Dairy Focus December 2011

An Ashburton Guardian Supplement

FOCUS Issue 43 - December 20, 2011

Fourth generation dairy farmer set to make his mark P3

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2

Herd scene with Hamish Hamish Davidson n d Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers’ dairy section head

M

id Canterbury Federated Farmers dairy section head Hamish Davidson has no complaints about the year so far.

There is plenty of grass for cows to eat, irrigation has only been necessary in the last week or so meaning savings in both water and electricity costs, and Fonterra has just adjusted its forecast payout for the 2012 season up 20 cents to $6.50/kgMS milk price, the dividend range remained unchanged.

The only down side of a “growthy year” is the variable quality of pasture. “Cows like consistent quality grass, but the difficulty with such a good year is that the growth has caused feed quality issues. It means the cows do not consistently produce the same amount of milk and are more difficult to manage.”

The heat and humidity in the past week has also taken its toll, making cows lethargic and not interested in eating.

The extra grass has also meant a busy time for contractors, who are struggling to keep up with the demand to make silage.

Hamish said an interesting battle was looming between milk processors, with Fonterra, Synlait and now Westland competing for suppliers and new conversions in Mid Canterbury.

Dairy farmers ultimately chose the supply path that fitted them best financially and philosophically.

Fonterra required the most capital input, then Westland, and lastly Synlait. “Younger people that are strapped for capital or wish to use that capital for development tend to go with Synlait.”

The Dunsandel processor is currently looking for capital to buy more dairy farms and develop irrigation so its new nutritional milk powder plant can process to capacity.

Hamish said the continuing expansion of dairying in the district highlighted a shortage of experienced dairy workers, though industry bodies like DairyNZ were working flat out trying to raise skill levels.

Expansion though may mean a change of practices for some farmers, with some opting

Following in dad’s gumboots.......................... 3 Lemons sign up with Westland....................... 4 Compliance checklist ......................................... 5 Keeping track of pregnancies......................... 6 Tech solution to lameness ............................. 7 Robotic milking economic ........................... 8-9

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Ashburton Guardian Publication date: Next issue:

Hamish said dairy farmers had also come a long way in the past 20 years as they tried to reduce their environmental impact. Effluent management was regulated, with penalties for offenders, and most farmers now had nutrient management plans, which monitored how many nutrients could be applied to the land before leaching became an issue.

Those farmers who had their nutrient plans in the bottom draw beside their business plan needed to get them out and make them a working document.

He said dairying, for most farmers, was no getrich-quick scheme. “The reality is the dairy industry is a profitable business but a lot of people just want to support their family and have a good life.”

Fonterra’s revised payout was good news, though with the market still volatile, it would be the end of season figure that counted.

Pasture count feature ............................. 10-11 DWN gets some expert help ......................... 12 Conferences calling .......................................... 13 Getting the low-down on grasses ................ 14 Dipping and flushing automatically ........... 15 Maize and worms ............................................... 16

An advertising supplement of the Ashburton Guardian

FOCUS

for more intensive farming systems. The cost of wintering herds may lead to more cows under cover, on Total Mixed Ration (TMR) type diets.

December 20, 2011 January 31, 2012

We welcome any correspondence to either: Amanda Niblett, phone 307-7927 email: amanda.n@theguardian.co.nz or Linda Clarke, phone 307-7971 email: linda.c@theguardian.co.nz

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3

Following in dad’s gumboots Linda Clarke ke n Rural Reporter, Ashburton Guardian

N

ick Gilbert is a man who appreciates a nice set of . . . udders.

The 20-year-old dairy farmer says well proportioned equipment at the milking end of a cow is essential in his trade. He is already building his own herd of stud Jersey and Holstein cows and planning to follow in the footsteps of his father, his grandfather and great-grandfather as a dairy farmer.

An inherited appreciation for the perfect dairy cow has taken him recently into the world of stock judging, where he came first in a national junior judging contest at the Royal Agricultural Society Show in Hamilton. Another Mid Canterbury dairy farmer Frances Beeston was second.

The ride to the show was not exactly smooth for Nick, who moved to the North Island in July last year to work at an Otorohanga dairy farm with connections to Queen Elizabeth, who breeds Jerseys as well as corgis.

He shifted to a Tokoroa dairy farm in February, but was admitted to hospital in October, just before the royal show, after he collapsed at work. It was the second time in four months and doctors were worried.

Mum Anne and Dad Peter flew from Mid Canterbury to Hamilton Hospital, where Nick was assessed and monitored while specialists tried to find a cause.

Determined to make the judging final, Nick begged leave from the hospital and doctors allowed him to go. He says the contest passed in a blur, and

organisers were worried because he didn’t look so great. But the end result was a win.

Nick said growing up on a stud dairy farm gave him a distinct advantage in judging competitions.

His family have been involved in showing cattle at A&P shows around the region and Glenalla Jerseys have been on the stud scene for several generations.

Breeding champion show cows is not a quick process and his 10-year goal is to have a herd of pedigree Jerseys that have good udders and a bigger build. He has introduced Holsteins and Ayrshires to the family’s Winchmore farm, though he respects Peter’s passion for Jerseys.

He does like the Jerseys’ friendly, easy-to-handle nature. He looks for good balance, length of body and width when picking out potential stock for his herd or winners in the judging ring.

While his medical condition is being sorted out, Nick is on light duties. He can’t drive, climb a ladder or operate machinery; though he can play cricket.

The former Mid Canterbury representative cricket player turned out for Waikato Valley in the Northern Districts Hawke Cup competition last summer, but is pulling on the whites for Lauriston while he recovers at home.

The enforced spell is giving him plenty of time to catch up with younger brothers Michael, 17, and Luke, 14, as well as keeping an eye on Veronica, Linda and Lyn – three very special two-yearold Jerseys he hopes will be the start of his own successful stud operation.

PHOTO TETSU MITOMO 251111-TM-008

Nick Gilbert and pedigree Jersey cow Veronica, the start of his stud business.

4

Lemons sign with Westland J

ames and Kerri Lemon’s fourth generation Lauriston farm has become the first Canterbury dairy farm conversion to sign up to West Coast-based dairy supplier Westland Milk Products.

“We have a fair idea of what makes dairying tick so, apart from the day-today management of the farm, it won’t be too huge a change for us.”

The Lemons join existing Canterbury dairy farmers already on board a cooperative they have joined because it has the “grunt” to go places.

Part of the attraction of owning an integrated dairy/cropping farm were the synergies that arose from running both operations simultaneously.

James Lemon said choosing to become a Westland shareholder came down to the company’s size, New Zealand ownership structure and clear strategic direction.

The effluent from the dairying operation will be returned to the cropping land, reducing fertiliser inputs and cost while the cropped feed grain will be fed through the dairy shed while utilising the straw during wintering of the cows.

and grass silage for the past eight years.

Westland is a long established company on the West Coast and the opportunity was before them to begin their future in dairying with a company they could grow with.

“Traditionally we will choose a company and stay with it so we are James Lemon (left) talks through conversion details with Westland director Noel quite loyal,” James says. “But what it Robb. came down to was the size of Westland a self-imposed limitation with new that would have made the business and the fact it wasn’t a monopoly but vulnerable in terms of input costs had enough grunt behind it to go places.” applications being considered on a first come first served basis,” Noel says. “Our associated with running the dairy growth is strategic and we will only take platform.

Westland director Noel Robb on a certain number of suppliers until welcomed James and Kerri to the our needs are met.”

In Canterbury, integrated dairy and now growing stable of Canterbury cropping farms are few and far between shareholders for Westland.

James says the decision to join and banks are more familiar working Westland was also strategic. “While with farms undertaking a 100 per “We have already made great strides Westland does not always pay the most cent dairy conversion. This meant the into Canterbury and to sign on a money it does pay competitively and Lemons had to present their bank with new dairy conversion is a significant consistently and that is what we are their own financial model to state their step, not just for Westland but for the looking for in our business, consistency case.

Canterbury region which continues to and sustainability.” thrive as a result of growth in the dairy For the Lemons and the bank, the industry.”

The entry share price of $1.50 per numbers stacked up after fine-tuning kilogram of milk solids was also a the land area for each operating Westland is already well down “substantially” lower initial capital enterprise. Of the 320 hectares the its strategic path to transform from investment than other co-operative Lemons own, 200 hectares will be a medium sized West Coast based options before them. converted to the dairy platform; it has supplier to a growth oriented, valued good access to irrigation. added and nutritional dairy products “Kerri and I have five children so it marketer. This year it commissioned the was important for us to convert the land The remaining 120 hectares of construction of a new reverse osmosis without putting us and them under too the original block of farmland and an plant at its warehouse and offices in much financial stress.” additional 170 hectares of land they Rolleston, Christchurch. lease will continue to operate as a This was important, as their decision cropping and dairy replacement grazing The company is also building a to partially convert part of their fourth unit. The herd will also be wintered on state-of-the-art nutritional plant at its generation farm to dairying was not an this area. head office and production facilities in easy one.

Hokitika.

James says while dairying is Once they took into account the essentially new to them, they have a Westland is actively seeking new synergies of owning and running an good understanding of what is involved, suppliers in the Canterbury region but integrated dairy/grazing/cropping unit, having leased service bulls for mating, warns some suppliers might miss out if it was the bank manager that took the grazed dairy heifer replacements and they wait too long. convincing to resist the temptation to wintered cows while also supplying the convert all the 320 hectares. James feels dairy industry with feed grain and maize “Our growth in Canterbury has

Maize and grass supplements will also be created from the run-off area, providing the break crops required to ensure the cropped soil remains healthy and productive. All this ties in together ensuring the Lemons are selfsufficient and sustainable.

“These are the obvious synergies of having an integrated unit,” James says.

He says relying solely on cropping for the bulk of the farm’s income was not an option for family progression given the volatility of the cropping market.

“It only takes one hailstorm and 30 to 40 per cent of your crop can be gone. The length of 12 to 18 months from the initial cost outlaid to plant and grow the crop until receiving a return on that produce grown is hard on your cash flow. With an integrated unit we are going to get the best of both worlds.”

The conversion will initially take on 750 cows but the infrastructure is being built to accommodate for a capacity of 1050 cows at a later date.

While they won’t start supplying Westland until August 2012, young stock have already been purchased and the Lemons plan to take possession of their herd in May next year.

Earthworks for the shed is currently under way and the farm is being refenced and designed around the dairy platform to accommodate the change from border-dyke flood irrigation to a more efficient system of lateral overhead irrigation.

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5

Compliance A

ll New Zealand dairy farmers now have access to regionally tailored checklists developed

by DairyNZ to help farmers meet the condition of their resource consents.

that everyone interprets the rules the same way. We’re determined to lift compliance levels and these checklists are proving to be a useful tool for farmers to do that.�

Farmers in the Greater Wellington, Tasman and Marlborough regions are the latest to have checklists developed for their regions, which allow them to perform a self-audit of their effluent systems.

The checklists have also proved to be a good sta training tool.

DairyNZ project manager of effluent services Theresa Wilson says the checklists have been popular since they first went out to Canterbury farmers in October 2009. “Farmers found the lists useful as they provide greater clarity around the rules of each regional council,� says Theresa. “Much of the non-compliance reported nationwide is for minor issues that can be avoided. The checklists are designed to help farmers as they go through their systems to ensure all the regulations are met and the administrative conditions of their consent have been fulfilled.�

The lists are short and sharp and have been developed in consultation with regional councils, dairy companies and Federated Farmers before being reviewed by farmers. “It was important to unravel the legal jargon in the regional plans and rules, and put it into plain English so

“The checklist can act as a catalyst for discussions with the farm team to ensure everyone involved with effluent management understands the requirements. It’s helpful to review the checklist at least twice a season, firstly during winter when system repairs and maintenance is underway and new sta are being trained, then mid-season to review the season- to-date. “Having sta know about the importance of effluent management, knowing the ins and outs of your effluent management plan and being trained so they can operate the system and know what to do when something goes wrong is a consent condition in some regions.â€?

Compliance checklists are available for farmers in the following regions: Canterbury, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Greater Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Horizons, Northland, Otago, Marlborough, Tasman, Southland, Taranaki, Waikato and West Coast.

To order or download the publication go to dairynz.co.nz/ checklists or phone 0800 4 DAIRYNZ (0800 4 324 7969).

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6

Keeping track of pregnancies Ian Hodge, BVSc. MACVSc. c. td Riverside Veterinary Services Ltd

I

t is summer time again, and what a bumper season for growth of both animals and grass it has been so far.

I have had farmers telling me they are struggling to keep up with grass growth, that they have made more silage/ balage than ever, and that their cows are looking in very good condition.

Milk flow also seems to be exceptional, with some very encouraging peak flow values.

In our practice early pregnancy testing is in full swing. At 35 to 42 days after mating scanning is accurate and enables us to accurately age all pregnancies. This will give you critical information on calving patterns of the early mated cows.

By knowing this information you can accurately draft cows in to springer mobs which can have benefits in terms of preventing metabolic diseases and mastitis.

In addition to these management improvements, cows that are discovered to be empty at the time of early scanning can be CIDR treated and be bull mated.

In many herds about 10 per cent of non returning cows are not pregnant.

These are the so called “Phantom Cows”.

By finding these cows early we can

Accurate pregnancy testing and dating are both valuable tools on a dairy farm.

increase their chances of becoming pregnant to the bull. This will reduce your overall empty rate.

The profitability of early pregnancy testing is very good when you consider

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the cost of doing the process against the lost value of an empty cow and having to replace her with an equivalent pregnant cow. The reduced empty rate at the end of the breeding season also contributes to the profitability.

Establishing your six-week in-calf percentage is also important. This is best done by scanning the entire herd 14 weeks after the start of mating.

At this point pregnancies eight weeks and older will make up your six week in-calf percentage. This is a critical measure of reproductive success. It should be 70 to 75 per cent.

If you leave your bulls out for six weeks and have mated for 12 weeks in total, scanning the entire herd six weeks after the end of the bull mating period will also give good accurate information about the stage of pregnancy of the later mated cows.

Those cows with pregnancies 12 weeks old and less will generally be due to calve in October and November.

Timed pregnancy testing to yield specific results can be very useful for

good herd management. Wintering cows in mobs to either gain or maintain condition score, springer management, replacement numbers, inductions and culling are some examples of why you should accurately age all pregnancies at the correct times.

During summer you should be vigilant to ensure your calves maintain the correct growth rate path. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) deficiency and parasitism are reasonably common during summer.

Any calves displaying abnormal behaviour or “fitting” could have a thiamine deficiency. Prompt veterinary attention will be required.

Diarrhoea in calves could be a sign of parasitism. Parasite larvae can develop to infective stages in 10 days under the correct conditions and re-infection of calves can occur. Please discuss and implement a robust parasite prevention strategy this summer in conjunction with your veterinarian.

Very best wishes for a happy and safe Christmas, a break from milking, and a prosperous New Year!

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7

Tech solution to lameness Fred Hoekstra ra es Veehof Dairy Services

T

echnology can be a very helpful thing to enhance productivity.

New equipment is being developed all the time. In many cases it makes our lives a lot easier. I know what that is like. If it wasn’t for the hoof trimming crushes that we sell I probably wouldn’t be a hoof trimmer.

lameness at mating time and lameness in bulls. One of the farms that I inseminated for this year has put in a heat detection camera. Initially I had some big question marks about this sort of technology. What happens if the camera breaks down and people are not well trained in spotting cycling cows?

But every bit of new technology has a cost. I am not talking about financial cost even though that is an obvious and sure cost. I am talking about a cost in skills.

Another concern is that if we need less skill from our staff then we make life quite boring for them and we probably end up employing less capable people.

If technology is taking over a job that we used to have to do then we don’t need that knowledge or skill anymore.

For instance our hoof trimming crush is restraining a cow so we can work on her feet or do anything else with her. Now we don’t have to learn anymore how to restrain a cow with the minimum of facilities, so that skill is lost and no doubt not many farmers are too worried about that.

You can get into big debates about this sort of thing and I’m not really in the mood for that at the moment but it is a thought worth considering.

Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t be a hoof trimmer without that crush technology and most farmers postpone hoof trimming longer when they don’t have the right facilities.

So, in this case, the technology has more advantages than disadvantages, but what about some other technology?

Last month I was talking about

However, when it comes to lameness in bulls at mating time I think there is a great opportunity with this heat detection camera. To me it seems that that technology needs to be refined a bit but if you have heat detection technology that is about 99 per cent accurate then you can take the cows to the bulls instead of taking the bulls to the cows.

So, instead of having 15 or so bulls running with the herd who need to be rotated and who can be a pain, you could draft the cows that are on heat and put them in the paddock with the bulls. This way the bulls don’t need to be rotated, they don’t need to walk over the

Technology can be a wonderful thing just like this cow crush.

tracks every day, you can graze them in longer pasture and so you can minimise lameness in your bulls.

I have changed my thinking about this camera technology and see it as having greater advantages than disadvantages.

It may well be that in the future we chip our cows with chips that can measure hormone levels and monitor general health. We are probably a long

way away from that type of technology and there are some real disadvantages with it but when this technology comes it will change farming quite considerably.

We may think that with technology we can make our lives perfect, but we will always need Christmas.

Have a great Christmas and a blessed 2012!

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8

Robotic milking economical D

kilograms of milk solids rolling out, and the financial outcome can be as good or better compared to a conventional grazing system.”

unsandel-based dairy consultant Helwi Tacoma has been crunching the numbers on robotic milking systems. Robots are becoming more common in Europe and America, and he wanted to know if they have a future here.

Helwi says there is danger in relying completely on bought feed because there is nowhere to go if feed prices go up and milk prices go down. Pasture-based farming provides more options, and farms can be set up to grow their own concentrates.

“They work technically and were already established in Holland when I left in 1991. I was curious to know if they would work economically in New Zealand.”

In a second scenario Helwi compared a rotary milking system with robotics, assuming a similar sized farm and similar capital investment. The result was surprising.

The simple answer is ‘yes’. Helwi thinks the new systems will become a lot more common but won’t necessarily suit all farmers.

“The main advantage is high cash flow. It’s a big investment with high inputs, high outputs and potentially a high cash flow. It can make you more money if you look at it on a per cow basis. But the flip side is, because more capital is employed, the risk is higher than with a conventional system.

“The only way to make it work on paper is by achieving higher production.

That means a good sized cow, say 600kg body weight, fed concentrates for high production. You will need a couple of kilograms of concentrates per cow per milking.”

Cows who receive higher levels of inputs will choose to be milked two-anda-half or three times a day. The pay-off is

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Helwi Tacoma is one of about 30 consultants who have their own businesses under the umbrella of parent company Intelact Ltd. His business is called Farming Systems Ltd, and he’s been a consultant for some 12 years. He trained as a veterinarian.

higher production.

systems here are developing differently.

“The rewards are not just financial. A cow person will get a buzz out of getting all this milk out of cows and seeing them in top condition and in good stock health. That isn’t a financial thing but it feels good.”

Most of the robotic systems in New Zealand use rotational grazing and three raceways. Every eight hours the cows go onto a different break alternating between the three raceways.

Most of the world has barn-raised cows so the robots are in the barn with the cows. New Zealand predominantly has cows raised on pasture so robotic

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There is a direct relationship between the minerals in the soil and the health of plants and animals. Just applying some nutrients to the soil doesn’t guarantee the plant can access them.

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In one scenario Helwi compared the cost of robotic milking 500 cows to a standard herringbone shed. Eight robots at a cost of about $2.2 million would be needed to milk a 500 head herd. If the robots were used with pastured cows, a separate milking shed would also be required.

This compares to a cost of $800,000 for a standard 40-a-side herringbone. Everything else is the same for pastured animals – raceways, stock water and fencing. So there is a big difference in set-up costs.

Manufacturers emphasise that when you install a robotic milking system you get not only a milking machine but a total farm management system. A robotic system provides much more data per cow, per milking and per quarter. This information gives you the ability to optimise your operation.

Robotic systems do depend on concentrates because the cows go through milking for the feed reward.

“The operating costs per kilogram of solids are going to be higher, and so are the financing costs. But there are more

YOU NEED A PLAN AND A PROGRAMME!

The rotary shed would make $50,000 more each year though there are two ‘buts’.

One is that the robotic farm has 50 unused hectares that can grow more feed or crops to provide an additional source of income.

The second ‘but’ is that the rotary carries more than twice the number of cows and requires a lot more infrastructure.

A farmer starting from scratch – buying land, cows and infrastructure with some $4 million equity invested – would create about the same debt in both systems, i.e., $8.5m for robotic and $8.7m for rotary.

Helwi says he assumed the conventional system would produce 1900kg of solids per hectare.

“Not many people achieve that.

Some people do but it’s a pretty high performance. Most people would come back a notch to 1500-1600kg of milk solids per ha, so they wouldn’t be getting the financial performance that you get from robotics.”

He assumes the robotic system can achieve 1850kg per milking hectare but that’s with less than half the number of cows. So that comes down to getting about 500kg of milk solids from a cow in the rotary but 700kg per cow in the robotic.

Continued next page

John, Zane and Gaye thank you for your support in 2011 and wish everyone the best for 2012.

“We look forward to working with you next year” Heavy duty bale forks John Rich

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For the robotic side of the equation, Helwi looked at 420 barn-raised cows milked with six robots all year round on 247 ha. He compared this to 1050 cows milked seasonally in a 60-bale rotary on 285 ha.

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9

Robotic milking economical To barn or not to barn â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that is the question

T

he practice of keeping of cows permanently in barns is controversial in New Zealand.

Many Kiwis believe animals should have shelter available but that cows evolved to eat grass and should be on pasture for most of their life, with space for normal herd interactions.

Helwi Tacoma is comfortable with cows living in barns, however.

out in having predominantly pastured dairy cows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the indoor living thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a problem, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how people do it. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a bad cow person, you will end up with a mess no matter what system you use. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen awful things happen on pasture systems, and equally in barns.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a farm in Morven with 16 robots and the cows are inside around the clock. To me they look a picture that has happy cows written all over it.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing wrong with housing cows 24/7, provided itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done properly with enough feed, light, fresh water, comfortable lying space, room to walk around, and hidey holes to get out of aggressive behaviour from herd mates.

He says 90 per cent of cows in the world are raised in barns and New Zealand and Australia are the odd ones

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have an ingrained dislike for people who mistreat animals. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t abide that.

Helwi based both systems on a grassbased diet because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most efficient way to farm. He assumed 45ha of wheat are grown on the robotic farm, and peas or canola are bought in for extra protein.

Slurry from the barn is used to fertilise crops. That isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t available if the cows are pasture-raised; and the farmer would have to buy in fertiliser. Then again they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require a herd-home, so it still works out about the same.

Helwi worked out this scenario for clients and he was surprised when it came out roughly the same. In the end it comes

down to the style of farming people want to do. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t advise one way or the other.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to them how they run their farm and their life. There are a number of people thinking of robotics. They are the early adopters. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it as a rush; but over time that number will grow.â&#x20AC;?

Robotic milking machines are gaining popularity in Europe and the US because of the cost of labour but Helwi isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t convinced there is much labour savings under New Zealand conditions.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beyond the morality, to mistreat animals isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a good business proposition. They just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perform.

There is no future in mistreating animals.â&#x20AC;?

There are three main ways to keep barn-raised animals. One is a slatted floor with a cellar underneath. The animals tread the dung through the slats and the slurry is stored and spread back on pastures.

With a solid floor a continuous scrapper system gathers up manure and puts it in a sump, again for spreading.

The third option is a big heap of compost. Fresh straw, bark or post peelings are added every day and who work with a robotic system have to be very switched on.

A big part of robotic milking will be the mind-switch required by farmers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Robotic milking is a new way of milking cows. That sounds like something out of a brochure but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The farmer doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spend a lot of time doing physical things anymore. They

aerated with a rotary hoe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If done right itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the ultimate in cow comfort. The pack heats up and kills bugs. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy to do well, however,â&#x20AC;? he says.

He thinks barns will become more common here for animal welfare reasons especially in the South Island.

They can be used to shelter the cows from bad weather and keep them out of deep mud on break feeds.

Barns will also become desirable for environmental reasons. They give farmers complete control over the slurry, which has the added benefit of lower fertiliser bills.

Barns also prevent soil damage from animals pugging the ground. are not doing cups and driving animals.

Instead they leave it to the animal. If she wants to be milked she is. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The farmer spends time monitoring the tremendous flow of information provided through the robots.â&#x20AC;?

Robotics require far more thinking.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all very well to have screeds of information on every cow but farmers need to use it in some way.

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10

Pasture Count NZ

An Ashburton Guardian advertising feature

Grass is king F

arming is a business. Profit is only made when revenue from production is less than the costs to produce it, so it makes sense to optimise the most cost-effective grazing substance available, grass.

Fresh grass is one of most productive and viable feeds available to dairy farmers. A well managed grass based grazing system is known to lower the cost per unit of milk production, produce a superior milk composition, such as greater fatty acids and has more sustainability with regard to economic, social and environmental effects.

The principle of grazing management is to match grass growth with nutritional demand to achieve the maximum output at the least cost. Managing a successful grass based grazing system can be time consuming, and if done incorrectly, can hinder grass growth and restrict sufficient feed to stock.

Pasture Count NZ is an independent, reliable and accurate pasture reading service, utilising the latest technology to provide dairy farmers with facts and figures on the amount of pasture in their fields.

Yoan Roberts has established Pasture Count NZ, to let technology do the walking for dairy farmers.

With a strong dairy farming background, Yoan Yoan Roberts – Outstanding in his field. He established Pasture Count NZ to provide an independent, reliable and accurate grew up on a dairy farm, and assists his brother pasture reading service to assist farmers with grazing management.

Rhys on his dairy farm. After doing a business paddock taking readings of pasture. management course through the Southern Using the latest in pasture measuring technology, Yoan receives Institute of Technology, Yoan followed this up Yoan believes it is vital to measure grass in order accurate, digital information on the pasture cover of each field. to optimise grass efficiency. with Agribusiness training on pasture management and From the information that grazing.

Yoan provides, farmers at a glance can see the feed The pasture count industry People would agree wedge and pasture growth is new, as Yoan saw a need the New Zealand dairy rates of every paddock. for dairy farmers to have a They can view which service to provide accurate farming is based on paddocks are performing information on individual an all-grass feeding well, and which ones may paddock pasture cover. It is something that dairy system. It’s our cheapest require more irrigation or fertiliser. farmers will do if they have and most readily time, but for an absolutely At a glance they can see accurate reading, the available feed, so it which paddock has the technology required is most feed, so they can makes sense to have a expensive and takes a lot of plan the most productive calibration and computer service to harness the paddocks to send the cows software knowledge to into. They can instantly growth management, obtain optimum results. view if the paddock has to increase milking sufficient feed for the By utilising Yoan’s services, herd, and once the pasture the dairy farmer has no productivity and is growing at rates faster expensive outlay for the reduce costs on feed than what is required, equipment, they have paddocks can be set aside more time to spend with supplements. for silage, which can later their stock and running be utilised during the their businesses rather than Story continue on page 11 slower growth months. running up and down each

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Yoan constantly investigates and trials the latest technology to provide the most accurate pasture count available to his clients.

11

Pasture Count NZ This information assists high milk production, and reduces costs in additional feed and nutritional supplements, as when managed correctly, it is possible for the farmer to utilise the grass to provide year-round feed.

Yoan is not a consultant and his services provide only the facts and figures to allow farmers to make their own decisions on grazing and pasture management. He isn’t affiliated to any other company to try and sell additional products, his service is to provide the most accurate figures available to assist farmers with their own management of their pasture.

An A n Assh hbu burrtto on n Gua uard rdia ian a ad dv ve ert rtis isin ing fe fea atture ure ur

While Yoan can’t disclose individual statistics on what other farmers are producing, he can let farmers know if their growth is above or below average compared with other results, as an indication if their growth is optimal for the area or not.

Included in the feed management report that Pasture Count NZ provides its clients are: • Total kg/dm summary • Average cover kg/dm/ha • Individual paddock cover dm/ha • Growth rates • Feed wedge Grass measurement is the key to success and planning ahead will allow shortages and surpluses to be identified and opportunities used. The more pasture harvested and consumed by cows the higher the operating profit.

Pasture Count NZ has a growing database of clients who have seen direct benefits to the service provided, through higher pasture growth.

With Yoan also working with his brother Rhys, who works a 500 cow share-milking position, both himself and Rhys have been able to witness first-hand the effect of monitoring the pasture levels for optimum growth.

This confidence in results and a growing reputation in performance has resulted in Pasture Count NZ becoming an ATS supplier, so now farmers have the added convenience of paying through their ATS account with the added benefit of a hearty discount.

Yoan attributes the businesses success to the years of experience he has had on dairy farms, including valuable knowledge from his parents who work for Livestock Improvements in New Zealand and the UK. Local business partners

The Pasture Reading Specialist Using the latest technologies we provide: UÊ/ Ì> Ê }É` ÊÃÕ >ÀÞ UÊ ÛiÀ>}iÊV ÛiÀÊ }É` É > UÊ ` Û `Õ> Ê«>`` V ÊV ÛiÀÊ` É > UÊ ii`ÊÜi`}i UÊ À ÜÌ ÊÀ>ÌiÃ

Yoan demonstrates how the pasture measuring technology saves dairy farmers time and money by providing fast and accurate pasture count information.

and advisors have also given him invaluable help and advice to help his business achieve stellar results.

“Jeff Marshall Motorcycles has been brilliant in helping me with my farm equipment. Jeff has been there for me any time day or night when I have needed help with my bike. Also Simon Nikoloff at Grow Mid Canterbury was instrumental in helping me to get my business started. He recommended the NZ Trade and Enterprise course that taught me business management techniques, and has been a fantastic business mentor,” Yoan said.

For independent, reliable and accurate pasture readings, Pasture Count NZ will let its technology do the walking for you, for optimum pasture management.

Story by Amanda Niblett

Are y yo ou looking looking for an n accurate accurate, r te,, effi ficient ent and d flexible solu flexible solution to pasture to metering? me

Pasture Count customer Pa tur Past u e ma mana n ge emen nt iss ke key in th he New w Ze Zeal a an a d fa armin in ng syystem m. Wiith Pa assttur ure e Count NZ N I know w my feed we edg ge wi w lll be ther ere e ev ever eryy week with th hou ut the th stre esss of fin findi din ng tim i e.

Also I don on’tt h havve mo mon ney titied ed up in expens nssiv ive e machin neryy (no o re repa pairs or mai aint nte nt enance costs en ts).

Scott Carnochan (Galloway Dairies) and Yoan Roberts from Pasture Count NZ.

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12

Inspiration comes with appointment DaWN of new era for womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s network O ne of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most influential woman business leaders is bringing her inspirational leadership style to the board of agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing network.

Sue Lindsay has been appointed to the board of the Dairy Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Network (DWN) after the retirement of founding member Christina Baldwin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high level of energy and inspirational vision for female leadership will be familiar to anyone who has attended some of our successful conferences in recent years,â&#x20AC;? says DWN chair Michelle Wilson.

Her presence on the board cements DWN as a leading force in rural womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership, and is a personal commitment to see more women move into leadership roles within the industry.

Lindsay brings a strong affinity for the rural sector, having grown up on a farm near Winton and running it for three years following her fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death.

She was a leading light in agribusiness management for nine years, as

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During her time there she doubled revenues for the Top 200 company and instilled a culture of commitment and passion to service within staďŹ&#x20AC; members.

She has since been working closely with rural women, developing and delivering BNZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Women in Agribusiness leadership courses and collaborating with international business consultant, Tom Peters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the years I have seen DWN develop a strong nurturing environment, helping women develop on a personal and professional level.

There is a wealth of confidence and competence within the group and many of its members are ready to step up within the agribusiness industry,â&#x20AC;? she says.

She believes it was far sighted and visionary work by DWN founding members to establish a strongly internet-driven forum for dairying women. This structure helped women get together on-line and has helped network numbers build quickly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Women need to be able to connect

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easily given the busy lives so many of them have. The internet-based network has helped dairying women collaborate well and has made the network a body highly regarded - that is reflected in the calibre of its sponsors and respect it is given.â&#x20AC;?

Sue Lindsayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest research work has provided her with a springboard for identifying and promoting potential leading women from within DWN ranks.

She is about to release the work, titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Feminine Perspective â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the role of women in the New Zealand economy.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Global research indicates women are involved in 64 per cent of all buying decisions, but our work indicates it is nearer 70 per cent in New Zealand.

I would suspect it is even higher for women involved in dairying businesses.â&#x20AC;?

Despite this level of influence, she is concerned at the low level of involvement women have beyond the farm gate in the New Zealand agribusiness sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only 11.8 per cent of positions on New Zealand agribusiness boards are represented by females, and that figure needs to be at least 30 per cent to generate the critical mass to have

meaningful impact.â&#x20AC;?

She sees DWN as the ideal incubator to push the talent there onto those boards, given the number of women already key partners in dairy businesses rivalling many corporates for turnover and staďŹ&#x20AC; levels.

In seeking great leaders for inspiration, Lindsay cites Air New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO Rob Fyfe and Howard Schultz of Starbucks as two leaders who understand the need to engage their people at all levels of the business to achieve the organisationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; full potential sustainably. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The level of engagement of staďŹ&#x20AC; in many businesses is low, and there is a need for us to re-examine how we get Generation Y engaged with companies.

I believe it is time for a new leadership story and without a commitment to that change a leadership crisis looms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are many studies that show a balance of male and female leaders is beneficial to a company in all respects.

We are simply not seeing that in New Zealand agri-business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DWN has created a critical mass of like minds and will be a key driver for dairying women wanting to advance to leadership positions in the agri-sector in coming years, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be part of that from the inside now.â&#x20AC;?

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13

Conferences calling SIDE heads to Otago A conference by farmers, for farmers T M he South Island Dairy Event is going to Otago for the first time in its 14-year history.

SIDE chairman and Southland dairy farmer David Holdaway says the annual event which normally alternates between Canterbury and Southland each June, was to be held at Stadium Southland in 2012.

id Canterbury dairy farmers are being invited to participate in the New Zealand Dairy Business Conference, the 43rd annual event hosted by the New Zealand Large Herds Association and Altum.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The rebuild of Stadium Southland following the snow damage of 2010 is taking longer than anticipated and we decided to shift the event to the University of Otago in Dunedin. This is a great opportunity for SIDE in the Otago region and makes it easy for local dairy farmers to experience the three-day event without travelling to Canterbury or Southland,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Phil Butler, chairman of the Palmerston North team organising the event, says the conference in March next year has a programme designed by farmers, for farmers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We address the topics that come up outside of the formal discussion groups, around the opportunities for progression and improvement, rather than the mechanics of cows and grass.

As the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest export earner, the dairy industry is vital to the New Zealand economy. As participants in the industry, we need to ensure we are up with the play with research, technology and global trends, to help drive continued progress and improvement.â&#x20AC;?

The conference is themed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;turbo charge your knowledgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and will include presentations key business and industry leaders on their views of the research, technology and brand opportunities both now and in the future.

grass is the easy part,â&#x20AC;? Mr Munan said.

Owen Greig

explore ways of adding value to New Zealand through brand and technology opportunities.â&#x20AC;?

On Wednesday morning participants visit the Massey, AgResearch & Fonterra Research Centres, and Landcorp farms in the Motua basin. Spaces on each of these trips is limited, so delegates are advised to register their spot early.

The theme for the 2012 event is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;people, perception, prideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Milton dairy farmer Brangka Munan is leading the event committee for 2012 and says these were three recurring themes that kept cropping up as the committee brainstormed the programme of workshops for 2012. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are such an important part of the dairy industry. Ask any dairy farmer what the toughest part of the business is to get right and the answer most times will be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;managing peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Cows and

â&#x20AC;&#x153;And perception - is dairying the job of last resort or the preferred career choice for our young school leavers?

Perception really is reality and as dairy farmers we need to understand what practical things we can do to address the sometimes less-than-positive perceptions of dairying in the wider community.â&#x20AC;?

He says the third aspect of the theme, pride, is something dairy farmers feel is in short supply in dairy today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a part of the Kiwi psyche, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not good at broadcasting our successes. Dairying is a Kiwi success story but it seems that if it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involve a ball of some sort, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like making a big deal about it. We need to tell our fellow New Zealanders about our All Blacks in gumboots!â&#x20AC;?

SIDE is a joint venture between South Island dairy farmers, Lincoln University and DairyNZ. SIDE 2012 will be held in the St David Complex, Otago University, Dunedin on June 25 to 27, 2012.

Registration opens in March 2012. Programme details and further information will be posted on side.org.nz as it is confirmed. Papers from previous events and information about other SIDE activities are also available online.

The Altum Gala Dinner on Wednesday evening features comedian Dai Henwood, and local band Two Old Men.

Owen Greig, a member of the local organising committee, says the opportunity to network with dairy farming business colleagues and agribusiness professionals in a lively, positive environment, was another drawcard.

On Thursday the conference will explore progression through the industry from solid foundations to governance, strategy and succession planning with addresses from Tim Alpe (2010 Entrepreneur of the Year), Ben Allomes and Theo Speirings.

He farms with his family 15 minutes from Palmerston North, milking 2000 cows on a self-contained unit of 1500ha.

He is also a shareholders councillor for Fonterraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Southern Manawatu ward.

Mr Greig said farmers will get maximum value from attending the whole conference, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to register for individual days if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all time allows.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The programme is designed to challenge our thinking, as we kick oďŹ&#x20AC; with a look at the state of play in the economy, from a global, domestic and on farm perspective, with Dr Adrian Foster of Rabobank AsiaPacific, and business commentator Rod Oram airing their views. Our afternoon session will

The conference will be held at Awapuni Raceway, in Palmerston North, from March 27 to 29.

For full information on the programme, line-up of guest speakers and to register, visit dairybusinessconference.co.nz .

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14

A rating system for grasses F

rom mid-next year, farmers will to be able to rate the different perennial ryegrass cultivars in terms of expected profit, thanks to the DairyNZ Forage Value Index (FVI).

expected change in profit for every unit change in a trait value, are a key component of the evaluation system.

The DairyNZ FVI is a major outcome from a new industryoperated forage evaluation system currently being developed by DairyNZ and the New Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association (NZPBRA).

Using farm system models, the Forage Evaluation Team (representatives from DairyNZ, NZPBRA and Lincoln University), found that for the upper North Island, extra feed in autumn had the highest predicted economic values, followed closely by summer and early spring.

DairyNZ principal scientist and project leader, Dr David Chapman says until now, farmers have had limited information on the expected profit of sowing new perennial ryegrass cultivars.

The value of extra feed during these periods was double the value of extra feed in late spring. In the lower North Island, Canterbury and Southland, extra feed was most valuable in winter, early spring and autumn.

“Dairy cattle have had a welldeveloped breeding worth system but pastures have fallen behind in the economic evaluation stakes. This situation is about to change,” he says.

The traits that will be included in the DairyNZ FVI are seasonal pasture production (winter, early spring, late spring, summer and autumn), metabolisable energy concentration, and persistence. Each perennial ryegrass cultivar will have a DairyNZ FVI, and associated trait values and reliabilities.

Economic values, which are the

According to the seed industry National Forage Variety Trial (NFVT) data analysed by the team, since 1991, the trend for genetic gain in perennial ryegrass has been greatest for summer pasture production (+27 kg DM/ha/year), followed by autumn (+20 kg DM/ha/year), winter and late spring (both at +5 kg DM/ha/year).

There has been no increase in early spring pasture production over this time.

“This result is not surprising as we have been breeding for cultivars that produce less seed head, to improve spring quality.” says Graham

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Genetic gains in total production of +50-55 kg DM/ha/year, or +1,000 kg DM/ha since 1990 are being realised.

Assuming efficient harvesting by dairy cows and persistence of DM yield, these changes in seasonal and total production are worth an estimated increase in profit of $20/ha/year.

“When yield data from NFVT trials and other sources are spliced with the economic values, we have a way of calculating economic merit of a

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He says the DairyNZ FVI will also rate persistence, and the scheme will steadily strengthen over the next three years, as further testing is done to improve reliability of cultivar trait values and in turn their economic merit values.

“Milk is an important building block for good nutrition. We want Kiwi kids to grow up drinking milk as it is good for them.”

Fonterra’s pilot scheme is voluntary, and results will be monitored during the first three terms of 2012, with the intention to go nationwide in the 2012 school year.

Mr Spierings said Fonterra was continuing to review the price of milk in New Zealand.

“Our motivation is to have more New Zealanders drinking more milk because it is important for basic nutrition. To achieve this, we have to make it affordable.

“Traditionally milk consumption in New Zealand has been increasing around 1-2 per cent per year but it is currently declining by a similar rate. We are exploring a range of options to turn around the consumption decline.”

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Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings said milk offered a unique combination of nutrients essential for children’s growth and development, and the company wanted to make milk for accessible.

20

Distance (m)

“The DairyNZ FVI brings this all together so that the perennial ryegrass cultivars with the best seasonal and total growth characteristics will rise to the top of rankings within a region.”

Milk back in schools Fonterra plans to roll out its milk for schools programme in Northland next year, covering 110 schools and 14,000 children.

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CONTRACTING ‘Focused on quality feeds’

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Dipping and flushing - automatically D

airy farmers turned out to see the new ADF Milking System at work on Martin and Sarah Early’s Mayfield farm recently.

The Earlys milk 900 cows through a 54-bale rotary shed on Barnswood Road, and installed the automatic dipping and flushing system in August. They were the first farmers in the region to install the ADF system, which is gaining traction in New Zealand as a way to improve animal welfare and control mastitis.

ADF Milking is a system that automatically dips the cows’ teats straight after milking, before the cups are removed. The cups are then flushed out using a water-sanitiser mix that effectively eliminates the risk of cross contamination from infected cups being passed from cow to cow.

The whole process takes less than 20 seconds and the system can be installed in any dairy shed (although you do need to have cup removers installed).

ADF has won awards at National Fieldays, praise from farmers and the industry all round.

Mastitis is an inflammation of the udder. It is usually caused by bacteria that enter through the teat end and infect the udder. It is also a costly disease.

Each case of clinical mastitis is estimated to cost about $200 per case in cost of drugs and discarded milk, labour and short term production losses.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Around 40 farmers visited Martin and Sarah Early’s Mayfield dairy farm this month to see a new automatic teatdipping and flushing system at work.

less and more cows were producing milk for pick-up, he said.

cups off after milking and manually spray cows’ udders with an iodine spray; that worker had been freed up for other jobs.

While it was early days in terms of monitoring, mastitis cases had dropped, meaning vet bills were

The somatic cell count (SCC) had also dropped. SCC is the number of body cells counted in a sample of He said it was all about sustainability, and making milk; most of these somatic cells are white blood cells ongoing improvements to what was a multi-million that move from the blood into the udder after bacteria dollar business. enter and infect the udder.

“This system I believe is worth investing in.”

Martin said it ticked the box as a “sensible spend”, and while ADF was a “Rolls-Royce” model the system The system is being sold in Mid Canterbury by would pay for itself in two and a half years.

Laser Electrical, and owner Brent Christie said it complemented the company’s rural and dairy One person had previously been used to take the division.

Farmers watch the system at work in the dairy shed.

The system can be fitting to existing milking systems.

The Earlys are in their fifth year as dairy farmers and had the system retrofitted in August. It was installed between milkings and at night to cause minimum disruption to the daily milking schedule.

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Tips on growing maize P

lant and Food Research scientist Andrew Fletcher had some tips at FAR’s crops expo this month for making the most of maize silage crops.

He said yield was driven by the capture of sunlight in the canopy, though Canterbury’s cool spring temperatures affected how the canopy developed.

He had some suggestions for practices that might accelerate canopy development and photosynthesis.

Plant population Increasing plant population is one way to improve the interception of sunlight. However, the value of any extra silage produced needs to be balanced against the cost of extra seed. Recent research has indicated that profitability might be increased in Canterbury by aiming for a plant population of 130,000-140,000 plants per hectare.

Row spacing In theory, reducing the row spacing in maize crops should lead to earlier canopy closure and hence

more yield. However, previous work has not been able to demonstrate any benefit of reducing maize row widths.

Sowing date Earlier sowing dates of maize will mean that the crop canopy is closed earlier and more of the incoming sunlight around mid-summer (highest incoming sunlight) will be captured. However, because spring soil temperatures are low, the window for sowing maize in Canterbury is very short and therefore there is not much opportunity to adjust sowing dates.

Plastic mulch Plant and Food has recently been trialling a new technology that covers maize seeds with clear photodegradable plastic mulch. This raises soil temperature and enhances canopy development.

FAR’s Diana Mathers also had some advice for growing successful maize silage. She said arable farmers have successfully shifted to reduced tillage systems for cereals and legumes but maize growers had been reluctant to give reduced tillage a go.

FAR and MAF SFF are funding a single pass planting system for maize project to encourage maize growers to plant a small area of their crop with a reduced tillage system.

A number of farmers and contractors in three regional groups are working together to share their knowledge and experience.

She said trials in the Waikato comparing conventional tillage, strip tillage and direct drilling over the last four years showed no differences in yields.

However the maize was planted, attention to detail was important and contractors under pressure could be forgetful, she said.

“It pays to be there at the start of planting to check that the planter is set up to do a good job. Check the seed placement and the slot closure.

Seeds in an open slot are vulnerable to drying and being eaten by slugs and birds.

“Make sure that the slug bait is being applied; slug damage is one of the most likely things to go wrong.”

PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 071211-LC-002

Precision drilled maize on a cultivated plot at FAR’s Chertsey trial site.

Dishing the dirt on earthworms D

airyNZ is setting the record straight – soluble fertilisers do not destroy worm life in soil.

DairyNZ strategy and investment leader for productivity, Dr Bruce Thorrold, says there is a mistaken belief among many that soluble fertilisers, such as urea and superphosphate, kill earthworms.

“In fact, soluble fertilisers will often increase the earthworm numbers,” says Bruce. “To sustain a healthy earthworm population, which is so important for good soil, farmers should limit soil damage in winter.”

In the December edition of DairyNZ’s Inside Dairy magazine, AgResearch principal scientist Alec Mackay lends his expert opinion to help dispel the myth around fertiliser use.

“The application of soluble fertilisers

to maintain soil fertility will not destroy soil life,” says Alec. “Fertilising ensures a continual food supply for earthworms.

I see an emphasis on management practices that limit soil damage in winter as being far more important in maintaining a healthy earthworm population.

“Earthworms are primary decomposers feeding on organic matter, such as dead plant material and cow dung – their numbers grow as the quantity and quality of organic matter increases.”

For example, a sheep-grazed hill country pasture receiving 375kg superphosphate/ha/yr since 1980 recorded earthworm numbers in excess of 1000/m²; double that of pasture which remained unfertilised for 26 years.

Earthworms are at their most active

Depth of activity of the three functional earthworm groups. Figure adapted from Fraser and Boag, photos courtesy of R. Gray.

in the winter and early spring. During the winter months, when soils are wet, earthworms are most vulnerable to treading damage by livestock. Pastures damaged by livestock at this time will reduce earthworm numbers and activity.

In an ideal situation, three types of earthworms should be present in

soil. Epigeic earthworms that feed on organic matter on the soil surface and do not form permanent burrows; Endogeic earthworms that ingest topsoil and its associated organic matter, forming semi-permanent burrows; and Anecic earthworms that draw organic matter from the soil surface into their deep, permanent burrows to feed.

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