Details are given on the production and survival over four years of five perennial grasses under rotational sheep-grazing on a pumice soil. The comparison involved three perennial ryegrasses (‘Grasslands Nui and Ruanui’, and Yates Ellett), and mixtures of Ellett with ‘Grasslands Roa’ tall fescue and Ellett with ‘Grasslands Maru’ phalaris. All pastures were sown with white and red clovers. Annual dry matter yields from Nui and Ellett pastures were similar, at about 6,500 kg/ha. Ruanui pastures were on average 600 kg/ha lower. The pastures containing tall fescue and phalaris were similar to Ellett. The major seasonal yield effects were in autumn and winter, when Ruanui pastures were substantially poorer than those with Nui and Ellett. Ryegrass yield of Ellett pasture was greater than Nui, and Nui was greater than Ruanui at all seasons. Ellett ryagrass was a higher proportion of the total yield at all times, and had higher tiller populations than Nui and Ruanui. Neither tall fescue or phalaris were, able to compete with Ellett ryegrass. It is suggested that neither of these be sown with ryegrass. Clover yields were higher in Ruanui than Ellett pastures, with Nui intermediate. The use of Nui, Ellett and Ruanui ryegrasses is related to the problems of seasonal distribution and total annual yields of pastures on the Central Plateau. It is suggested using Nui or Ellett as the base for perennial pastures will give substantial increases in production. Ellett ryegrass had higher survival than Nui which was considered an advantage, though this was achieved at the expense of a small reduction in clover vields. Keywords: Perennial ryegrass, Ellett, Nui, Ruanui, Roa tall fescue, Maru phalaris, canary grass, sheep grazing, central North Island, Central Plateau, grass grub, Argentine stem weevil, Lolium endophyte.
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(129 KB)Five grasses (Nui ryegrass, Roa tall fescue, Matua prairie grass, Maru phalaris and experimental cocksfoot selection K1858) were sown in mixtures with Pawera tetraploid red clover and compared with a pure sward of Pawera and with a Ruanui ryegrass/Huia white clover control. Yields were taken when mean herbage height was 18 cm by cutting quadrats to 4 cm. Sufficient sheep were used to graze herbage in 48 hours on a ‘Cafeteria’ basis. Matua, the most rapidly establishing grass, yielded 900 kg DM/ha of sown grass at the first grazing, 4 to 6 times more than cocksfoot. Roa and Ruanui, and 30% more than Nui and Maru. During the next two years, the Matua/Pawera mixture outyielded other mixtures, with most of its superiority evident in the summer and winter. All mixtures outyielded Ruanui/Huia over the same period.The grasses evaluated varied in their compatability with Pawera, the more aggressive the grass the greater the suppression of DM yield of Pawera in the mixture. However, even the most aggressive grass mixture yielded more legume at each grazing than did the Ruanui/Huia pasture. The place of Matua, Nui and Pawera as useful varieties in this summer dry environment are discussed. Keywords: Pawera red clover, Nui ryegrass, Matua prairie grass, Roa tall fescue, Maru phalaris, K1858 cocksfoot, Ruanui ryegrass, Huia white clover, grazing,summer dry environment, Northern Southland.
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(104 KB)‘Grasslands Wana’ cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), a new cultivar, produced highest seed yields (405 kg/ha over three years) at 30 cm row spacing in Canterbury. Wider rows (45 and 60cm) produced more seed heads/m* but lower yields, whereas with 15 cm rows there were fewer seed heads and lower yields. In the Manawatu, Wana yields averaged 605 kg/ha over three years, although the North Island is not recognised as a cocksfoot seed producing area. Seed weights range from 0.65 to 0.85 g/l000 seeds, lighter than Apanui and Kara cocksfoots. With two autumn sowings, Wana produced 325 and 170 kg/ha 10 months after sowing. Controlling weeds, especially Poa annoa, is important for high yields from autumn sowings. Plots treated with ethofumesate yielded up to 7 times more than untreated plots. Management, fertiliser use, and rules for changing cocksfoot cultivars are discussed. Keywords: Dactylis glomerata, row spacing, weed control, ethofumesate, terbicil, nitrogen.
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(133 KB)Observations in trials over a decade are now showing that birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) has the particular characteristics of high persistency and continued production under moderate soil fertility conditions on drier hill and high country sites. Hence it may have a role in the agriculture of such areas, probably as late summer or autumn feed. The species is seen as a ‘poorer land grazing lucerne’ rather than as a hay species as it is overseas. One particular disadvantage is likely to be its slow establishment from seed. In evaluations of introductions and overseas cultivars, some of the unselected introductions, showing early spring growth and an upright habit, performed better than cultivars. Keywords: Birdsfoot trefoil; Lotus corniculatus; infertile hill country; lucerne
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(114 KB)There are over 50 types of pasture plant commercially available to New Zealand farmers, and many of these are useful in dryland pastures. A feature unique to New Zealand is that they cover a wide range of species and genera, and even more are currently being bred or evaluated at Grasslands Division, DSIR. Dryland breeding projects have tended to use both local adapted material and overseas seed collections, and neither approach should be ignored. Screening of plants has almost always been done outdoors, under grazing, and wherever possible in the region of intended use. The philosophy of breeding for drought survival, ahead of production, is described with several examples from recently released cultivars. The limitations of these new cultivars are mainly in their slow establishment. The major breeding priority for dryland is for legumes capable of surviving in the competitive and severely grazed conditions of dryland pasture and of providing nutritious feed over several months of each year. Keywords: plant breeding, dryland.
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(63 KB)Three options of bumble bee management for red clover pollination are discussed: spring supplementation with queens caught outside the locality; colony introduction at flowering; and permanently sited hives close to the crop. The first two options must be carried out annually whereas the last option presupposes an adequate local food source prior to flowering. It is contended that even with successful permanent siting further annual introductions would be required where the area in crop is to be considerably increased. Details of hive construction, field placement and colony management are outlined. In 1982 the amount of seed set, on a machine dressed basis, for one colony of B. hortorom and B. ruderatus was 130 kg and 56 kg respectively Keywords: Pawera red clover, seed yields, Bombus hortorum, B. ruderatus, hive construction, colony management.
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(102 KB)In this summary I do not intend to cover in detail all the current information available on ryegrass staggers, because most of it can be found by reading the ten papers presented in the session. Instead emphasis will be placed on many of the interesting points raised in the discussion and on areas where we lack information or where there are real or apparent differences of opinion.
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(36 KB)Weaned lambs when growing to hoggets on old pasture acotype ryegrass, had shown significantly lower weight gains immediately prior to clinical signs of FIGS, than those on Ruanui ryegrass pasture. The difference was not correlated to quantity of harbaga on offer. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay of plant tissue showed higher concentration of Lolium endophyte in that period than prior to subsequent periods. Keywords: ryegrass staggers, Lolium andophyte, live weight
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(30 KB)One could begin about 3000 years ago, when it was natural for people in a reasonably well developed agricultural society to see a subtly tensioned connexion between the degree of wisdom spoken by the mouth, and the understanding of the meditating heart (1); the fulfilment of the principle of true community and the increase of the land (2). And one could pause there and reflect on the words of a contemporary prophet, “We are (now) far too clever to survive without wisdom.” (3). But, for our purpose, a more appropriate point at which to begin to reach an understanding of the present state of communication in New Zealand farming may be the Europe of a mere one to three centuries ago. It is from the tumult of agricultural and industrial revolution then, its origin and its aftermath, that many of the attitudes of modern New Zealand farming stem. When we think at all of that era, it is often to recall names like Tull (inter-row cultivation), Coke (crop rotations), Boussingault (understanding of nitrogen’s role), Blomfield (improver of permanent pasture), Bakewell (animal breeding) and so on.
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(85 KB)For New Zealand’s lucerne seed industry to develop it must reliably produce seed at a price competitive with seed produced overseas. To achieve this will require increased specialisation and co-operation from all parts of the industry including breeders, growers and merchants. Recent research has resulted in a management package which will allow specialist growers to achieve consistently high yields and financial returns that will make seed production a specialist industry rather than a “catch crop” as in the traditional pastoral system. A trial at Lincoln to investigate the seed production capabilities of different cultivars showed there were no significant differences in yield between any of the cultivars currently being grown for seed in New Zealand. With the introduction of more efficient pollinators of lucerne, seed production may shift away from the traditional areas of Marlborough and into areas with more moisture retentive soils and areas where irrigation is possible. It is speculated that if changes do not occur in the lucerne seed industry then all of New Zealand’s seed will be imported by 1990. Key Words: lucerne, Medicago sativa, seed production, cultivar
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(48 KB)After 4 years practical experience in growing Maku Lotus seed crops and with the help of research, an establishment and management package has been developed that should ensure growers of more reliable seed yields than in the past. information on herbicide requirements, irrigation, pest control closing date, flowering, pollination and harvesting techniques are included. Nevertheless an analysis of gross margins based on a return of $lZ/kg suggests the return on investment is inadequate considering the high risks involved. Keywords: Maku Lotus, Lotus pedunculafus, seed production, management, herbicides, harvesting, gross margin.
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(88 KB)Some characteristics of seed quality, establishment rates, performance in mixtures and response to grazing management of 5 new pasture plants with potential in dryland are described. On a dry hill country site in the Wairarapa, the contribution of the sown grasses established in separate plots with clovers under rotational grazing was ‘Grasslands Wana’ cocksfoot 65%; ‘Grasslands Maru’ phalaris 23%; ‘Grasslands Matua’ prairie grass 22%; and ‘Grasslands Roa’ tall fescue 13% after 2 years. The other main grass species was resident perennial ryegrass which established from buried seed (ca. 240 plants/m*) and had a major impact on the establishment and growth of the sown grasses. On a seasonally dry Manawatu flat land soil 3 grazing managementsviz. set stocked all year (S); rotational all year (R); and combination (Cl (set stocked from lambing to drafting and rotational for the remainder of the year) were applied to mixtures of the new cultivars (except that ‘Grasslands Apanui’ cocksfoot replaced Wana) with ryegrass and white clover stocked at 20 sheep/ha. After 3 years the contribution of the new cultivars was negligible under S and ryegrass was dominant. The R pastures became cocksfoot dominant and Matua (in winter) and chicory (in summer) contributed more than in the S system. The C system produced the most evenly balanced species contribution with only Roa remaining at (5%. A sub-trial with cocksfoot cultivars demonstrated that Wana maintained better production and tiller density ~ll,000/m2 ) than Apanui (1000/m’ ) under set stocking IS). Although some of the new cultivars will require specialised management procedures to fulfil their potential in dryland, the increasing and widespread use of Matua prairie grass in farming suggests that these techniques can be adopted in commercial agriculture provided good technical information is available in a management package when the cultivar is released. Keywords: Dryland, grazing management, mixtures, Matua prairie grass, Wana cocksfoot, Roa tall fescue, Maru phalaris, Chicory
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(213 KB)In the 20 years since the Association last held its Conference in Blenheim, the changes that have taken place in Marlborough farming are many and large, reaching into all parts of the Province. In the conclusion of his paper on “Farming in Marlborough” given to the 1962 Conference, Mr J.P.Beggs stated: “The future of Marlborough lies in its hills.” It has been in fact the hills that have carried the Province through those 20 years. It is also likely to be the dry hill country and the limited pastoral downland, that will still produce the lion’s share of our production in the forseeable future
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(79 KB)Few field days would offer the diversity of country, altitude and subjectmatter of the recent New Zealand Grassland Association’s excursion around Marlborough. The 280 or so people in Blenheim for the association’s conference, which was held from November 1 to 4, toured hill and flat country from the Wairau Valley to Kekerengu.
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(362 KB)The need for mirid (Calocoris norvegicus Gmel.) control to improve seed yields of ‘Grasslands Maku’ lotus seed crops was studied over two seasons on a crop near Lincoln, Canterbury. In 1980 seed yields were increased by 40% to 850 kg/ha by the application of bromophos (500 g a.i./ha) in mid-December to remove a population of 30 mirids/20 net sweeps. In 1981, demetonb-methyl (200 g a.i./haj was applied along with a water only control in mid-November, followed by a blanket spray of bromophos in mid-December. There were two separate effects resulting from the use of metasystox. Although demetondmethyl protection gave a higher seed yield/stem for early-formed flowerheads the pattern was reversed for the later-formed flowerheads because early mirid attack increased flowerhead numbers/stem. Laterformed umbels gave a more concentrated span of flowering, which enhanced better timing of harvest of this crop which is prone to pod shattering. The recommendation is to control mirids only in mid-December using bromophos. an insecticide that is relatively bee safe. Key Words: Seed production, Lotus pedunculatus, mirids, Calocoris norvegicus, insecticide control
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(105 KB)An outline is given of some of the main factors and interactions involved in the development of ryegrass staggers - viz: pasture structure, neurotoxin distribution within the pasture, and livestock feeding behaviour. Because neurotoxicity is mainly associated with ryegrass leaf sheath the aim of control measures is to minimise ingestion of this component when it is toxic. This can best be achieved by avoiding practices such as set-stocking in summer, which may lead to ryegrassdominance, and by using a rotational grazing system in which the essential feature is daily movement of stock. Keywords: Ryegrass staggers, management, development, control.
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(41 KB)The commensal, above ground fungus in ryegrass, known simply as the Lo/km endophyte, which has been well studied in the past (McLennan, 1920; Sampson, 1935, 1937; Neil, 1940, 1941; Lloyd, 1959) has recently emerged as the bright new hope in the ryegrass stagger aetiology research. Fletcher and Harvey (1981) showed a highly significant correlation between the amount of infection in three ryegrass cultivars and the observed intensity of ryegrass staggers in a split plot randomised grazing trial at Lincoln. At the same time, a new group of neurotoxins, the lolitrems, were also being linked with ryegrass staggers by Gallagher, et. al (1981). It would appear that an association between the endophyte and the host trigger the production of these lolitrems, but whether they are produced by the host in response to invasion of the intercellular space by the fungus (as is the case in the production of phytoalexins) or by the fungus itself in response to specific apoplastic nutrients supplied by the host, has not been fully established
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(56 KB)Experiments are described which indicate that the degree to which ryegrasses, Loburn SPP., are damaged by Argentine stem weevil, Listronotusbonariensis (Kuschel), is affected bv three major factors. Ryegrasses with high levels of infection with andophytic fungi carry fewer stem weevil eggs and larvae and consequently suffer less damage. Some ryegrasses with low levels of endophyte infection, such as ‘Grasslands Ruanui’, suffer more damage when grown with high inputs of nitrogen, while others with the genotype Lolium multiflorum x perenne L., such as ‘Grasslands Manawa’ are more susceptible than those with the genotype Lolium perenne L. Keywords: Lolium spp., Listronotus bonariensis, endophvtic fungus, nitrogen, plant resistance, stem weevil
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(82 KB)Relative to perennial ryegrass, tall fescue has increased summer production, pest resistance and persistency under summer dry conditions. The new cultivar ‘Grasslands Roa’ also has attributes of increased crown rust resistance and a high acceptability to stock. Animal performance has proved similar to that of perennial ryegrass with no stock health problems. Roa has very slow growth and no other grass species should be included in the seed mixture; the seed should be well covered at sowing: N fertiliser could be used to speed seedling growth; grazing should be frequent and lax with young stock during the first year to allow adequate root development. Methods of use of Roa are discussed. Keywords: Festuca arundinacea, Roa tall fescue, potential, selection, summergrowth, drought tolerance, establishment management.
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