Adoption of herbage cultivars
- an extension rationale
R.A. French and J.G. Simmonds
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Over the past 10 years, 14 new herbage cultivars
have become available to New Zealand farmers.
Each cultivar has the potential to increase total
and/or seasonal dry matter (DM) production. Many
have other desirable features such as insect
resistance, improved palatibility, better persistence
and adaptability. Yet despite these obvious
advantages, many plant breeders, advisers and
commerical agents are repeatedly asking, why aren’t
the majority of pastoral farmers quickly adopting
these new improved grass and legume cultivars?
Agronomic and environmental constraints
in North Island dairying and
the choice of pasture species
G. J. Goold, N.A. Thomson and F.R. Duder
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Traditionally dairy production in New Zealand
has been centred on regions with adequate rainfall
and free draining, fertile soils. Within such regions
however, considerable variation between properties
is observed in the level of dairy production, often
attributed to differences in animal management
skills. In contrast, the authors of this paper believe
that there are important agronomic and
environmental constraints to high dairy production
and the paper considers, in particular, the role which
various pasture species and cultivars can play, in
alleviating these constraints.
Environmental and agronomic constraints
in dryland pasture and choice of species
J.H. Hoglund and J.G.H. White
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Hawkes Bay in the north down to North Otago,
the duration and intensity of summer drought is
unpredictab!e and variable. Within this region,
winter temperatures are generally high enough to
allow slow growth of pasture but summer drought
can completely halt growth in most years,
particularly on the commonly found shallow free
draining soils. On these soils, moisture stress can
develop very quickly because of the limited available
soil water. Nearer the foothills, rainfall is greater and
severe moisture stress less common. On sunny
aspects in hill country however soils are commonly
below wilting point for over six months of the year.
Establishing and managing improved plants
in hill country
M.G. Lambert, A.P. Rhodes, D. J. Barker
and J.S. Bircham
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Legume introduction by oversowing steep hill
country is accepted practice. Grass oversowing is less
commonly attempted.
Why do farmers choose to oversow, and why is
success of oversowing variable? In answering these
questions we suggest how success of oversowing
might be improved. We also consider the
appropriateness of attempting to introduce improved
plants to steep hill country, how to go about it, and
how to make best use of introduced plants. In this
paper, improved plants are taken to mean those
cultivars on the National List of Acceptable Herbage
Cultivars. In practice, seed of unimproved plants is
commonly used. At least 50% of pasture seed
mixtures sown in North Island hill country are “bush
burn” mixtures, and much of the white clover sown
is of permanent pasture origin.
Establishing and managing recent cultivars in arable dryland
pastures
D.E. Hume and T.J. Fraser
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Grass and legume species/cultivars available to
farmers in the summer dry east coast of New
Zealand, other than the traditionally used perennial
ryegrasslwhite clover, fall into 3 categories:
1. drought tolerant species/cultivars which will
maintain production later into summer and
respond quickly after drought, e.g. cocksfoot,
tall fescue, lucerne, prairie grass.
2 . species/cultivars which will maximise
production in winter and spring, e.g. prairie
grass, phalaris, subterranean clover.
3. species/cultivars compatible with summer crop
programmes e.g. annual ryegrasses.
Establishment and management
of sown finishing pastures
G.P. Cosgrove, R.J.M. Hay and C.C. Boswell
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Over the last decade at least seven improved
pasture cultivars which have application in the
summer moist finishing regions of Manawatu,
coastal and south Otago and Southland have been
released.
Ryegrass and white clover are the dominant
pasture components in these regions. Production
from such pastures is limited by cool winter
temperatures in OtagoISouthland and by summer
moisture stress in Manawatu (see Chapter 7).
Improved cultivars of ryegrass and white clover,
alternative species and better management strategies
can be used to lessen the effect of these limitations.
The establishment and management aspects are
discussed in this chapter.
Establishment and management
of suitable species in dairy pastures
E.R. Thom, N.A. Thomson
and D.G. Clayton
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For the success of a new dairy pasture, species
and cultivars must be selected to counter the
limitations to dairying of existing pasture. After
successful establishment, the subsequent
management of the pasture must ensure its full
potential is expressed. Pasture establishment is a
costly operation ($300-5OO/ha) with some element of
risk, caused by unpredictable climatic conditions,
irrespective of the level of technical expertise
adopted.
Limitations to pasture production and choice of
species
D. Scott, J.M. Keoghan, G.G. Cossens,
L.A. Maunsell, M.J.S. Floate,
B.J. Wills and G. Douglas
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The South Island hill and high country is
defined as those areas which were in natural
grassland at the time of early European settlement.
This includes the major geographical regions of dry
hill and high country of Marlborough, Canterbury
and North Otago, and the wet acid tussock
grasslands of Otago and Southland.
To define the most appropriate pasture species
for farming in these areas, it is first necessary to
define the appropriate environmental factors since
they largely determine the types of farming systems
possible. Once this has been done, it will be found
that there are only one or two pasture species which
are the best option in each environment or farming
system.
Limitations to production and choice of species
in finishing pastures
A.J. Harris and A.C.P. Chu
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During the past 15 years many new pasture
species and cultivars have been released and are now
commercially available. However, with the exception
of Nui and Ellett ryegrasses, only a few have received
enthusiastic acceptance by farmers. Acceptance
depends in part to the extent to which the new plant
can overcome periods of low productivity. Other
reasons which are the frequent subject of comment
by seed merchants include historic use of a pasture
mixture and seed cost.
Marketing herbage seeds
R.G. Smith and R.D.J. Mather
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One of the most underrated factors in our
pastoral development has been the humble seed.
Rarely recognised, it has made a significant
contribution in allowing farmers to increase
production within the wide range of climatic and
fertility environments encountered in our country.
But now, the quality of New Zealand pastures is
becoming internationally recognised and has been
one of the main contributing factors in the
development of our country, together with the drive
and competence of our farming fraternity and the
abundant use of fertiliser.
Pasture growth limitations
in hill country and choice of species
D.F. Chapman and M.J. Macfarlane
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There is undoubted potential for large increases
in farm production from steep hill country.
Estimates suggest stock numbers could more than
doubie through both land development and
intensification of current enterprises to top farmer
levels. Many factors, economic, physical and social,
influence current output, land development and
intensification. Our intention is to review the
physical and biological limitations to pasture
production. These are of considerable concern to the
farmer. In a recent survey, winter-early spring and
summer feed shortages were the first and third most
important reasons nominated by farmers for not
carrying more stock.
Planning, establishment and management
of pastures in high country
B.E. Allan, W.L. Lowther and P. J. Walton
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Introduced pasture species are used to improve
the quantity and quality of feed grown in the South
Island high country. However, matching the
increased feed supply to annual stock demands is
difficult in an environment characterised by long
winters, unpredictable climate and rugged terrain.
Every high country run faces a different set of
problems, and because of this, no set recipe can be
given. Nevertheless, when undertaking a
development programme, there are many points that
need consideration. This paper recommends how to
approach development and, within our present know
how, how to get the most from it.
Some factors affecting the rate of adoption
of new herbage cultivars
J.A. Lancashire
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Between 1973 and 1983 the number of certified
grasses and legumes (excluding lucerne) available to
the New Zealand farmer increased from 21 to 37
(Table 11 .l), with a further 5 added to the New
Zealand National List during 1984/85. Clearly the
high rate at which new cultivars are being released is
continuing. Lucerne has followed a similar pattern
with 10 cultivars now available compared with only 3
in 1970.
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