Plan 365 March 2017 by Farmlands

MARCH 2017

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

NUTRITION

FORAGE AND ARABLE

HORTICULTURE

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

DAIRY MANAGEMENT

Plan 365 is a technical guide aimed at helping shareholders learn about best practice and the latest advancements in rural technology.

NUTRITION

Bread is off the menu for ducks Recent media attention has highlighted the terrible side effects of a bread diet – what was once seen as a good deed for ducks.

to a duck’s health. Our traditional weekend diversion is causing malnourishment and incurable conditions related to vitamin deficiency.

Topflite cultivating seed locally since

Ducks are iconic Kiwi companions. We

White bread is also destroying duck habitats. A build-up of organic matter in the water can lower oxygen concentrations and increase the presence of toxins harmful to waterfowl, such as botulism. Clearly, when it comes to a balanced diet and a healthy environment for our avian friends, bread is not all it’s quacked up to be.

Greg says. “This process strips

Ducks eat a specific and naturally diverse diet of plants, seeds and insect protein. However they’ve had to make do with general poultry pellets when humans take charge of the feeding regime.

to focus on raising the standards of

share our lakes, rivers, picnic spots and increasingly, our backyards with them. But our national habit of feeding bread crusts to ducks is damaging their health and our waterways. That’s because, bread is junk food for ducks. High in calories and low in nutritional value, white bread lacks the vitamins and minerals essential

1974. When the company started “all the imported seed needed heattreating to make it into the country”, valuable nutrients from the seed.” In response, the Oamaru farm partnership planted their first sunflower crop. They have been creating high quality feed from the ground up ever since. With the introduction of Lucky Duck the company continues bird and pet food in New Zealand.

Local bird feed experts Topflite responded with Lucky Duck, the first duck-specific feed formulation in New Zealand. The introduction of Lucky Duck was “simple common sense”, Topflite General Manager Greg Webster says. “We knew what the empty calories were doing and have been working for a while on a specific formula for ducks,” he says. “It’s not just a case of saying ‘bin the bread’ – you need to provide a healthy alternative that’s good for everyone.” Intended for feeding wild ducks and backyard ducks, Greg says the blend “works best as a maintenance diet”. It contains nutritious oats and barley, kibbled maize and sorghum as well as vegetable additions for those essential vitamins. That goodness is grown here, with

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For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Topflite.

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NUTRITION

The unique nutritional requirements of alpaca Alpaca are interesting animals that are popular on New Zealand lifestyle blocks and farms. Alpaca are domesticated animals from South America and belong to the group ‘camelids’ along with camels and llamas. They are well known for their high quality fibre renowned for its softness and lustre, which is used to make luxury clothing items. They also make great pets with friendly personalities. Interestingly enough, they are used as herd protectors for grazing animals in some countries around lambing or kidding time, as they protect the newly born animals from predators such as foxes, eagles and canines, attacking them with their front feet. Alpaca have even been used to protect chickens on free range farms from hawks right here in New Zealand! Alpaca are very unique in terms of their digestive system and they are classed as ‘pseudo-ruminants’, as they have a similar digestive system to traditional ruminants – however they have three stomach compartments rather than four, lacking the omasum. Transit time of consumed feed through the gastrointestinal tract

is slower in alpaca compared with other ruminants, which allows for a greater degree of fermentation of lower quality cell wall materials. This means that alpaca are good ‘rough paddock feeders’ and can do well on poorer quality pasture compared to cattle or sheep. Alpaca have some specific nutritional requirements that need to be taken into consideration when keeping them as they are predisposed to a number of nutrient deficiencies here in New Zealand, which is not surprising when we think of the environment they evolved in. Vitamin D (the ‘sunshine vitamin’) deficiency is common in alpaca, likely due to their evolution in sunny South America. This deficiency is exasperated in the winter months due to decreased sunshine hours. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone development and deficiency during pregnancy and lactation can cause rickets in young cria, due to low vitamin D in colostrum and milk. Symptoms of rickets include bowed legs, shifting leg lameness, joint enlargement, a humpback appearance and a slowed growth rate. Supplementing pregnant and lactating alpaca with vitamin D is a necessity – non-pregnant and male alpaca will also benefit from vitamin D supplementation year round. Polioencephalomalacia (PEM), inflammation of the brain due to a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, is a condition more commonly seen in alpaca compared to other animals. The gut flora of ruminants and pseudo-ruminants usually produce enough thiamine to satisfy animal requirements, however thiamine production can be reduced in certain

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circumstances, for example when there is too much sulphur in the diet, or if the rumen is not functioning optimally. Some weeds are also suspected to play a role in thiamine deficiency, due to the presence of an enzyme that breaks down thiamine. Symptoms of PEM include lethargy, low appetite or neurological impairment (head and ear twitching, drooling and staggering). Once an animal is showing signs of neurological impairment, injected thiamine is required quickly to avoid death. Regular supplementation of thiamine for alpaca is the best way to prevent PEM cases arising. Camelid nutrition experts have recorded that alpaca and llama do not show strong licking feeding behaviours. This means that using feed/salt blocks to supplement nutrients may not be particularly effective. Alpaca may still take interest in the blocks but they may not be able to consume sufficient amounts to meet their needs. For this reason, mineralised pelleted feeds or loose minerals are better options for supplementing alpaca. Opting for an alpaca specific feed such as Reliance Alpaca Pellets or Reliance Alpaca Conditioning Mix, which both include nutrients such as vitamin D and thiamine, can help to keep your alpaca as healthy and productive as possible. For more information on alpaca, pop into your local Farmlands team and pick up a copy of the Farmlands Lifestyle Guide. Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

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NUTRITION

Equine digestive conditions The equine gastro-intestinal tract is a highly functioning structure that, when healthy, is extremely effective at digestion, energy conversion and nutrient absorption. However, certain aspects of the design of the equine gut can increase the risk of digestive conditions that can cause problematic symptoms. The most common digestive problems seen in equines are gastric ulcers, which mainly occur in the stomach and hindgut acidosis, which can affect the large intestine, caecum and colon. Both gastric ulcers and hindgut acidosis are common in all horses, however they are particularly high in performance horses. In racehorses, for example, ulcers are believed to occur in an estimated 50-90 percent of horses. While there are many contributing factors and both conditions generally occur as a result of incorrect feeding practices and stress, horses can also be at risk when feeding practices are correct. Diagnosis can be tricky as both conditions can display similar symptoms. To make diagnosis even more difficult, the conditions can also both be asymptomatic, meaning no outward signs are displayed. However common signs include inappetance, grumpy behaviour, loose manure, mild colic and underperformance. Gastric ulcers mainly occur through prolonged exposure of the nonglandular, upper part of the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stomach to gastric acid. Unlike the lower, glandular portion of the stomach the upper portion does not have a mucous layer or secrete bicarbonate for protection. Horses produce gastric

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acid at a constant rate and stomach pH can decrease quickly if the horse does not eat frequently. Meal feeding and prolonged periods without access to forage is the number one cause of ulcers, as consumption of forage stimulates saliva production, which contains bicarbonate to buffer gastric acid and protect the non-glandular section of the stomach. Diets higher in grain also contribute to the risk of ulcers as grain and concentrate feeds have less of a buffering effect on the stomach and increase gastrin production, the hormone that stimulates gastric acid production.

and sugars escape digestion in the

Hindgut acidosis has two major causes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; over-consumption of high starch concentrates or pastures rich in sugars known as fructans. The delicate array of microbes that reside in the hindgut are dedicated to fibre digestion and fermentation and microbial disturbance and a drop in pH occurs when undigested starch

induced hindgut acidosis is one of the

small intestine and overflow into the hindgut. The limited capacity of the stomach and small intestine means that this can happen easily and keeping grain meals small is highly important in preventing this condition occurring. Recommendations are to feed no more than 2.5kg of grain or concentrate feed per meal to an average 500kg horse. If hindgut acidosis is occurring due to pasture exposure, the best mode of action is to restrict grazing and offer low sugar forage alternatives such as hay to ensure adequate forage is being consumed daily. Pasture most common causes of laminitis. For further assistance and advice on preventing and managing digestive conditions in horses, consult a reputable Equine Nutrition Advisor. Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutrition Technical Advisor, Farmlands Nutrition.

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NUTRITION

Comparing cereal grain options Cereal grains are a very popular food source for humans and animals around the world, with cereal grains constituting more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop.

A brief overview of the most popular types of grains fed to animals and some of the differences between them (typical average values stated with ranges we have seen in brackets). Energy (MJ ME/ kgDM)

Cereal grains are an important

SSS% (Soluble Sugar and Starch, % Dry Matter)

Protein (% Dry Matter)

Fibre (NDF% Dry Matter)

A popular choice in New Zealand. Takes a little longer than wheat to break down in the digestive system, so seen as less “hot” than wheat and a safer option for horses and sometimes favoured over wheat for dairy cows in early lactation when gradually increasing feeding rates can be difficult during calving.

Breaks down in the digestive system faster than the other grain options and for this reason requires a little more careful transition period for ruminant animals but once transitioned, feeding rates can be increased by 1kg/head/day during inclement weather.

Tends to contain more rumen by-pass starch than other grains when fed to ruminant animals, which tends to support body condition rather than milk production compared to wheat and barley. Cost effectiveness can be greater in the North Island.

Lower in energy than the other grain choices but higher in fibre and unsaturated fats, which increases its appeal for use in horse diets. Not necessarily the best choice for highly productive animals where the higher energy grains offer more bang for buck.

supplementary feed source that is high in energy, predominantly coming

Barley

from starch but may need careful

13.2 (12-13.5)

11.5 (10-15)

balancing with protein, major minerals and vitamins if comprising a significant portion of the diet. Cereal grains can

Wheat

be fed to a wide range of animals

13.8 (12.5-14.5)

12.5 (9-14)

including ruminants (e.g. cows and sheep) and monogastrics (e.g. pigs, horses and poultry), so are a versatile

Maize

14.0

8.5

option that can offer flexibility and production benefits if used carefully. Some animals require grain to be

Oats

12.2

Notes

processed to some level before being fed to ensure optimum digestibility, so it’s worth taking this in to account

the grain into particles small enough

produced grains. Grains are sometimes

to pass through a screen) are the

soaked in water before feeding to

most common methods. Cooking the

pigs and can be treated with caustic

grain is another way to make it more

soda before feeding to cattle.

which means that some un-cracked

digestible but boiling greatly reduces

Cereal grains are not a balanced feed

grains enter the digestive system

keeping quality after the boiling

and therefore remain undigested

process. Steam flaking is a popular

right through to the dung. Nibbling

method as it cooks the grains without

animals such as sheep and goats

excess moisture followed by rolling,

designed for a particular animal and/

consistently crack the grain sufficiently

which produces a highly palatable

or stage of production is a good way

feed with much less fine particles

to feed grain with confidence and

than dry processing. Pelletising grain

offers the potential to include more

is another option and this combines

than one grain to tick more of the

both the hammer milling and cooking

nutritional and target objectives.

process, which extends keeping quality

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

when considering feeding grain. Adult cattle and pigs do not sufficiently break the seed coat of unprocessed grains during the ingestion process,

when chewing. Physical activity in the gizzard makes up for bird’s lack of teeth, which enables them to eat whole grains with good utilisation. There are many different ways to process grain in order to make it more digestible by the target animal.

compared to just rolling. Imported

Crushing (sometimes called rolling),

grains must be processed and heat

kibbling (breaking up into small

treated to prevent germination, which

chips) or hammer milling (breaking

strengthens demand for domestically

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as they lack the protein (amino acids), calcium and micro and macronutrients required for health and performance. Buying a grain based compound feed

Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

A strategic approach to long-term woody weed control There are a number of benefits to effective woody weed control on-farm.

• Protect the environment – woody weeds invade the dominant native vegetation if left unchecked.

critical and is dependent on many

• Increase the carrying capacity of your property – controlling woody weeds means there is more productive pasture available, which in turn allows you to carry more livestock.

• Control erosion – replacing woody weeds with dense competitive pasture (and correct grazing management) protects valuable top soil.

dense and covers a large area, it will

• Increase the value of your property – properties that are free of woody weeds are of greater value than those that are infested. • Make mustering easier – large infestations of woody weeds such as gorse, broom and blackberry provide stock with a hiding place when being mustered. • Reduce the risk of fire – large infestations of woody weeds are a fire risk, particularly during periods of prolonged dry weather. • Reduce the incidence of vermin – large infestations of woody weeds provide the ideal habitat for vermin to breed, e.g. rabbits. • Comply with government legislation – controlling declared woody weeds is the legal responsibility of the land owner. • Minimise stock losses – some woody weeds are poisonous to stock and by controlling woody weeds you can minimise stock losses. • Provide stock with easier access to water ways – because woody weeds flourish around water, stock may have reduced access to waterways.

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While controlling woody weeds is difficult, it is not impossible. Their persistent nature means that total control is not always achievable with a single herbicide application. With the introduction of a threecycle programme, producers can ensure long-term and cost effective woody weed control. Three steps to success Step One: Define the problem. Draw a layout of your property and paddocks, identify and shade in areas of infestation. Step Two: Develop a programme. Begin with the end in mind – what is your objective? Identify the weed species in each paddock, determine the infestation density (scattered, medium, or dense), detail the size of the infestation (acres/ hectares) and develop a financial plan to determine the resources you have to control the problem.

factors such as weed species, density and growth habit. If the infestation is be most effective to apply Tordon™ BrushKiller XT aerially to knock down the infestation. If weed density is scattered and can be effectively accessed from the ground, applications of Apache™ herbicide will be a cost effective option. It is critical that you allow funds for a follow-up treatment in the next cycle or you might find that re-growth will return and if not treated your initial work could be wasted. Cycle Two – Follow-up: This is vital, the aim is to follow up what was treated in the previous cycle. After your initial knockdown of large infestations, areas that you could not reach need followup. Apache herbicide is ideally suited for follow-up treatments where access to previously un-penetrable infestations are opened up allowing for thorough coverage from the ground using high volume gun and hose equipment.

Step Three: Apply the programme using the following three cycle plan to chart your success. Three cycle plan Cycle One – Treat: The aim is to reduce the initial weed infestation to more manageable levels. Choosing the correct herbicide at this point is

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Cycle Three – Check: Continue to check over time to ensure that no seedlings are getting away. Ensure that pasture forms an effective competitor against re-growth or seedlings. Tordon Brushkiller XT is ideally suited where new grass pastures are being established.

such as roads. Apache contains aminopyralid, a powerful woody weed herbicide providing fast knock-down and long lasting control. Systemic activity moves the chemical deep into the root system, killing weeds below the soil surface preventing re-growth.

As with most pests, prevention is better than cure. Treat the edges of large areas with Apache herbicide to prevent more weeds from spreading. Clean up small scattered areas first and improve fencing so that livestock can graze on treated areas.

conditions to provide long-term

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

control of hard-to-kill woody weeds.

Article supplied by Dow AgroSciences.

It is well suited for use on farms and

™ Trademark of the Dow chemical company.

Apache is a new breakthrough

Herbicides applied at the right time, using the right rate and technique are often the most economical, effective and practical for long-term woody weed control. Before treating, ensure the woody weeds are actively growing and are not showing signs of stress.

herbicide designed and developed specifically for New Zealand

in various other non-crop situations

ApacheTM 20g/100L - Blackberry Brownout % 90 80

80 70

60 % Brownout

60 50 50

40 30

10 0 25DAA 104014RA

27DAA 12005NE

29DAA 112004NE

35DAA 113001GW

47DAA 113003GW

56DAA 112001CP

Amino + Met 7.5 + 6gai/100L

Met 6 gai/100L

Axis Title Amino + Met 7.5 + 6gai/100L

Met 6 gai/100L

| Recently, Dow AgroSciences field researchers conducted Six individual trials at different locations to compare the efficacy of Apache to commonly used metsulfuron on drought stressed blackberry bushes. The results were conclusive, Apache (blue graph) consistently outperformed equivalent applications of straight metsulfuron. Aminopyralid significantly increased the speed of brownout resulting in a more thorough kill and less regrowth.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Cost effective undersowing options The practice of undersowing, where seed is drilled into old or failing pastures without spraying, is a common practice on most high performance farms. Pastures with low amounts of ryegrass will produce poorly over winter and spring. Whether pastures are starting to fail due to bug pressure, hard grazing or dry conditions, undersowing will often increase plant density, persistence and production. Tonic plantain or Asset Italian ryegrass are both excellent options for undersowing, adding production and diversity to a thinning perennial pasture and ultimately boosting sward quality.

be carried through that extra winter

which is often too slow to establish

before rotating into cropping phases

effectively in undersowing situations.

such as chicory, fodder beet or maize.

More recently, Tonic plantain has been

Under normal grazing management

used in an undersowing capacity. Tonic

Asset AR37 will maintain a quality leafy pasture throughout late summer, with very low aftermath heading when compared to traditional Italian ryegrass. “Asset AR37 has good survival and persistence through summer in our East Coast environment. This has allowed us to use Asset for undersowing into run out pasture. We also sow it as a pure

plantain is an upright, high quality, winter active plantain. Undersowing Tonic into a thinning perennial pasture can help boost production by creating more summer and autumn dry matter, as well as being a productive part of the pasture during the primary growth periods of late winter and

sward with clover which has persisted

spring. In comparison to Asset

well,” Tim and Elizabeth explain.

AR37, the use of Tonic plantain can

Asset is the only diploid Italian

provide a longer lived option with a

ryegrass available with the AR37

lifespan of two to three summers.

Tim and Elizabeth Powdrell farm on the 743ha Opoho Station, north of Wairoa. In their sheep, beef and cropping system the Powdrells have been using Asset AR37 for undersowing with their first sowing in the autumn of 2014.

endophyte and can be successfully

Although undersowing can be an

undersown at lower rates (12-15kg/

effective method in many situations,

ha) than tetraploid options, saving

it should be noted that it is a short-

significant costs. Asset is also a dense

term solution. In cases where a

plant, which is a useful characteristic

pasture is severely damaged,

when grazing heavy cows on wet

it may be best to spray out the

Asset AR37 is regularly surviving into the second winter, which makes it an ideal 18 month grass for their system. The Powdrells’ paddocks can

paddocks. Being an Italian, Asset AR37

existing pasture and start over.

is fast to establish and has increased vigour in cooler autumn conditions compared to perennial ryegrass,

The best overall strategy for many farms may be a combination of three pasture renewal methods. The most damaged pastures should go through a cropping programme, some could be sprayed and drilled to perennial ryegrass with an appropriate endophyte and others undersown with Asset AR37 or Tonic plantain. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Agricom.

| Tim Powdrell on his Opoho farm.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Timing is perfect to boost grass growth on-farm Keeping average pasture covers in sync with your autumn/winter feed budget and cow body condition score targets can be easier said than done at this time of the year. But when you get it right, you’ll count the gains next spring.

pasture production by 30-50 percent

If you’ve come through summer on

significant amount of extra feed.

track with your targets, congratulations

Nufarm development specialist

and keep up the good work.

Cynthia Christie says March is

On the other hand, if covers are not

the ideal month to start planning

trending the way they should be, or if

autumn ProGibb applications.

you’d like to put a bit more feed into

“Many of the farmers we know who

your cows, or if you simply want to

use ProGibb in autumn say the best

extend lactation, there’s no better

results come from having that extra

time than now to reset the system.

grass available in the second to last

The most cost effective way to do

and last grazing rounds before the

this is with home grown feed. It’s

cows are dried off for the winter.”

cheaper than imported supplement

Two things need to be factored into

and it’s more efficient too.

the planning process, she says. The

One tool that has really proven

first is the recommended 21 day gap

itself in this context is ProGibb SG

between application and grazing – the

from Nufarm. That’s because New

second is autumn grass growth rates.

Zealand’s first and most widely

“Autumn ProGibb SG applications

tested plant growth regulator lifts

differ from those in spring because

more dry matter in just 3 weeks. Adding that type of growth response to a paddock that normally produces 50kgDM/ha/day could be expected to result in growth rates of at least 75kgDM/ha/day, which is a

grass growth patterns are reversed. In spring, daily dry

Figure 1: Example of Annual Feed Supply and Demand Curve (cows wintered off farm)

matter growth is getting faster and faster but in autumn it is slowing down and you need

to take that into account.”

Apply ProGibb SG

80 kgDM/ha/day

One tactic that has proven

60 50

successful with autumn

ProGibb SG applications

is combining it with liquid

20 10

nitrogen (N). Many pastures

Apply ProGibb SG

are more deficient in N

Supply

Demand

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y Ma

r Ap

r Ma

b Fe

n Ja

v No

c De

t Oc

p Sa

g Au

l Ju

n Ju

Month

particularly in autumn and even a small amount of

Demand exceeds supply

N often makes a big

| Treated.

| Untreated.

difference. This also allows farmers the chance to reduce costs of application by spraying both ProGibb SG and foliar N in one pass. Grazing the pasture before ProGibb SG is applied is critical. For dairy pastures, ProGibb SG must be applied any time during the first 5 days after the cows leave the paddock – 1 to 3 days after grazing is best. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. ®

ProGibb is a registered trademark of Valent BioSciences Corporation, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. Article supplied by Nufarm.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

When is the best time to treat dairy cows for gastrointestinal parasites? As we head into autumn, the dairy farm focus shifts from thinking about this year’s production to setting up for a good season next year. The factors needing consideration include:

lower fertility (a cow calving at CS 4 will take on average 8-10 days longer to start cycling than if they calved at CS 5). This tends to result in a later calving date and up to 15 to 20kg milksolids less in the following season2.

during lactation. It also improves

Feed covers

Finance

improve your ability to maximise this

Pasture growth rates decrease as autumn progresses. If we wish to maintain or increase pasture covers prior to dry off, we have to bring in supplements, add nitrogen or dry cows off. Many farms will do a combination of all three. The target covers required for drying off and calving will vary from farm to farm, depending on the systems being run but generally covers required at both drying off and calving are very similar at around 2,200-2,400kgDM/ha1.

Maximising income from this season while not compromising next season’s income is always difficult to balance in a low pay-out year.

year’s income, while still meeting your

Cow condition Aim for a target condition score (CS) at calving of 5 for mature cows and 5.5 for first and second calvers2. Condition scores do not typically improve during the final month of pregnancy – a cow that is CS 4 must be dried off at least 2 months prior to calving and one that is CS 3 needs at least 4 months. Failure to achieve target condition scores at calving will result in decreased milk production (a cow calving at CS 4 will produce, on average, 2.3kg milksolids less than if she calved at CS 52) and

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feed utilisation by removing the effects of the ingested L3 larvae for an extended period of time (e.g. Ostertagia ostertagi for 35 days). Using Cydectin Pour-On in autumn will

CS and pasture cover targets. Visit www.cydectin.co.nz to calculate the potential return on investment you could achieve

Parasite challenge The parasite challenge is generally highest in the autumn. At this time cows are subjected to constant challenge from ingested L3 larvae. This challenge has a cost and effectively decreases feed utilisation. An analysis of 75 published trials3 has shown that treating cows for parasites can increase production by, on average, 0.35kg milk/cow/day. The analysis also found that there was significant variation between trials: endectocides (such as Cydectin® Pour-On) produced better results than the other drenches, trials where treatment was given mid-lactation resulted in better responses than treatment at drying off or calving and first calvers had lower milk production responses than mixed aged cows.

using Cydectin Pour-On. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Cydectin is a registered trademark of Zoetis Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACVM No. A6203. 1.

DairyNZ, Pasture cover at calving. 2016.

. Macdonald, K. and J. Roche, Condition scoring made easy. 2008: DairyNZ. 36.

Sanchez, J., et al., A meta-analysis of the milk-production response after anthelmintic treatment in naturally infected adult dairy cows. Prev Vet Med, 2004. 63(3-4): p. 237-56.

Cydectin Pour-On has no milk or meat withholding, allowing you to use it

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HORTICULTURE

Managing Psa-V in kiwifruit The period between harvest and leaf-fall is a high risk for Psa-V in kiwifruit, with cooler and wetter weather favouring Psa-V infection in the autumn. Wounds created at harvest provide ideal entry points for Psa-V and late season growth (especially in male vines) is particularly vulnerable to Psa-V. The application of approved protectant sprays is recommended immediately post-harvest to help protect fruit stalks, leaves and late season growth from Psa-V infection. This includes copper with the addition of ActigardTM where there is no risk of spray drift onto fruit. The benefit of applying Actigard early post-harvest is that leaves are in better condition to absorb the systemic active

Actigard is likely to be less effective

ingredient (acibenzolar-S-methyl), to

when applied to leaves at an

provide up to 21 daysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; protection. It

advanced stage of deterioration

can take 4 to 7 days for Actigard to

or after a significant frost event.

fully activate kiwifruit vines, so the

Growers should avoid applying Actigard

addition of copper is recommended

to vines already stressed due to frost,

for immediate protection and also for

high winds or excessive moisture. This

multiple modes of action against Psa-V.

means applying Actigard prior to, rather

Actigard should be applied at a

than after, high risk weather events.

rate of 200g/ha as a dilute spray in

To avoid the risk of residues when

conjunction with copper as soon as

applying Actigard post-harvest,

practical after harvest, with good

extreme care must be taken to

coverage of leaves, fruit stalks and leaf

avoid spray drift onto fruit in

scars required to optimise efficacy.

unharvested areas of the orchard or

Actigard can be applied to kiwifruit

neighbouring orchards. Sprayer tanks

up to four times per season.

must also be cleaned thoroughly

Depending on how many Actigard

before any other products are

sprays have been applied previously,

applied to unharvested vines.

up to two applications of Actigard

The precise mode of action of Actigard

can be applied at 21 day intervals

on Psa-V is not fully understood.

post-harvest if canopy condition

However, Actigard has consistently

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

allows (i.e. leaves are still green).

shown to reduce the symptoms of

Article supplied by Syngenta.

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Psa-V by stimulating the natural self-defence system of kiwifruit via a response known as Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). Trials in kiwifruit have shown that reducing the level of Psa-V infection in the autumn can help to reduce the symptoms of Psa-V in the following spring.

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Getting it right “The biggest satisfaction I get from my job is meeting a wide variety of farmers, understanding their unique needs and working with them to deliver the optimum stock water solution,” Iplex Pipelines Rural Territory Manager Chris Thomson says. Case in point was a recent development Chris became involved with on behalf of Farmlands Christchurch at Long Spur Farm. This property has been farmed by William and Jo Innes for the last 30 years. Located north of the upper Rakaia River, on 980 hectares of hilly to rolling country, the couple wished to increase the stock carrying capacity of a 60 hectare block to 150 cattle and 150 calves. William identified that this 65 percent increase to 50 LSU/hectare couldn’t be achieved

without upgrading the current stock water system. This is where Chris became involved. “The stock water on this part of the property was supplied by a series of dams, with all their inherent issues – difficult access, uncertain supply, poor water quality and high upkeep costs. Fortunately a spring fed pond, located at height, was capable of supplying enough water to meet the increased stock numbers peak water demand.” This allowed the design of a low cost, gravity reticulation system, with no ongoing pumping costs. There | Long Spur Farm pipeline route. were issues to resolve however. These included the need to manage the compared to traditional Alkathene high static head and a problematic and the various Plasson compression pipeline route, through trees and fittings options available to connect down into a gully. Surveying the the system together. Installation by property established where a break a local rural contractor also went pressure tank needed to be located smoothly. This block of land will to manage the excessive pressure now be more productive and I have and select the correct diameter and the option of extending the system pressure classes of pipe required. further, without the need to increase A mixture of 40mm and 32mm Greenline and Redline metric OD pipe, supplying a single trough in each of the eight paddocks was the outcome. Recognising future plans to have higher stock numbers on additional lower paddocks also saw extra water delivery capacity built into the system, with the break pressure tank also functioning as an additional water reservoir. “I couldn’t be happier,” William says. “It was good to have Chris talk me through the things like the hydraulic advantage of metric OD PE pipes

the mainline pipe diameter.” “The Innes’ needs were specific to their property and outcome they desired,” Chris says. “Every stock water system is different and no two jobs are the same. It’s great to have a new challenge every day and work with people to achieve great outcomes.” For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Iplex Pipelines.

| William Innes and Chris Thomson.

THE FARMLANDER

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Save money and meet industry milk chilling regulations We can’t change the regulations but many farmers are now saving money on their new milk chilling systems, especially when using the new large 25,000 or 30,000 litre poly foam insulated polyethylene water tanks within their ‘double bank plate cooler’ systems.

journey around the plates on the right

The ‘double bank plate cooler’ has

money but is also very quick. On one

milk flow through each side of the

farm with this system operating, the

cooler unit. On the left of the system

manager says he has saved $350.00

it is chilled after leaving the cow by

on his electricity costs in comparison

using ordinary spring or ground water,

to the same month the previous year,

which brings the milk down to 16-18

milking 900 Friesian/Jersey cross cows

degrees. The milk then continues its

without the new system operating.

hand side and then to and from the insulated tank that has the water at 6 degrees. This brings the milk into the collection vat at around 8 degrees or sometimes less. So the vat only has to cool the milk at the most 2 degrees. This system not only saves you Foamed Insulation Layer Outside Polyethylene Layer

The added benefit of using these large, insulated polyethylene tanks is their one piece corrugated construction, which allows them to be buried up to 1 metre in the ground, further increasing its insulation properties and saving more energy costs. The large tank allows enough chilled water for production during the whole day and then uses the same 25kW chiller hooked to the milk vat to chill the tank water using off peak overnight power. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Promax.

| The large poly foam has been studied by the Centre for Advanced Composite Material at Auckland University. The study showed power savings of up to $13.00 per day when using these insulated tanks. A 30,000 litre insulated tank would pay for itself within a year.

THE FARMLANDER