10 minute read
Autumn to-dos
Farmlands’ experts share the good oil on what needs your attention this season.
AGRONOMY
Emma Chrystall Technical Field Officer Waipukurau
Autumn regrassing is a big event for many farms. Planning and preparation should be well under way. Renewing pastures can improve the overall profitability of a farm through increased annual and seasonal pasture production, improved pasture quality, higher stocking rates and increased per head and per hectare production and performance. • Assess perennial pastures to identify any with a low percentage of desirable species, a large weed burden and evident pest pressure. • Identify and understand feed demand and market opportunities for the next 3-6 months and beyond and tailor species to these requirements. Individual priorities and challenges will ultimately determine species selection. If you have a high winter feed demand, an annual or Italian ryegrass should be considered. Cocksfoot/ ryegrass mixes are increasingly popular to improve persistence in permanent pastures. The cocksfoot component has helped many farmers overcome persistence challenges in harsh summer-dry environments. Tall Fescue-based perennial pastures have also proven successful across the country. These pastures increase early spring pasture production, improve pasture quality throughout the summer and provide a safe block for stock grazing in areas prone to facial eczema. • Ensure glyphosate spray-outs are targeted to individual paddocks. In those with a high weed burden, spray-outs using spikes/companion herbicides such as Sharpen, Nail,
Granstar or Versatil are the best way to control hard-to-kill weeds. When using companion herbicides, consider plantbacks in the first instance, especially if clover is being drilled.
Insecticides can also be added to spray-outs to reduce pest populations such as Argentine stem weevil. • Tailor fertiliser plans to soil types, fertility and predicted production. Feed new grass accordingly and always consider a side-dressing of nitrogen and sulphur after the first grazing. • As always, preparation is everything. Factors that contribute to successful pasture renovation include soil fertility, cultivar selection, sowing technique, soil compaction/drainage, drought, pests and grazing management. Take time to rectify any causes of poor pasture performance before drilling to ensure success.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Shelly Worthington Technical Field Officer – Sheep and Beef Eastern Taranaki
With all the crazy summer activities of shearing, silage and haymaking behind us, going into autumn often means time to get onto farm maintenance and infrastructure jobs. Shipping delays and stock outages have become commonplace over the last year or so but Farmlands TFOs and branches are always working closely with our shareholders to secure product and minimise delays, especially when you have those contractors booked in. Water systems tend to show their weak points over the summer and whether you need to replace a few ballcocks or plan a complete water system upgrade, Farmlands can help. • Start by looking at your water source. Depending on whether you are drawing off tanks, out of a river, have a bore or well system, dams or springs, each will have its own supply limitations at different times of the year. • What classes of stock are you carrying? Can you get enough water to them at peak times of the day? • Is the size of your pipe suitable for the amount of water you require? Is the PSI rating correct? • Are you constantly having to clear airlocks? We can help you work through these problems and come up with cost-effective solutions. Good fencing is one of the easier ways to help improve production on-farm. Being able to use the feed in your pastures often comes down to keeping the stock where you want them to be, whether it be a 9-wire post and batten boundary fence in the magnificent hill country or a 2-wire electric on the beautiful dairy flats throughout our country. • Have you replaced your electric fence lately? Did you take the time to look at the earth system? More often than not, if an electric fence unit needs replacing it is upgraded to the next size. Bigger unit, bigger kick, right? Yes but you need the earth system to support that. • Needing wood? If you want roundwood for fencing; timber rails and poles for yards; large poles for sheds or TGV for herd homes or retaining walls, Farmlands works with several suppliers around the country to ensure we can supply you with the best quality of product. • Wire products, netting, hardware and a huge range of fencing products and tools are always in stock in all of our branches. We work closely with our suppliers months ahead to make sure we have what you want when you need it. • Gone are the days of being the 10-year-old kid getting bruised from holding the spade against the batten while
Dad nails off 9 wires on the other side. We now have a range of batten and post staplers to make the job a lot easier. They are available as cordless, gas powered or pneumatic to use with your compressor.
ANIMAL HEALTH
Joseph Butler Technical Field Officer Waipukurau
Autumn’s increased rainfall combined with warm soil temperatures can bring relief to farms. While these conditions are ideal for grass growth, they unfortunately also favour animal parasites. If you have been fortunate like those of us in the Hawke’s Bay region, spring grass growth has been at an optimum, which has also increased the number of paddocks being cut for hay and silage. These paddocks are naturally full of plant trash, prime location for the growth of Pithomyces chartarum, also known as facial eczema. These paddocks are generally the first to have a green flush and it's natural that farmers want to start grazing them as soon as possible. However, under the right conditions these trashy paddocks can become a prime source of the spores that cause facial eczema. Monitoring of these paddocks before grazing is essential. As temperatures start to decline, we also start to see a shift in the sheepworm populations from Barber’s Pole (Haemonchus contortus) to the Black Scour worm (Trichonstrongylus sp.). It is important to identify the changes in worm species and select drench families that will target these specific species.
Monitoring the effectiveness of drench families throughout the season is essential. Random faecal egg counts should be done as worm species will vary at different times of the year. A quick indication of the efficacy of an anthelmintic for sheep can be done by laboratory testing faecal samples from 10 individual animals 10 days after treatment. This method of testing is merely for indication of anthelmintic decay. If faecal egg counts are noted post drenching, a more structured on-farm test such as a FECRT or faecal egg count reduction test should be done.
NUTRITION
Abby Henderson Technical Field Officer Southland
March is a good time to condition-score your herd and make sure you are heading into late lactation on target. Putting weight onto cows while they are still lactating is more energy efficient compared with putting weight on when dry. The good pay-out makes this a great season to milk cows for longer but not at the expense of next season’s performance. You can have your cake and eat it too by feeding to support both production and body condition gain in late lactation. At Farmlands we have the expertise and the bulk dairy-feed solutions to help with this. Milk production drives appetite so cows that are fully fed can support milk production and partition energy onto their backs. • Don’t forget about minerals – now’s the time cows will replenish levels they have mined in early lactation. • If re-investing in the farm, allowing for in-shed feeding gives you a convenient future option. • Summer and autumn can be hard on R1 heifers so think about supplements, especially if you can weigh mobs and preferentially feed the tail end. Youngstock can be vulnerable to rising parasite burdens so it’s worth measuring what you are dealing with and check that drenches have worked. Farmlands offers faecal egg counts for this. • Start planning for next season. Pressure on feed supply will likely continue so locking in price and supply is advised.
Start the conversation with your local Nutrition Specialist now so when the time is right to book up your needs you will be well prepared.
REAL ESTATE Conrad WilkshireRural market update General Manager Rural Property Brokers For those contemplating taking their rural property to market in 2022, it’s worth doing the due diligence ahead of listing. Decide on your preferred rural sales consultant early in the process. A qualified consultant can help clarify marketing objectives and the options available to you. As the rural market strengthens and more listings come to market, you want your property to stand out. 5 Things To Do Before Listing: • Walk the property with your real estate consultant and As we start the new year, we remain optimistic about returning to business as usual. work up a checklist of fixes needed to present your COVlD-19 has shaped events over the past 2 years. For rural New Zealand, the impact on events has seen local communities property in the best possible light. • anguish over running events and inevitably making the tough call What environmental planning has been done? This to cancel. Often, the considerable effort that goes into planning is includes regulatory compliance and all operating consents, renewal dates and any recent environmental unpaid, and committee time is voluntary. We recognise this work and acknowledge those marching forward into 2022 determined to bring some usual back to the unusual. mitigation work. • Bring in your trusted advisers early, particularly your Farmlands, like Property Brokers, is an avid supporter of rural events. Our annual calendars are planned around shows and field days, accountant, lawyer and farm adviser. • with many internal gatherings secondary to ensure as many of our people can participate as possible. Compile important business information including farm production data, stock reconciliations for the We have missed getting alongside rural communities supporting events and talking about farming and politics, not forgetting the last 3 years, key operational costs and physical rural property market. It is encouraging to see a programme of farm information such as farm maps, soil types and planned event management linking with rural communities this fertiliser records. year. • Farm forestry and associated carbon opportunities As a strategic partner, we will collaborate with Farmlands on the following events and hope to reconnect with many of you to chew are big topics these days. Getting advice on this is the fat on local sales, whether rural or lifestyle. A lot is happening paramount, including any information on pre-1990 in the market with land-use change and compliance, creating cleared pastoral land. The single most important step is to get our specialist some never-before-seen anomalies in all classes of land all over the country. real estate team alongside sooner rather than later. Anticipating buyer questions ahead of time not only As a Farmlands shareholder, we place a real priority on providing you with obligation-free local market updates at any time during builds confidence in the property and the marketing of it the year. If you need to talk to a property expert now, rather than but it also sets you apart from the rest. A well-organised wait to see us at the next event, please do not hesitate to reach out and contact us on 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz. marketing programme helps your trusted advisers too as they guide and support you through the sales process.
Irrespective of what 2022 may bring, we remain committed to rural and provincial New Zealand and are focused as much on the long term as we are on the year ahead. Conrad Wilkshire, GM Rural for Property Brokers Ltd conrad@pb.co.nz Upcoming rural events 2022
Date Event Location
3-5 March Northland Field Days Dargaville 11-12 March Wanaka Show Wanaka 17-19 March Central Districts Field Days Feilding 1-2 April AgFest Greymouth
Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 367 5263 | Get our specialist pb.co.nz real estate team alongside sooner rather than later.”
