For Mr Barry Garrity, Carterton dairy farmer, the spring of 1992 brought a very challenging decision-making process. A computerised simulator (model) of the physical functions of his property had been in use since October 199 1. As a high stocking rate, high performance farm the next step in improving profitability was being sought. The simulator provided a means of reviewing performance, searching out means of more efficient use of pasture and overcoming the limitations to increased production. The software (UDDER) models grass growth and animal performance for an actual season with a gross margin used to reflect the financial component. In this case base data were derived from the 1990191 season, a record year for the property. Keywords: computer, dairy farm, forecast, gross margin, model, simulator
This paper explains what a Farm Improvement Club (FIC) is and briefly backgrounds the Wairarapa FIC (Wai FIC). Key components to its successful operation are outlined together with a review of the establishment of the FIC and district database. Two tables are presented that indicate the method by which key physical and financial indices can be used. The first report is for an individual client which compares figures with the club and property class average. The second is a summary of results by farm category. An opinion as to future relevance and opportunities for a club type structure are outlined. Keywords: Wairarapa Farm Improvement Club components for success, Database use in extension.
Control strategies based on the slaughter of cattle identified as infected by skin testing have been successful in eradicating bovine tuberculosis from several countries. In contrast, identical control methods have not achieved eradication in New Zealand. The reason for the persistence of tuberculosis in New Zealand is the presence of a wildlife reservoir of infection. While possums are the principal wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis, feral pigs and wild deer may also be a source of infection for domestic animals. Current control programmes in which possums are poisoned are successful in reducing but not eliminating the spread of infection to cattle and farmed deer. The development of vaccines and the biological control of possums is the focus of active research in New Zealand. These are long-term research projects that will take many years before they can be sufficiently developed to be used to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from this country. Keywords: bovine tuberculosis, cattle, farmed deer, Mycobacterium bovis, possums
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) has been shown to have great potential to supply quality forage through the summer in environments where the water regime limits performance of perennial ryegrass (Loliumperenne L.). The use of tall fescue seed in NZ has risen from almost none 15 years ago to about 200 tonnes today. However the further use of tall fescue is limited by the difficulty some farmers have in establishing it, particularly when performance is compared with perennial ryegrass. Experience is generally that the widely used imported cultivar AU Triumph establishes more vigorously than the NZ cultivar Grasslands Roa. Tall fescue breeding at AgResearch Grasslands has in the past 10 years concentrated on improving the vigour at establishment, while maintaining the excellent standard of forage quality achieved with Roa. Data are presented indicating substantial progress, with breeding line families outperforming all control cultivars. However, further data suggest a strong effect of conditions of seed ripening and harvest on the vigour of seed when sown. Data comparing different field multiplications and comparing breeding families harvested in the field and in the glasshouse confirm this. Field sowings and more controlled nursery box experiments are described. The paper discusses implications for plant breeding method and for seed production
Grasslands Wana cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) has potential for use in hill country, especially dry hill country. Although Wana can have slow spring growth it is usually more productive in summer and autumn. Prior to large-scale field evaluation, strategies for incorporating significant areas of new species into farming systems can be evaluated with a farm-system model. The objective of this work was to use the farm-system model, Stockpol, to investigate the influence of 0, 33, 66, or 100% of a farm sown to Wana, on bull beef or breeding ewe enterprise productivity. Three scenarios, in which annual herbage dry matter production from Wana was -14%, +13%, and +41% relative to resident pasture controls, were identified from field trials and tested with the model. A strong relationship between annual production and stocking rate was found, with a lesser influence from seasonal distribution of production. ‘The system model was a useful tool to compare these pastures, and highlighted deficiencies in our knowledge of cocksfoot. Keywords: Dactylis glomerata, farm system, Grasslands Wana, hill country, model, seasonal pasture production
Planning the use of feed on farms requires the temporal relationship between feed supply and demand to be described by a budgeting process. This can be achieved using spreadsheets, but input data on pasture growth, supplements and animal feed requirements must be provided. Feed requirements can be derived from published tables but interpolation between data points is necessary (Townsley 1986). Computer models can provide estimates of requirements for any specified liveweight and production level. These can then be used as sub-routines to provide inputs to a feed budget (Brookes et al. 1991). This paper describes the main features of a number of feed requirement models and their use in feed planning. Keywords: beef cows, dairy cows, ewes, feed budgets, feed requirements, spreadsheets, heifers
A drought pasture demonstration programme was established on the east coast of the North Island, between 1990 and 1992. Dryland pasture species were established on 1500 ha, on 91 farms, to encourage other farmers to use them rather than relying totally on perennial ryegrass. 97% of pastures were established successfully, proving to farmers that dryland pasture species can be established reliably. As well as establishing pastures after cultivation, it was also proven that these species can be reliably established by direct drilling, or by oversowing onto hill country, using techniques developed in this programme. Some farmers monitored the amount of grazing obtained from the new pastures, and found that on average they received 112% more grazing annually than resident pastures, the largest increases occurring in summer. Many farmers also reported better animal growth rates on the new pastures, especially in summer and autumn. Monitoring of species presence in tiller cores has shown the sown species to be persisting well to date (Nov 1992), with the exceptions of tall fescue and grazing brome when sown onto hill country. The programme reinforced factors important in the establishment and grazing management of dryland pastures. The programme has brought about a noticeable change in attitude to dryland species, and seed sales have increased markedly while ryegrass sales have decreased. Keywords: Cichorium intybus, Dactylis glomerata, drought, Festuca arundinacea, demonstration, dryland pasture establishment
Planting drought-tolerant pastures (tall fescue, chicory, prairie grass) is one option Hawkes Bay/ Wairarapa farmers can use to reduce the impact of drought. To evaluate this strategy two hill country sheep/beef farm models were established and entered in HerdEcon, a bioeconomics computer model. Using the two farm models, three comparisons were made: (1) base farm (no alternative pasture), (2) alternative pasture planted on 5% or 10% of grazable area, and (3) same as 2, with changes in cattle selling policy. Models were run for a 19-year sequence based on pasture growth for Hawkes Bay, and with a range of beef prices and pasture renewal costs. Drought-tolerant pastures increased the financial returns from both farm models, provided that livestock policies allowed increases in pasture quality and summer pasture growth to be captured by increased beef production. Lower pasture establishment costs and improved persistence would significantly improve profitability from drought-tolerant pastures. Keywords cattle, dryland pastures, economics
Planting drought-tolerant pastures (tall fescue, chicory, prairie grass) is one option Hawkes Bay/ Wairarapa farmers can use to reduce the impact of drought. To evaluate this strategy two hill country sheep/beef farm models were established and entered in HerdEcon, a bioeconomics computer model. Using the two farm models, three comparisons were made: (1) base farm (no alternative pasture), (2) alternative pasture planted on 5% or 10% of grazable area, and (3) same as 2, with changes in cattle selling policy. Models were run for a 19-year sequence based on pasture growth for Hawkes Bay, and with a range of beef prices and pasture renewal costs. Drought-tolerant pastures increased the financial returns from both farm models, provided that livestock policies allowed increases in pasture quality and summer pasture growth to be captured by increased beef production. Lower pasture establishment costs and improved persistence would significantly improve profitability from drought-tolerant pastures. Keywords cattle, dryland pastures, economics
Parasite epidemiology and lamb growth were investigated
in a study involving four single-species
swards (browntop, Yorkshire fog, perennial
ryegrass and tall fescue). Lambs were set-stocked
from December (weaning) to early June on 1 ha
paddocks grazed to a constant height of approximately
5 cm by varying stock numbers (average
35 lambs/ha). Lambs were weighed and faecal sampled
fortnightly and were either “suppression
-drenched” fortnightly with ivermectin or “trigger-
drenched” when any group mean egg count
reached 1500 epg, at which time all groups were
drenched. “Trigger-drenched” groups were treated
on 4 occasions. At the end of the trial, suppressively
drenched lambs on ryegrass were significantly
heavier than those on the other grasses (P Drought-stress limits white clover (Trifolium
repens L.) persistence in many New Zealand
regions. As a component of breeding for enhanced
drought tolerance, 8 selection groups (110 lines in
total) of white clover were evaluated in the
Wairarapa over a 2-year period. The selection
groups included Australian white clover ecotypes,
selections from New Zealand dryland populations,
root morphology selections, pre-release selections
from New Zealand breeding programmes, and
existing overseas and New Zealand cultivars. The
selection groups derived from New Zealand dryland
populations had the highest forage yield and plant
survival, 21 of the 24 individual lines with >30%
plant survival coming from these groups. Groups
containing Australian ecotypes and overseas
cultivars had the lowest forage yield and plant
survival. Selections for root morphology per se
were lower yielding and less persistent than
selections made from New Zealand dryland populations
evaluated in drought-prone environments.
However, some improvements in forage yield and
persistence were observed through selecting for
root morphology after screening the same New
Zealand dryland populations in a drought-prone
North Canterbury site.
Keywords: drought tolerance, plant breeding, root
morphology, Trifolium repens Between 8000 and 10 000 ha of Grasslands Puna
chicory are now sown annually in New Zealand,
largely as a high quality forage herb capable of
finishing a range of livestock types including deer,
sheep, and cattle. This paper details the specific
establishment requirements of Puna, including:
weed control, renovation rotation methods,
cultivation techniques and sowing methods.
Management requirements are also discussed with
particular emphasis on grazing management,
including optimum rotation length and post-grazing
residual height. Maintenance fertiliser and
herbicide requirements, and stock health issues
are also covered, with reference to the use of Puna
in various livestock systems and its effect on
profitability.
Keywords: Cichorium intybus, establishment,
Grasslands Puna, leaf proportion, pre-grazing
height, post-grazing residual height, ‘rotational
block grazing’, stem development, stem control Formal knowledge of the goals, circumstances
and constraints of a random sample of hill country
sheep and beef farmers has been established. This
knowledge was gathered, in collaboration with
farmers from the Taihape/Bunterville and coastal
Hawkes Bay regions, during phase one of the
Farmer First Research programme based at Massey
University. The data show that 75% of the farmers,
in the study were willing to make changes to
increase the profitability of their current farming
system. However, although willing to change, 53%
were unable to do so because of constraints they
faced. Two of these major constraints identified
by farmers were high debt and a low incomegenerating
under-developed farm. Both of these
constraints contributed to an inadequacy of cash
for the farmer. The other major constraints identified
were labour, an ownership structure which limited
the farmers’ decision-making role in the property
and the relatively low production potential of their
farms. Phase one data indicate that farmers would
be more likely to adopt new technologies and
implement change if the changes addressed the
farmers’ constraints and were appropriate to the
circumstances of the farmer.
Keywords: change constraints, Farmer First
Research, farmer circumstances, goals FarmTracker is a computer program which integrates
an inventory of farm resources; farm mapping;
recording and analysis of paddock and stock inputs,
management actions and production (event histories);
and planning tools including a pasture growth model
(GROW) and a feed budget. This paper describes
FarmTracker and the uses of the program in farm
management.
FarmTracker was developed based on the
experiences of farmers and consultants with an earlier
package, written by the author, called GRAZE. Keywords: computer program, farm management,
FarmTracker Evaluations of Kahu timothy (Phleum prutense
L.) included agronomy under mowing (1976-1979)
and grazing (1980-1983), and animal performance
from grazed pasture (1988-1993) and silage feeding
(1989-1991). Agronomic testing showed that Kahu
timothy was slow to establish, producing only
28% of the Grasslands Ruanui ryegrass (L.&urn
perenne L.) swards in the 6 months after sowing.
Frequent, close defoliation severely reduced the
yields of timothy and caused losses of plants,
reducing longevity. A less frequent defoliation
regime with a residual sward height of 30-50 mm
gave the greatest sustainable yields. Under mowing
Kahu produced significantly less than S51 timothy
in summer and winter but under grazing Kahu was
superior in spring and summer, resulting in
significantly greater annual production. Animal
performance testing showed hoggets grazing
timothy in spring grew at 218 g/day, significantly
greater than the 164 g/day achieved on Grasslands
Nui ryegrass. The spring stocking rate on timothy
was also significantly greater than on ryegrass,
though utilisation of the forage was similar. When
fed timothy/red clover silage lambs fed in winter
grew at 98 g/day while lambs on standard ryegrass/
cocksfoot/white clover silage averaged a growth
rate of only 44 g/day. From the assessment of the
physiological state of individual tillers it was
observed that timothy had a significantly higher
proportion of its tillers with growing points present
above ground through late spring and summer
than ryegrass. This is suggested as a major reason
for the depletion of timothy populations -under
close grazing. When grazed correctly in late spring
and summer timothy can provide a perennial forage
of high feeding value for livestock systems.
Keywords: animal performance, Grasslands Kahu,
pasture quality, Phleum pratense The grazing response of ewe hoggets offered tall
fescue, endophyte-infected (+E) or endophyte-free
(-E) perennial ryegrass all sown with white clover
into a fertile silt loam was examined in April
1990. In a second experiment 2 grazings were
observed where 5 grasses had been overdrilled
into old lucerne growing on stony infertile land.
Pregnaht ewes (August) and ewes with young
lambs (October) grazed 3 replicates of tall fescue,
+E perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, phalaris and
prairie grass. After the August grazing nitrogen
fertiliser was applied at 0 and 300 kg N/ha to 5 x
2 m subplots in each 30 x 9 m grass plot. April
observations showed that on day one 76% of
grazing time was on tall fescue. During the first 4
days of grazing grass leaf height decreased 60
mm in tall fescue, 43 mm in +E and 42 mm in -E
ryegrass while in the last 5 days decreases were 5,
3 and 25 mm. Over the 9 days’ grazing, pseudostem
height declined 5.2, 1.5 and 5.0 mm, green grass
cover from 62 to 30,65 to 44, and 68 to 33%, and
herbage removal was 940, 1100 and 1300 kg DM/
ha from tall fescue, +E and -E ryegrasses. During
the first 3 days of the August grazing, grass leaf
heights of cocksfoot and +E ryegrass declined at a
much slower rate than in the other 3 species. The
October grazing showed a similar defoliation
pattern on plots without N. Addition of 300 kg N/
ha resulted in very rapid defoliation of all 5 species
during the first day of the 7-day grazing period.
April grazing showed that initially sheep preferred
tall fescue. Even though grazing time was similar
for +E and -E ryegrasses the hoggets consumed
less +E than -E ryegrass, possibly owing to
reluctance to penetrate the +E pseudostem horizon.
The August and October grazings demonstrated
the ability of sheep to discriminate between grass
species and strong rejection of cocksfoot and +E
ryegrass. However, N at a rate similar to a urine
patch produced leaf in all species which was
equally attractive to sheep. The reduced intake of
+E ryegrass measured in the April grazing may
explain some of the lower animal performance of
sheep on +E ryegrass pastures. Equally, grazing
preference shown by rate of canopy height decline
in any pasture is probably highly correlated with
pasture intake and animal productivity.
Keywords: Acremonium lolii, Bromus willdenowii,
Dactylis glomerata, Festuca arundinacea, Lolium
perenne, nitrogen-fertilised pasture, Phalaris
aquatica, sheep grazing preference Two data sets were used to analyse the impact of
changes in stock policy from a dominant breeding
ewe system to a dominant beef cattle finishing
system. These included data from a farmlet trial
and data from a monitored study farm. The
Stockpol model was used to carry out the analyses.
Required daily pasture demand and average
minimum pasture covers increased as cattle
finishing increased. Stock numbers had to be
reduced for the policies to become biologically
feasible, that is, for the increased pasture demands
and pasture covers to be attainable on the farm.
Historic stocking rate was not a good guide to
the reduced stocking rate required. Tests of
biological feasibility should be carried out before
a change in policy can be analysed for its financial
merits.
Keywords: biological feasibility, finishing, pasture
cover, pasture demand, stock policy, systems An experiment was conducted to identify plants
suitable for low cost revegetation of soil slip scars
after Cyclone Bola. Species of grasses (8), herbs
(3) and legumes (13) were oversown onto slips
without fertiliser, and evaluated for 3 years under
normal hill country sheep/beef grazing. Grasslands
Maku Lotus pedunculatus, Trifolium pratense and
Lotus corniculutus all increased total herbage
cover. L. pedunculatus provided 85% of the
production obtained from pasture on surrounding
uneroded land, and 6 times the production of
unsown plots on slips.
Keywords: Cyclone Bola, Lotus pedunculatus,
Lotus corniculatus, revegetation, slips, Trifolium
pratense The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that
“risk management” on summer dry hill country is
achieved through the implementation of very
simple policies. The conclusions that I have
reached are the result of 20 years of farming on
such country, reinforced through careful observation
of local farm discussion groups.
Keywords: summer dry coastal hill country Optimal systems for establishing new pastures were
considered at trial sites in southern Hawkes Bay
and Manawatu. Systems of pasture establishment,
before drilling new pasture in autumn, were: (a)
spring sown barley, (b) summer fallow by
cultivation, (c) summer fallow by glyphosate
spraying, and (d) pasture during summer then a
single glyphosate spray at drilling. Each
establishment treatment was sown with white/sub
clover, and either tall fescue (an example of a
dryland grass species) or perennial ryegrass.
Methods (a) and (b) used a roller drill to sow
pastures into a cultivated seedbed, and methods
(a), (c) and (d) used a direct drill. A very moist
cool summer resulted in no advantage to the fallow
treatments in terms of better soil moisture at
sowing, but generally these treatments had the
best establishment, possibly due to low weed
contents and higher soil nitrogen levels. A single
spray with glyphosate before direct drilling gave
the poorest results for both grass species. The
relative advantages and disadvantages of each
treatment are discussed. Establishment and yields
of tall fescue were lower than for ryegrass, although
tall fescue had higher white/sub clover contents
and less dead matter than ryegrass pastures. A low
sowing rate and colder-than-average temperature
at sowing may have depressed the establishment
of tall fescue. Ryegrass quickly recovered from
lower levels of establishment (within 3-6 months)
but tall fescue took 9-12 months to show any
improvement in contribution to pasture yields.
Keywords: dryland, Festuca arundinacea, L.&urn
perenne, pasture establishment An industry survey indicated a concern that the
results of existing research were not getting across
to potential adopters. In response to this situation,
the Meat Research and Development Council
sponsored a monitor farm programme which
operated on 24 farms throughout New Zealand.
Key components of the programme were the
monitor farmer and farm, community group, and
facilitator. Factors judged critical to the success of
the programme were the need for local ownership
of the programme, development of quality
information, and the establishment of a partnership
of skills, expertise and experience. Preliminary
surveys indicate a high level of farmer endorsement
of the programme. Level of involvement by
community group members has exceeded that set
initially. Further analysis is required to identify the
impact of the programme on farm business
performance and the application of technology in
New Zealand farm businesses.Keywords: community group, information,
monitor farm, technology transfer Seventy-eight sheep and beef farms on the east
coast of the North and South Islands were surveyed
in August/September 1991 on the use and
benefits of nitrogen (N) fertiliser. The survey covered
the years 1987/88-1990/91 and included 16
sheep and beef farms in Wairarapa. Farms with
high N use (>5 kg/ha/year on average over the
whole farm area in pasture and crop) received 20
(Wairarapa) or 28 (other east coast regions) kgN/
ha/year on 83 or 53% of the farm area respectively.
Diammonium phosphate (DAP) was the major form
of N used in Wairarapa. Urea and DAP/ammonium
sulphate mixes were the major forms used in
other east coast regions. Most of the N was applied
from May to August in all regions. High use of
DAP in Wairarapa was associated with higher rates
of phosphorus but lower rates of sulphur applied
compared with other regions. Survey farmers identified
feed demand as the major factor influencing
amount of N applied and the timing of application.
Soil moisture and temperature at application
were ranked as the major factors affecting the
response to N. Benefits of N were listed as lower
susceptibility to drought, higher calf weaning
weights, longer winter grazing rotation and greater
pasture cover at lambing. Over the whole survey,
N use was associated with significantly higher
animal and financial performance. N use on easy
land on the North Island survey farms was associated
with a significantly lower presence of
browntop, other perennial grasses (mainly Yorkshire
fog and crested dogstail), white clover, annual
legumes (mainly suckling and cluster clover) and
flatweeds. On steep hills, N use was associated
with a significantly lower presence of other perennial
grasses and annual legumes.
Keywords: animal performance, financial
performance, nitrogen fertiliser, pasture species,
sheep and beef farms Seedling and tiller core measurements on 60
paddocks sown in autumn 1991 on the East Coast
of the North Island were made to monitor the
success of new pastures based on drought-tolerant
grasses. Pastures sown into cultivated seedbeds
were generally more successful than direct-drilled
pastures, having higher content of sown species
and less competition from volunteer perennial
grasses. In paddocks sown with mixtures of tall
fescue and Grasslands Wana cocksfoot, cocksfoot
was becoming the dominant,grass, except in areas
of paddocks with poor drainage. Cocksfoot
establishment in oversown pastures was good, but
tall fescue in these paddocks declined to low levels
19 months after sowing. White clover was well
established in all classes of pasture, despite
relatively low initial seedling numbers in direct
drilled and oversown paddocks. In contrast, red
clover content declined, particularly in directdrilled
and oversown paddocks.
Keywords: Dactylis glomerata, direct drilling,
Festuca arundinacea, pasture establishment,
Phalaris aquatica, oversowing Download
(108 KB)
Enhanced drought tolerance in white clover
J. VAN DEN BOSCH, I.K. BLACK, G.R. COUSINS and D.R. WOODFIELDview more
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(89 KB)
Establishment and management of Grasslands Puna chicory used as a specialist,
high quality forage herb
S.C. MOLONEY and G.D. MILNEview more
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(143 KB)
Farmer First Research: A review of phase one results in relation to farmers’
willingness and ability to change
J.I. REID, A.F. MCRAE and R. BRAZENDALEview more
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(83 KB)
Farmtracker: an integrated approach to physical farm management
B.M. BUTLERview more
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(95 KB)
Grasslands Kahu timothy: quality pasture for animal performance
D.R. STEVENS, M.J. CASEY, J.D. TURNER, G.S. BAXTER and K.B. MILLERview more
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(133 KB)
Grazing preference for pasture species by sheep is affected by endophyte and
nitrogen fertility
G.R. EDWARDS, R.J. LUCAS and M.R. JOHNSONview more
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(176 KB)
Improving the balance of sheep and beef cattle livestock systems
R.W. WEBBYview more
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(111 KB)
Low cost revegetation of slips near Gisborne
S.J. QUILTER, C.J. KORTE and D.R. SMITHview more
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(117 KB)
Managing for risk on summer dry coastal hill country
D. KINNELLview more
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(37 KB)
Methods of establishing tall fescue and ryegrass in a dryland environment
D.E. HUME and T.B. LYONSview more
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(204 KB)
MRDC Monitor Farms - using information
A.P. RHODES and M.D. ASPINview more
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(63 KB)
Nitrogen use and farm performance on Wairarapa sheep and beef farms
J.D. MORTON, C.J. KORTE, D.R. SMITH, B.D. WATT and R.G. SMITHview more
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(92 KB)
On-farm establishment of drought-tolerant pastures on the east coast of the
North Island
D. R. SMITH, M. W. A. SLAY, M. H. GRAY and G. D. MILNEview more
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Plant and environmental factors that affect pasture legume establishment from oversowing were examined in a series of experiments at Poukawa Research Station near Hastings. A combination of 2 sowing seasons and 2 soil conditions gave cool/ dry, cool/wet, warm/dry and warm/wet. The rainfall in the trial year (1992) was 933 mm compared with the mean of 771 mm. Eleven species (5 annual and 6 perennial legumes) from Lotus, Medicago and Tr$olium genera were used. Establishment was poor, less than 10% of total herbage yield (6 and 8 months after oversowing for the cool and warm seasons, respectively) being contributed by any of the legume species. The major cause of poor establishment was poor germination. Eighty percent of sown seed failed to produce a seedling. Although germination was worse under cool (8°C) conditions, particularly for subterranean clover, the major cause of poor germination was not identified. The usefulness of new legume species in dryland hill pastures will depend on the species being suited to establishment from oversowing and a better definition of the factors that affect successful oversowing. Keywords: drought, herbage yield, hill country, Lotus, Medicago, moisture, oversowing, pasture establishment, plant density, temperature, Trifolium
In New Zealand where cows are grazed on pasture
throughout winter, severe pugging damage can
occur particularly during wet and stormy weather.
On a severely pugged area, seasonal and annual
dry matter (DM) production of 3 reseeding
treatments (broadcast ryegrass seed followed by
rolling or harrowing, drilled ryegrass seed followed
by harrowing) and three non-seeded treatments
(rolling, harrowing and an untreated control) were
compared over 2 years. Average annual DM
production of the three reseeding treatments was
higher (PcO.05) than the unseeded treatments.
Rolling and harrowing without reseeding had no
effect on DM production or pasture composition.
The three reseeding treatments had higher ryegrass
percentage (PcO.01) and lower (P with the inherent variability in pastoral farming.
This paper addresses: 1) the percentage of a mob
(70, 80 or 90%) to select for a supply contract and
2) methods to decide on the number of animals to
supply (stocking rate), given uncertain pasture
growth. Riverside Farm pasture growth data were
used to simulate a 100 ha finishing block. A meat
company winter contract was used with steers
contracted on 1 April for supply in mid July and
mid August. Analyses were perfbrmed using the
Stockpol model. Analyses showed grain supplements
to ensure 90% of the mob achieved contract
weights would increase profit by about $9000 at
all stocking rates (1 S-2.5 steers/ha) compared with
accepting only 70% of animals achieving contract
weight. Stockpol-predicted profits for 4 stocking
rates (1.8, 2.0, 2.2 and 2.5 steers/ha) given 1000
possible outlooks for pasture growth showed the
optimum stocking rate derived using average
pasture growth overestimated the optimum under
uncertain pasture growth by about 10%. The more
conservative stocking rates carried less financial
risk in years of below-average pasture growth.
Keywords: contract, model, pasture growth, risk,
steer, supplementation, variability My wife, Lindy, and I are the operating managers on
Kumu Kumu, a 724 ha sheep and beef property situated
23 km east of Masterton. Kumu Kumu was purchased
in 1988 by a partnership, which in turn is jointly and
equally owned by two equity entities, one of which
represents the interests of my family.
The property is predominantly hill country straddling
both sides of the Maungaraki limestone ridge, the westfacing
slopes being exposed to dry north-west winds,
and the east-facing being less affected, but both aspects,
being loess-covered siltstones, are prone to some
erosion. At the base of these hills to the east, we have a
reasonable area of alluvial loam flats which are prone
to winter wetness, but give high spring/summer
production. Many New Zealand farms contain shelterbelts
which have generally been unmanaged, resulting
in dubious shelter benefits and poor log values at
harvest. The effect of a 6- and 7-row Pinus radiata
shelterbelt on adjacent pasture production was
monitored at Matea, Taupo during 1992193. Pasture
production was measured at a range of distances
parallel’to the shelterbelts on both sides and on
open pasture. A 15% increase in pasture production
was recorded at 0.7 tree height distance on both
sides of the shelterbelts. There was also a gradual
trend of increasing dry matter production as
distance from the shelterbelts increased. However,
on average, the sheltered zone produced slightly
less dry matter than the open pasture. Increases in
soil and herbage nutrient levels close to the
shelterbelt suggest nutrient transfer by animals to
the sheltered zones may have occurred. Shelterbelt
tree growth was assessed and projected forward to
maturity. Merchantable log volume at age 28 years
was predicted to be 2300 m3/km of shelterbelt.
Based on current log prices the 7-row shelterbelt
was estimated at age 28 years to have a net value
of $130 000/km
Keywords: log value, nutrients, pasture production,
pasture composition, Pinus radiata, shelter,
shelterbelt, wood yields Helen and I with a single shepherd farm “Glenbrae”
a 918 ha hill country property situated on the eastern
foothills of the Tararua ranges. Prior to 1978 my
father farmed 167 ha, part of the present property.
During 1978 I purchased 208 ha 5 km from my
father’s farm.
Further expansion has been made possible by leasing
land, both adjoining and at distance from Glenbrae (up
until this year a quarter of the property was leased).
Improvement in productivity per ha and per head has
also increased our ability to service borrowings necessary
for expansion. Summer dry Wairarapa hill country can be farmed
profitably. Most of the profit is created by fully
feeding the stock in the spring from September to
early December. My economic farm surplus to
total capital involved has given me a return of 8-
11% over the last 4 years. The key ingredient is to
maximise the most profitable enterprise and then
fit the other stock options around it. I maintain
that a 2-year cattle finishing policy fits the pasture
growth pattern best and achieves the desired
financial results.
Keywords: animal requirements, feed supply,
profitability of molybdenum (MO), lime and nitrogen on steep
(>30°) north-facing hill pasture on the Massey
University Hill Farm, “Tuapaka”. Treatments
included application of molybdenum, lime (L),
nitrogen (N) alone and together with MO and lime.
MO and lime werre applied in mid May at 0.05 kg/
ha and 2000 kg/ha separately, and N fertiliser was
applied as urea in August and October at 60 and
20 kg N/ha respectively. Herbage and soil
responses were measured over spring and summer
1992/93. Nitrogen fertiliser increased herbage mass
accumulation from 3 to 41 kg DM/kg N applied,
and the response was increased by the addition of
lime or MO. Ryegrass content increased in the
sward and the low-fertility-tolerant grass species
content decreased. MO application increased the
white clover content in the sward and subsequently
resulted in the increase in herbage mass
accumulation by 0.4% to 32%. The effect of MO
application was larger than that of liming but less
than that of N alone application. Liming increased
soil pH by 0.24-0.3 pH units per 2000 kg lime
applied and soil moisture was increased from 2%
to 26% over spring/summer, and the potential
mineral nitrogen was increased by 94% in
November. These resulted in the increase in herbage
mass accumulation from 4.4% to 15%. These results
indicate that MO and lime applications would be
beneficial on these hill soils.
Keywords: herbage mass accumulation, hill
country, lime, molybdenum, nitrogen, Trifolium
repens A field experiment at the AgResearch Te Kuiti
Research Area examined effects of re-application
of phosphorus (P) fertilisers on production and
composition of hill pastures (1520% slope) which
had received no P for 7 years. Treatments were 0,
20, 40 and 80 kg P/ha/year as single superphosphate
(SSP) or North Carolina reactive
phosphate rock (RPR). The soil was a yellowbrown
earth/yellow-brown loam intergrade with
Olsen P 9. Re-application of P produced a rapid
and large increase in pasture production of up to
42 and 61% in years 1 and 2, respectively, and
brought production up to 95% of that measured in
neighbouring regularly fertilised paddocks. The
pasture response to RPR was less (PcO.01) than
that to SSP in both years, particularly at the highest
rate. This indicated that RPR was less suitable for
capital application. The P response was due almost
entirely to an increase in white clover growth, and
N, fixation was estimated to increase from 30 to
130 kg N/ha/year. In year 2, there was an increase
in ryegrass content of pasture receiving the high P
rate and this was attributed to increased nitrogen
availability due to increased N, fixation. Keywords: hill country, phosphorus, reactive
phosphate rock, superphosphate revegetation of erosion scars, 3 fertiliser and 3
seeding treatments were applied to plots on 8
recent scars in the Wairarapa, half each on
northerly or southerly aspects. Four scars were
grazed, and 4 were not grazed for the first 2%
years. Fertiliser treatments were no fertiliser,
superphosphate, and superphosphate plus nitrogen.
Seedin.g treatments were no seed, a slowestablishing
mixture, and a fast-establishing
mixture. Changes in vegetative cover were
monitored during years 0 to 2l/, and pasture
production during years 3% to 5%. Conclusions
include: rate of recovery of pastures can be greatly
increased by not grazing for 2-3 years and sowing
white clover and Lotus pedunculatus; spaceplanting
hill slopes with suitable tree species could
be accomplished at the same time; if slips are not
spelled from grazing, rate of slip revegetation and
subsequent productivity from oversowing white
clover can be reduced.
Keywords: erosion, fencing, fertiliser, hill
pastures, oversowing, production, revegetation,
slips Massey University assumed management responsibility
for “Riverside”, a 723 ha sheep and beef
cattle farm 8 km north of Masterton in Master-ton
in March 1978. The farm is leased to the University
under the terms of the will of the late Mr Sydney
Campbell to assist in the accumulation, expansion
and dissemination of knowledge about agriculture,
with particular emphasis on agriculture in the
Wairarapa. A lo-year farm development programme
instigated in 1978 resulted in the sale of
the beef herd and the winter stocking rate of sheep
being increased to 15.1 suiha by 1984 (9.7 sulha
in 1978). In 1985 stocking rates were sharply
reduced following a severe drought and the current
mixed 2-year bull beef and breeding ewe policy
was introduced. Recent research has focused on
drought-tolerant pasture species. In late 1992 sheep
and beef cattle farmers (n=lOO) were surveyed to
identify local information needs and how Riverside
could continue to serve the region’s research and
extension requirements. Information related to
fertilisers and farm management were most
frequently rated as the most imporant current needs. Keywords: extension, research, Riverside,
teaching, Wairarapa Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) is the second most
commonly sown grass species after ryegrass in
New Zealand farming. In 1980, Grasslands Apanui
was replaced by two new but very different
cocksfoot cultivars characterised by improved
digestibility and rust tolerance, cool-season growth
and greater persistence. Grasslands Wana, semiprostrate
and densely tillered, was developed for
dryland pastures of low soil fertility heavily set
stocked by sheep. Grasslands Kara, of low tiller
density and open structure, was developed for
lowland pastures of higher soil fertility as a
companion to other tufted grass species to be
rotationally grazed. Despite the different intended
uses for the two cultivars, Wana was widely used
in all environments. As a consequence, many
farmers have been disappointed with the
dominance of by Wana, particularly in lowland
pastures of medium to high fertility where
important companion grasses and clover have been
suppressed, leading to poor pasture palatability.
This paper describes key cultivar differences and
discusses their implications for North Island
farming systems, using the results of two on-farm
trials to demonstrate cultivar and management
effects. Guidelines on sowing rates, cultivar
selection and management techniques for avoiding
and reversing cocksfoot dominance are provided.
Keywords: cool-season production, Dactylis
glomerata, dominance, Grasslands Wana,
Grasslands Kara, ‘target cocksfoot percentage’,
lowland The objective of this trial was to study the effect
of variation in the timing and duration of lax
spring grazing on tiller dynamics in perennial
ryegrass. Tiller population density, tiller
appearance, and tiller death were measured in a
sward of perennial ryegrass (cv. Grasslands Nui)
and white clover (cv. Grasslands Tahora) grazed
by sheep every 14 days to 4 cm (hard) and every
21 days to 7 cm (lax) residues. The experiment
comprised 2 lax spring grazing treatments [lax
grazing October 26December 8 (H-H-L-H) and
September 16 December 8 (H-L-L-H)], plus a
hard grazed control (H-H-H-H). Ryegrass tiller
density was greater in H-L-L-H than H-H-L-H
and H-H-H-H from mid summer until the end of
the trial in autumn, mainly because of the
difference in tillering activity late in December.
Tiller appearance rate increased in all the
treatments from September to the end of January,
and was particularly high late in December in the
second regrowth after grazing of the apices of the
main group of reproductive tillers. The lax grazing
management strategy increased tiller appearance
rate during late December and January. Higher
tiller losses in lax grazing treatments over the
same period were not offset enough to affect this
advantage. The response in tiller population density
was greater following the extended period of lax
spring grazing.
Keywords: grazing management,Lolium perenne,
reproductive growth, tiller population density, tiller
demography, Trifolium repens Management-driven farming requires planning as
its essential ingredient. This paper elucidates the
planning systems that one Wairarapa farmer uses
to control and increase the performance of his
business. Planning from long term through to day
to day is examined relative to actual goals and
visions. Relevant business philosophies as well as
information inputs are included.
Keywords: control, goals, information, management,
planning, vision This paper outlines the systems of technology
transfer used by a local farm management
consultancy firm. The clientele of the firm is
profiled along with the expectations of that
clientele. The paper outlines the methods by which
the firm receives technology input and the methods
by which it transfers that technology. The
evaluation of the success of that technology transfer
is also described. The author emphasises the
importance of technical competence and
professional independence in the consultancy
profession. He also outlines his philosophy on
technology transfer. This philosophy maintains
that agriculture is a people-based industry and
that the most successful technology transfer will
occur where the bearer of that technology has
credibility and is a good communicator, whether
he or she is a farmer, consultant or a scientist.
Keywords: client servicing, communication skills,
farm discussion groups, management newsletter,
people-based industry, professional independence,
technical competence, “trickle-down” effect In 1969 the initial objective in using a nitrogen
compound fertiliser was to bridge a feed deficit in
late winter-early spring. Further advantages were
observed, including an improvement in pastures
from browntop to ryegrass dominance, better
growth into dry summer, and faster recovery from
droughts. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) was also
incorporated into land development out of manuka,
resulting in much faster establishment of dense
pasture. Cost comparisons with superphosphate
encouraged the use of DAP as an annual
maintenance fertiliser from 1975, usually at a rate
of 125 kg/ha. Details are given of sulphur
additives, molybdenum, lime and copper for
animal health. The lift in productivity from 1969
to 1992 is shown. The conclusion is that a DAP/
sulphur fertiliser applied from late autumn to early
spring is a cost-effective and balanced input. It
allows a high stocking rate (12/ha) on poorer hill
country, without supplementary feed, plus high
per head performance. Feed generated has been
sufficient to shear 2100 ram hoggets in early
August, culminating in ram sales of 1400 per year.
Lambing percentages are above 130% survival to
sale in good years, and wool weights have
averaged 7.7 kg/year, including wool sold on
sheeps’ back. Ewe hoggets are mated, averaging
30% survival to sale.
Keywords: diammonium phosphate, feed cover,
fertiliser, hill country, land development Many New Zealand pastoral farmers have
experienced severe financial hardship due to lowerthan-
adequate product prices and adverse climatic
conditions in recent years. It is perhaps now
appropriate to look at alternative land use for a
proportion of their farm.Wood is a product which
the world is desperately short of, and New Zealand
can grow wood better than virtually anywhere
else in the world. When we look at world demand
for wood, both now and in the near future, we see
that plantings are not keeping up with expected
demands. The world would need an area 6 times
that of New Zealand (i.e. 160 million ha) to satisfy
the demand. At present, we only harvest 1.6% of
the world’s total harvest. In New Zealand the
trend is in the right direction, with production
predicted to reach 25 million cubic metres by
2015 (2.5 times present production). This will
require 9.4% of the land area of New Zealand, but
will produce $16 billion, more than wool, meat
and dairy together. Agroforestry gives farmers the
opportunity to spread their risk beyond traditional
agricultural products, and also participate in this
growing industry of forestry. The question should
not be whether trees are planted on some of our
own farm land, but who will do it. Farmers have
been slow to convert, but economics will prevail.
Keywords: agroforesty, economics, hill country,
marginal hill country A computer can’t do anything you can’t do by hand.
Because of this, many farmers (and others) find it
difficult to perceive how owning a computer could
change the way they farm. Most potential clients do
not believe they will have more money in their pockets
at the end of the day because of owning a computer.
There is the perception that computers are useful to do
the GST and save some money at the accountants but
otherwise they are expensive and time consuming. With
the right software computers are able to do the task
more quickly.
The number of computers in use nationally is
difficult to determine. A survey by the Kellogg farm
management unit indicated 8.4%. In the Wairarapa we
have 11.6% of farmers using our software on their PCs.
At Computer Concepts we have always focused our
financial software on budgeting and on farm business
management. This process in simply a matter of knowing
where you are today, and from that position projecting
(budgeting) into the future. It sounds so simple. In
farming the production and prices are always changing.
Each week the budget is old, it halves in value. All
budgets need to be constantly updated. This means that
most farmers are very sceptical of the usefulness of a
budget. Keywords: budgeting, computer software Data to estimate changes in average pasture cover
(APC) provide valuable information to the farm
manager for planning and controlling grazing
decisions, but may be time consuming to collect.
The more frequently the information is obtained
the more often can adjustments be made towards
attaining targets. APC estimated by sampling a
small percentage of the paddocks (indicator
paddocks) was compared with estimates based on
measurements of the whole farm, as a means of
providing reliable and timely pasture budgeting
information for the manager of a bull beef unit.
Some combinations of indicator paddocks reliably
reflected whole-farm-based estimates (r = 0.75
0.99) but were not always practical, or less time
consuming, to collect. Application of the indicator
paddock technique was estimated to increase
annual data collection costs by $300 on the case
study farm.
Keywords: bull beef, feed budgeting, indicator
paddocks, pasture cover Keywords: commercial consultancy, computer
program, decision-support program, Stockpol
Introduction
Stockpol is a computer program designed for decision
support on pastoral sheep and beef farms (Marshall et
al. 1991). It was designed for use by consultants who
give advice on stock policy decisions.
A team of 8 consultants were a vital component of
the Stockpol development team. They acted as clients
to ensure the model performed the way they required.
Since release, user suggestions have contributed to
Stockpol’s evolution. However, for Stockpol to be of
use, a consultant needs the skill to adapt problems for
analysis using Stockpol. This brief communication
reports a case study of a commercial use of Stockpol
in consultancy work. The liveweights of Friesian bulls farmed on 3
farmlets during 4 years were analysed to find how
the variation in liveweight increased through time,
and to review some possible farm management
strategies for limiting the increase in this variation.
There were 59 bulls in 1986, 66 bulls in 1987, 59
bulls in 1988 and 61 bulls in 1989. The variation
in animal liveweights within a mob increased
linearly through time. The small variance in the
slopes of the estimates indicated that the increase
in liveweight variation through time could be
predicted very accurately. The rate of increase of
variation through time differed in only one year
(1987; P< 0.01). Variation in animal liveweight
between farmlets was constant through time, and
not associated with the rate of increase of within
mob liveweight variation. It was shown that the
ranking of animals within the frequency distribution
of animal liveweight changed through time.
Thus the current liveweight rank of an animal was
no guide to liveweight rank 5 or 6 months in the
future. This suggests that minimising the increase
in liveweight variation through time by dividing a
mob of cattle is not feasible. The importance of
control of variation in agricultural products for
the operation of on-farm quality assurance schemes
is discussed, and avenues for exploration of
management tactics designed to minimise variation
in the production of animals for slaughter
suggested.
Keywords: bulls, liveweight, marketing, on-farm
- quality assurance Seasonal changes in white clover plant morphology
were investigated in Waikato dairy pasture. Plants
were classified according to the degree of
branching, 2nd-order plants comprising the bulk
of the population (47%) throughout the year. There
was a slightly greater proportion of lst-order plants
than found in similar studies on sheep-grazed
swards in Manawahr. Plant fragmentation occurred
in late spring, increasing the proportion of lstorder
plants. A corresponding decrease in plant
size was observed, with minimum values measured
for most characteristics, i.e., stolon, leaf and root
dry weight (DW); stolon length, and number of
leaves, roots and growing points. Overall, white
clover plants in Waikato dairy pastures are
considerably larger than plants in Manawatu sheep
pastures. The trial highlighted that because white
clover plants in spring are small, they are
vulnerable to mismanagement in dairy pastures,
just as has been demonstrated in pasture grazed by
sheep. There were, however, some significant
differences in white clover plant structure in dairy
pastures compared with sheep-grazed swards.
Keywords: dairy pasture, morphology, plant order,
plant size, seasonal variation, Trifolium repens Download
(92 KB)
Plan conservatively when setting forward contracts for beef production from
pasture
D.G. MCCALL, A.B. PLEASANTS and P.R. MARSHALLview more
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(74 KB)
Producing heavy weight lambs for export
GWYN WILLIAMSONview more
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(44 KB)
Production and interaction of pastures and shelterbelts in the central North
Island
M.F. HAWKE and J.D. TOMBLESONview more
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(104 KB)
Production gains from genetic improvement, hybrid vigour, fertiliser and feeding
management on a Wairarapa sheep and beef farm
J. MCFADZEANview more
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(59 KB)
Profitability through matching feed supply to animal requirement
N. MCLARENview more
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(60 KB)
Response of southern North Island hill pasture to nitrogen, molybdenum and
lime
ZHOU JIAYOU, I. VALENTINE and J. HODGSONview more
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(119 KB)
Response to re-application of phosphate fertilisers on hill pasture where fertiliser
had been withheld for seven years
S.F. LEDGARD and G.J. BRIERview more
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(115 KB)
Revegetation of erosion scars in Wairarapa hill country
M.G. LAMBERT, N.A. TRUSTRUM, D.A. COSTALL and A.G. FOOTEview more
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(144 KB)
Riverside Farm - A Wairarapa teaching, research and extension resource
W.J. PARKER, A.MACDONALD, V. BLANCHARD and R.J. TOWNSLEYview more
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(89 KB)
Selection, management and use of cocksfoot cultivars in North Island pastoral
farming
S.C. MOLONEYview more
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(149 KB)
Spring grazing management and tiller dynamics in a ryegrass/white clover
pasture
A. HERNANDEZ-GARAY, J. HODGSON and C. MATTHEWview more
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(116 KB)
Strategic planning: how one successful farmer organises and plans his farming
business
D.A. NEALview more
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(42 KB)
Technology transfer: systems used by a Wairarapa farm consultancy firm
C. GARLANDview more
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(42 KB)
The long-term use of nitrogen fertiliser in intensive hill country farming
D. DANIELLview more
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(59 KB)
The place of forestry in agriculture
ANDREW POTTINGERview more
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(76 KB)
The role of computer software in budgeting and goal setting of farmer clients
D.D. HOWDEN, R.I. CAMPBELL and B.M. ECCLESview more
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(31 KB)
The use of indicator paddocks to improve the quality of information for grazing
management
M.B. De FREITAS, E.M. HURLEY and W.J. PARKERview more
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(106 KB)
Use of the Stockpol computer decision-support program in commercial
consultancy
D.G. MCCALL and P.M. TITHERview more
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(32 KB)
Variation in cattle liveweights at marketing
R.W. WEBBY, A.B. PLEASANTS and L.A. GREAVESview more
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(147 KB)
White clover plant morphology in Waikato dairy pastures
S.L. HARRISview more
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(103 KB)
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