Characteristics Of Pasture Species
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Temperature, soil moisture, soil fertility and pasture management are four important factors
which determine the suitability of a pasture species for a particular site. We define the
characteristics of a range of species in two alternative ways:
. Diagrammatically in relation to temperature, moisture and fertility for a few species capital letters.
. In tabular form in more detail for a greater range of species.
Description Of Species
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The attributes of each species are described in
turn, starting with the legume, followed by
grasses, and then herbs and shrubs. Within each
of these main groups the species are listed in
approximate order of their importance within
the high country. Where several cultivars of a
particular species are available, the most suitable
ones are mentioned. With less emphasis on
cultivar testing in recent years, some of the
recommendations are becoming somewhat
dated.
General Development Strategies
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Having briefly described the high country in
terms of its environment, potential pasture
production, and suitability of particular pasture
species, we need to consider development
strategies for sustainable animal production.
Important points are:
Type of animal
Provision of winter feed
Land and management requirements to
grow young stock
Subdivision of land into its various natural
units to firhi the year round stock feed
requirements
Efftcient use of fertilisers
General strategies of pasture development
using legumes, grasses and nutrient
cycling.
Pasture Establishment
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Pasture establishment involves considerations
such as site preparation, time of sowing, seed
mixtures, seed coating, method of sowing and
subsequent management. The recommendations
which follow relate mostly to the initial
development of native tussock grassland
Pasture Management And Winter Feed
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One of the main objectives of pasture management is
to meet the annual feed demand of stock by
manipulating the annual feed supply from pasture.
This challenge is probably greatest for high country
runholders because long cold winters and often dry
summers severely disrupt the continuity of pasture
growth and create a mismatch between supply and
demand. Within each high country run there is
generally a diverse range of landscapes
environments whose integration with planning, and
an appropriate choice of pasture species, and
selective management, can help overcome this
mismatch.
Species For Particular Uses
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A theme of this publication is that each pasture
species occupies a particular niche where it does
better than others which might be used. In so doing
each also tills a particular role in the juggling act
between feed supply and animal requirements. We
have stressed the need to identify the critical stock
feed periods, and then to establish special purpose
pastures to satisfy these requirements.
Summary
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Good planning well in advance of the need is
the key to successful pasture systems. Each
system must be individualised in accordance
with the particular farm enterprise.
Species and cultivars must be selected according
to their likely management use (and abuse), as
well as their soil and climate suitability. High
country properties are commonly run as large,
set stocked paddocks. This should be regarded
as an accident of history rather than a desirable
situation.
The High Country Environment
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The most important environmental factors
influencing farming and the choice of pasture
species are:
l Temperature
l Soil moisture
0 Soil fertility
0 Pasture management.
Temperature and moisture gradients define the
general pattern of soils, original vegetation and
present farming systems within New Zealand
(Figure 1). With decreasing moisture and
temperature, pasture production falls, so pasture
yields in the high country are generally much
lower than elsewhere. The traditionally large
size of both paddocks and runs in the high
country was related to the low level of pasture
yield from native vegetation.
