Our goal is to increase the metabolisable energy of forage species (such as Lolium perenne, perennial ryegrass) via accumulation of lipids in the leaves, and further improve upon this by the delivery of polyunsaturated fatty acids whilst maintaining a low input agricultural system. Keywords: lipid protection, triacylglyceride, DGAT, oleosin, biohydrogenation
The production of secondary metabolite alkaloids by epichloë endophytes of grasses is of great interest to agriculture due to the opposing effects of pasture protection against insect herbivory and concomitant toxicity to stock. Recent molecular genetic analysis, that has greatly enhanced our understanding of secondary metabolite biosynthesis, is reviewed and potential outcomes for pastoral agriculture are discussed. Keywords: endophyte, Epichloë, Neotyphodium, alkaloid, secondary metabolite, gene cluster
condensed tannins would significantly contribute to pasture productivity via increased production, forage quality and decreases in adverse environmental impacts. Recent developments suggest it is feasible to achieve this via expression of a single transgene, but that accumulation will only occur in specialised cell types which contain an active anthocyanin pathway. Keywords: Trifolium repens, condensed tannin, anthocyanin
Arrowleaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum L.) is a late maturing annual legume which has the potential to be used in a range of farming systems such as finishing lambs through to silage production and building soil fertility for future cropping. An experiment at Lincoln University, Canterbury, evaluated the performance of ‘Arrotas’ arrowleaf clover relative to white and subterranean clover Keywords: climate evaluation, T. repens, T. subterraneum, T. vesiculosum, dry matter yield
The effect on plant growth of clover root weevil (CRW) larval feeding on nodules and roots was examined for the annual clovers, subterranean cv. Leura, balansa cv. Bolta, arrowleaf cv. Arrowtas and Persian cv. Mihi, and white clover cv. Tribute. Mini-swards of each clover species were used in a glasshouse experiment, with half of these exposed to CRW larval feeding. Keywords: Sitona lepidus, root herbivory, annual clovers, drought
‘Bolta’ and ‘Frontier’ balansa clover seedlings were counted through two autumns following a large seed set in November 2006, from monocultures sown in a dryland environment in Canterbury. Following rain on 5 January 2007, 65% of ‘Bolta’ seed and 54% of ‘Frontier’ seed emerged. ‘Bolta’ and ‘Frontier’ balansa clover seedlings were counted through two autumns following a large seed set in November 2006, from monocultures sown in a dryland environment in Canterbury. Following rain on 5 January 2007, 65% of ‘Bolta’ seed and 54% of ‘Frontier’ seed emerged. Keywords: annual legumes, balansa clover, Dactylis glomerata, false break, seed bank, spring closing date, Trifolium michelianum, Trifolium subterraneum.
Middlehurst is a 16,723 ha high country property in the Awatere Valley, a close neighbour to Molesworth and some 114 km from Blenheim. In 1998 we purchased 5303 ha of freehold and a pastoral lease of 11,420 ha with 28 years to run on its current lease, running 7520 sheep stock units (su) and 3400 cattle su.
The effect of stocking rate (8.3 (low) and 13.9 (high) ewes + twin lambs/ha) and time of closing in spring on lamb liveweight gain, pasture production and subterranean clover seedling densities was monitored over 2 years for a dryland cocksfoot-subterranean clover pasture in Canterbury. Keywords: cocksfoot, Dactylis glomerata, closing date, liveweight gain, seedling density, sheep grazing, stocking rate, subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum
Many dairy cows, particularly in southern New Zealand have kale (Brassica olercaea) as a major component of their winter diet. Anecdotal evidence suggests variable results in cow body condition are achieved when kale is used as a component of the winter diet. A survey of crop yield, nutritive value and grazing management practices of kale crops was undertaken in Canterbury during winter 2007 to investigate possible causes of these variable results. Keywords: kale, utilisation, allowance, quality, dairy
Previous laboratory based studies indicate that, compared to standard cultivars, high sugar grasses (HSG) can have lower endophyte and peramine concentrations and suggest that N fertilisation may result in further reductions in endophyte and alkaloid. Keywords: Lolium, Listronotus bonariensis, invertebrates, water soluble carbohydrates, ploidy
Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is imported into New Zealand and fed to ruminants grazing pasture, but very little data exist on its rumen digestion characteristics when fed in conjunction with grass. Keywords: digestion kinetics, crude protein, dry matter, palm kernel expeller, pasture
Ripgut brome (Bromus diandrus) is an annual grass weed prevalent in dry, hill and high country regions throughout the South Island. Its large seeds contaminate wool and carcasses. Two studies were undertaken in 2006/2007 to test strategies to control and mitigate its impacts. The first study (South Canterbury) tested different rates and timing of application of herbicides on ripgut brome. Keywords: annual grass weeds, weed control, weed mitigation, ripgut brome, Bromus diandrus
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