Depending on your location, your pasture needs will differ, particularly in an El Niño period. Over the past few months we’ve all seen our share of the long hot summer and high temperatures and there are likely to be areas of your farm that need attention.
Kenny Henderson’s advice to North Island farmers is to take stock of your pasture now and make sure you use the windows of opportunity where you can to do any cropping or regrassing.
"Pasture condition can change quite quickly. If you don't get what you need to done now you have the risk of pasture having to lay fallow for winter or getting less than desirable crop because you’ve had to sow when it’s wet or there have been patches of mud in paddocks," he says.
"Think about when you’re wanting to graze and make sure that what you’re putting in is going to yield at the right time. Consider the soil types – is this particular crop going to like wet soil? Do you need a crop that’s easy to care for and easy to get the cows on and off or do you have the staffing available to move cows through cross daily? There is a large need for flexibility. Make a plan but expect to tweak it or throw it out completely if you need to. Use the knowledge of those around you such as your Technical Ag Specialists and Technical Sales Representatives. We can point you in the right direction."
For South Island farmers, the situation is slightly different with irrigation mitigating many of El Niño’s drying effects on pastures. Having moved to Oamaru from Northland, Mark Douglas, has seen first-hand the differences in pasture planning between the islands. While most Northland farmers put in pasture autumn, South Island farmers tend to sow in spring and use autumn to set themselves up for the coming season.
"Coming into autumn we’re having conversations with our farmers about their crops’ status and readiness for winter. Have you got your winter feeds sorted? What’s the plan for next summer – what paddocks are going to be cropped paddocks? What’s your strategy to maximise our feed in the meantime?"
- Farm Source Technical Sales Manager Mark Douglas (Oamaru).
"Some of my farmers put in fodder-beet that they will graze earlier before the cows head off to the winter grazing paddocks. It’s a way to extend lactation, give the cows some energy towards the end of summer and have the cows transitioned onto beet before they get to the wintering blocks. Once they’ve grazed those off, they’ll turn the paddock back into pasture.
"The South Island is paradise for ryegrass, which loves the cooler nights and warm days. It’s important to adapt your cropping and regrassing approach to suit the idiosyncrasies of ryegrass. When it gets cold, the grass is not going to grow and there are consequences of late autumn, early winter sowing in the south as weeds can overtake the grass growth. It’s going to be important that you manage the pasture, get it up and away as quickly as possible so that you can nip it off prior to winter," Mark says.
When it comes to weed management, Mark recommends a strategy of regrassing in autumn to manage the problem weed, twitch/couch.
"Spray the affected paddock with glyphosate in mid-February and then sow a crop of short-term ryegrass or even a cereal crop to take it through to the next season. The following autumn, spray again with glyphosate and then sow into permanent pasture," he says.
Regardless of location, Kiwi farmers are united in their desire to get the best out of their farm for years and years to come.
Top tips for pasture planning
- Contact your local TSR for expert advice
- Think about when you’re wanting to graze and make sure that what you’re putting in is going to yield at the right time
- Consider the soil types
- Be flexible: Make a plan but expect to tweak it or throw it out completely if you need to
- Use grazing and yield records to identify your best and worst paddocks in terms of production. Earmark the lowest performing paddocks for renewal – your TSR can help you ascertain the underlying cause of the low pasture production and treat the cause
- Score your pasture with Farm Source’s Pasture Condition Score Tool and DairyNZ Damage Score Guide to determine what action to take for each paddock
- Implement a weed management strategy as required: spray now for twitch/couch
- Visit your local Farm Source store and pick up a Pasture Pack specific to your farm’s needs. Each of our Farm Source Pasture Packs contain a specialised mix of seed to meet the variations in insect control, climate, soil type, paddock use and farm facilities to deliver the best possible results. Our certified seed lines are all tested for germination, purity and, where required, for endophyte.