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Thursday, February 14, 2019 Wairarapa Times-Age
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER
Winter best time to take steps to reduce summer fire threat
There is always a small but ever present danger, during summer, of tractors and machinery starting ÿ res as has been highlighted by some recent events. John Tulloch, managing director of Tulloch Farm Machines and NZ Tractor and Machinery Association [TAMA] president, notes this season on farm, ÿ res have attracted more coverage than usual. There are a small but consistent number of ÿ res caused by agricultural machinery every summer. John points out that the highest risk is associated with tractors and equipment used during the hottest months, such as hay balers and harvesters and the tractors pulling them.
This burnt square baler and tractor is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault. Quite often, the cause is a failed bearing, used to support rotating or moving parts. “When you get metal on metal, you are going to get heat which can lead to ° ammable machinery parts catching alight, or material like hay and straw.”
The other common cause of ÿ res are electrical parts, John says. He says the time to check farm machinery for faults is during the down time of winter. “That is the time to make sure your equipment is well-maintained and up to scratch.”
And to look under the bonnet of tractors in spring to make sure there aren’t any birds nest there that could catch alight. He also recommends tractors carry a ÿ re extinguisher in case of a ÿ re.
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www.age.co.nz Thursday, February 14, 2019
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER Weekly monitoring for FE recommended
Have you soil tested the paddocks you plan to sow? Testing will tell you whether soil nutrient levels are high enough to deliver optimal plant growth. It will also alert you to any deÿ ciencies, excesses or imbalances of major nutrients, as well as enabling you to track fertility trends over time. And, of course, a soil test will inform your fertiliser recommendations, helping your fertiliser dollar go further. Your local fertiliser
rep can carry out a soil test for you, or you can do it yourself, if you have a soil auger. Here are some soil testing tips: 1) Don’t test within three months of applying fertiliser or lime. 2) Take samples by walking in a random or zig zag pattern across the paddock. 3) Don’t sample in dung
or urine patches, or stock camping areas, such as around troughs or under trees. 4) Put each sample in a clear snap lock bag and label clearly. 5) Deliver your samples to the lab immediately or store in the fridge until you can get to the lab. Delays expose samples to excess heat and moisture and can affect the analysis. Source: Beef & Lamb NZ
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Facial eczema spore counts have gone up, down, and then up again in Wairarapa over the past few weeks. At Week 5 of the year, the highest spore count in Wairarapa received by AssureQuality was near to 15,000, up from 10,000 in Week Four, and almost 20,000 in Week Three, according to the website www.asurequality.com When pasture spore counts are trending upwards of 20,000 spores/g and weather conditions look favourable for sporulation, AssureQuality advises farmers to monitor their farm’s pasture spore counts week to week, and to implement facial eczema control and prevention strategies. Late summer is traditionally the time when FE spores start to shoot up as, like other fungi, they like moist, warm conditions. Among the techniques and strategies available to farmers are zinc tablets for vulnerable individual animals and flocks, anti-fungal sprays around vulnerable areas of pastures, such as shaded areas, and removal of litter from shaded areas.
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Thursday, February 14, 2019 Wairarapa Times-Age
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER
Prevent facial eczema by pasture selection and grazing management
Facial Eczema (FE) is caused by a fungus, Pithomyces chartarum, which grows on dead pasture litter. In late summer and autumn, when periods of warm humid weather are common, the fungus can multiply rapidly, producing large numbers of spores which contain a toxin called sporidesmin. When livestock ingest pasture with high spore loads, the toxin can cause severe liver damage and affect productivity and welfare. The impaired liver function, and damage to the biliary system in the liver, reduces the ability of the animal to excrete waste products and in some animals this leads to the photosensitivity and damage to exposed areas of the skin, especially to the face and ears of sheep (giving the common name of facial eczema) and the breech and udder of cattle. Most animals with sporidesmindamaged livers however show no visible symptoms, but the damage can be detected by a blood test. As FE often occurs during the sheep mating season it can have a major effect on lamb production, not only in that year, but also in subsequent years. In addition to the losses due to deaths and the culling of animals with clinical FE, sub-clinical FE causes: • an increase in barren ewes (up to 12% more barren ewes in affected mobs). • a decrease in ewes carrying multiple lambs. • an increase in death rates and
“
Numerous trials measuring the spore loads found on various grass and herb species have shown that pure tall fescue swards and grassfree crops of chicory, plantain and legumes maintain much lower spore counts than most other grassdominant pastures.”
“
If you get 5% of the ˜ ock showing clinical signs, then at least 50% of the ˜ ock will have unseen, sub-clinical FE (damaged livers)”
lower productivity among ewes in subsequent years (lifetime performance can be reduced by up to 25% even when no symptoms are visible). These losses occur even in ˜ ocks where little or no clinical eczema is observed. If you get 5% of the ˜ ock showing clinical signs, then at least 50% of the ˜ ock will have unseen, sub-clinical FE (damaged livers).
PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
In cattle, grazing toxic pastures has immediate effects, depressing milk yield and/or growth rates and long term effects on survival. In the short term, FE can be prevented by dosing susceptible stock with zinc oxide as a drench, or slow release bolus, spraying pasture with fungicides to reduce the development of the FE fungus and grazing or feeding safe feed during periods of high risk. The best long term strategy is to breed animals that are more FE tolerant. Research has shown that FE can also be controlled through the choice of pasture species and/or grazing management. Success depends on understanding where the fungus grows. The fungus grows on the dead litter at the base of the pasture. The more litter present, the greater the potential for explosive fungal growth when periods of high humidity coincide with grass
minimum temperatures exceeding 12-13°C. The fungus overwinters on litter at the base of pastures and then colonises fresh litter later in the spring. Most of the spores are situated in the 5 to 6cm at the base of pastures. Spore loads also increase progressively from the youngest to the oldest leaf material. Thus choosing species such as chicory, red clover or tall fescue which produce pastures with very little litter, and then grazing laxly to avoid forcing animals to graze the lower pasture horizons can greatly reduce the risk of FE. Numerous trials measuring the spore loads found on various grass and herb species have shown that pure tall fescue swards and grassfree crops of chicory, plantain and legumes maintain much lower spore counts than most other grassdominant pastures. Source: www.bee˜ ambnz.co.nz
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www.age.co.nz Thursday, February 14, 2019
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER
Sound seedbed preparation
weed-free seedbed, ideal for plants to establish in. One factor often lacking is consolidation, which conserves moisture and makes it possible to achieve the right sowing depth. Research in Manawatu showed sowing with a V-roller into a wellconsolidated seedbed gave better white clover establishment than a poorly consolidated seedbed.
There are several key steps to consider, including sowing date, seedbed quality, sowing depth and seed ground coverage. SOWING DATE Sowing date affects pasture establishment, yield and persistence. It is particularly important in summer-dry areas, as sowing early allows individual plants more time to develop and reach over 20 tillers in size, before the following (potentially dry) summer. Later sowing in cooler autumn conditions means slower establishment due to the cooler temperatures, and greater potential to pug and damage new pastures in winter and spring. SOWING EARLY IN THE DRY AUTUMNS (FROM LATE FEBRUARY AND THROUGHOUT MARCH) Sowing early (after 25 February) in dry conditions with treated seed is easier for contractors, means faster establishment and more yield, and
sets up better pasture persistence. In a trial in Cambridge, seed with novel endophyte (NEA2) sown in late February remained in the ground for over 6 weeks without rain. Treatments sowed before the rain maintained a high endophyte level and grew 2t DM/ha more than seed sown post-rain (5.8t DM/ha versus 3.8t) from May to October. At the Forage Value Index value of 38c/kg DM for cool season pasture, that’s $760/ha value added by sowing earlier. SEEDBED PREPARATION The goal is to produce a ÿ ne, ÿ rm,
SOWING DEPTH Sow ryegrass and white clover seed mixes at a depth of 5-10mm to get the best establishment. White clover seed is small and sensitive to depth, and establishes much faster at this depth. Ryegrass is less sensitive to sowing depth, still establishing well when sown at 20mm. At a depth of 50mm neither species establishes well. The exception to sowing shallow is in dry conditions, when it is sometimes better to drill seed a little deeper into better soil moisture. In these conditions white clover may struggle.
A consolidated seed bed is critical to allow good depth control with a seed drill. In a soft seedbed wheel tracks are pushed down, and coulter depths vary, leading to both uneven seed depth and establishment. PERENNIAL RYEGRASS SOWING RATE There is no ‘correct’ ryegrass seed sowing rate for New Zealand farms. Both a standard and lower perennial ryegrass sowing rate can work well, with the advantages of each outlined below. STANDARD SOWING RATE Diploid 18-22 kg/ha; tetraploid 2630 kg/ha (plus clover at 3-4 kg/ha) Extra seed can help in adverse conditions (e.g. poor seed bed, poor drilling depth) Usually higher DM yield over ÿ rst 1-3 grazings Lower weed content LOWER SOWING RATE Diploid 12-16 kg/ha; tetraploid 2024 kg/ha (plus clover at 3-4 kg/ha) More space for clover establishment Lower seed cost Source: www.dairynz.co.nz
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Thursday, February 14, 2019 Wairarapa Times-Age
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www.age.co.nz Thursday, February 14, 2019
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER
In clover: new red bred for better grazing If you’re interested in the high animal performance and nitrogen ÿ xation gains of including red clover in your pasture mix this season, a new multi-stemmed cultivar has just been released in time for autumn sowing. Morrow comes from a tough family. Most red clovers would not last long under intensive rotational grazing on light, summer dry North Island soils. But Morrow’s parents did. Over time, they adapted, survived and stood out as good growers, even after drought. Plant breeders at Barenbrug Agriseeds selected the best of these genetics for improved yield, persistence and ° owering to create a multi-stemmed red clover for good production and very good persistence under grazing. For eight years, Morrow has been a standout in ÿ eld trials, with great total dry matter yield, and signiÿ cantly more summer yield than other cultivars. Over the warmer months, red clover has the highest animal performance of any grazing species, but historically its biggest drawback
has always been limited persistence under grazing. “Morrow’s improved grazing tolerance means it will keep boosting production year on year,” says pasture systems agronomist Jen Corkran. “Like all red clovers Morrow will persist best on freedraining soils under a longer summer grazing round.” It has topped Barenbrug Agriseeds plant density trials, which measure how many red clover plants are left after two years in intensively grazed trials. High ME and high DM together create ideal late spring, summer and autumn grazing when the feed quality of grasses starts to drop off in the heat of summer. In addition, Morrow ÿ xes its own nitrogen, feeding it naturally into pasture systems in a slow and continual way. This will be ever more important to provide N on farm, as fertiliser comes under increasing environmental scrutiny. Morrow can ÿ x over 200 g N/ha per year, based on its yield (about 25kg
Morrow multi-stemmed red clover has standout summer yield. N/ha per tonne of DM grown). Another important beneÿ t of red clover is the increased clover root weevil tolerance over white clover, helping provide species diversity and extra legume content in your pasture. Visually, Morrow is more prostrate than the classic very upright haytype red clover cultivars, which gives it much more persistence under grazing. System-wise, Morrow is ideal as a component of innovative pasture
mixes for both short-term, high performance combinations, and longer term pastures. It has an excellent ÿ t with a wide range of other pasture cultivars, including Shogun hybrid ryegrass, Captain CSP plantain and perennial ryegrasses such as Trojan and Viscount. It can also be planted as a straight sward. Morrow is available for autumn sowing. For more detail contact your seed merchant.
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Thursday, February 14, 2019 Wairarapa Times-Age
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER What a walk around the paddock can tell you So il and p astur e testing is an estab lished and trust ed p art of our N ew Ze aland farmi ng syst em. But do we use it as often and strategically a s we shoul d? F ertiliser guru Do ug Ed me ades ex p lains there are 16 e ssential nut rients that any p lant – i nclud ing p astur e – ne eds. T hese can come from t he air, wa ter, so il or fertiliser. A nd a p lant only g rows as fast as the mo st limi ted nut rient allows. C love r tells us a lot ab out nut rient limi tations. W e all kno w that clove r eq ua ls free nitrogen and great q ua lity st ock f eed. I t also has a high req ui reme nt for all 16 nut rients. So p oor clove r growth tells us there coul d b e a p articul ar nut rient that’ s holding it b ack. Do n’ t think yo ur f arm o p eration is so good that yo u’r e not affected. I t’ s estima ted that 80 p er cent of N ew Ze aland farms a re deficient in p otassium, p hosp horus a nd/o r sul p hur ( K , P , S) . So what shoul d yo u b e looki ng for when wandering out into the p addock? An e asy o ne is p romi nent uri ne p atches where clove r is growing, b ut has b rown ma rgin on the leave s. T his can b e a p otassium d eficiency . La ck o f p otassium in the soil can translate into p astur e p roduc tion losses of up to 40 p er cent. T hat’ s a startling figur e. Do ug b elieve s mo st of us c an ma ke b etter use of the tools ava ilab le. F or instance, t arget p roduc tive areas to ma x imi se yo ur r etur n on fertiliser sp end. M ake use of va riab le rate ap p lications. I nve st in a farm ma p that shows yo u different soil typ es and contours. H is p oint is that there are a lot of ap p roaches that won’ t see yo u sp ending mo re on fertiliser – b ut , i nstead, sp ending yo ur f ertiliser b ud get where yo u wi ll see the mo st retur n. Source: bee˜ ambnz.com
Soil-friendly bull wintering system M atching stock t o soil typ e is what dictates the winter grazing rotation on M ike M cC reary’ s W airarap a farm. Bo rdering La ke W airarap a at j ust ove r a me tre ab ove sea leve l, M ike like ns farmi ng the 540ha p rop erty t o farmi ng in H olland. T he soils can get ve ry we t in winter and M ike says t here are p arts of the farm he woul d neve r p ut cattle on ove r the colder mo nths, b ut he has estab lished a syst em t hat enab les him t o winter 80 b ul ls while p reservi ng his soils. I n conj unc tion with farme r and grazing syst em d esigner T om C hisholm, M ike has set up a “c alib rated” g razing syst em, simi lar to a technosyst em b ut one in which he can also integrate sheep . Ove r winter, t he b ul ls are on a long 96day r ound and are shifted eve ry se cond day . T his me ans they a re in each cell j ust once ove r winter. F rom a ut umn, he starts slowing the b ul ls’ sume r grazing
rotation down to b ui ld p astur e cove rs. Ba lancing nu tritional req ui rem ents with anima l b ehavi our , he has found the comb ination of p astur e cove rs of 2,0kg DM /ha and two- day b reaks ke ep s the b ul ls settled. Run i n mo b s of 1 5 - 1 8 , M ik e says the b ul ls tend to eat a lot on day one and will j ust lie down on day t wo, so there is no fighting, digging holes or chur ning up soils. “I t’ s their b ehavi our that creates the mud .” Si mi larly , t he size of the cells me ans the b u lls are not congregating in one sp ot creating nut rient du m p s and dama ging soil stru ctur e. T he length of the rotation me ans grass is growing ove r winter, so they a re well setup to ma k e the mo st of the b ul ls’ com p ensatory growth ove r sp ring. Se tting up a wintering syst em to p reserve soils is j u st one of the envi ronme ntal p rotection and enhanceme nt me asur es M ik e
has und ertak en. S tock water is reticu lated, all waterways are p lanted and he has p lanted 8- 10ha in native s. H e has work ed alongside the G reater W ellington Re gional C ou ncil, I wi and the D ep artme nt of C onserva tion on m any of these initiative s and cannot sp eak highly enou gh ab out the assistance he has receive d from all these entities. “I coul dn’ t do it without them. I t’ s ab out b ui lding a whole farm p lan and think ing ab ou t where yo u want to b e in five to 10 ye ars’ tim e.” I n the fut ur e he woul d also lik e to p lant m anuk a hedges along the farm laneways. M anu k a has disinfectant q u alities, cap tu res nitrogen and trimmi ngs can b e use d to ex tract m anuk a oil. • For more information on environmentally responsible winter grazing management, go to https://bee˜ ambnz. com/wintergrazing
Serious advice for successful seeding T o ensu re good q u ality seed u se certified, treated seed and m ak e su re seed is sown within a m onth of it b eing p u rchased. C E R T IF IE D S E E D I n all cases C ertified S eed shou ld b e p u rchased. T his ensu res the seed y ou are b u y ing is of the sp ecified cu ltiv ar, and is of assu red q u ality and p u rity . A ll C ertified S eed has a S eed A naly sis C ertificate, which is av ailab le from y ou r seed su p p lier on req u est. S om e k ey p oints to look for on this are: • I dentification - the cu ltiv ar tested and m erchant reference nu m b er, also k nown as seed line nu m b er ( on side of seed sack ) . • W hen tested - date of test, which •
•
•
•
T R
shou ld b e within six m onths of sale. S tandard tests - p u rity ( % p u re seed, contam inants) ; germ ination ( % liv e seed, hard seed in legu m es, ab norm als) ; b u lk search ( contam inants in v ery low lev els, not enou gh to show in p u rity ) O ther tests - endop hy te % in p erennial ry egrass ( either seed or seedlings grow ou ts) . I ndu stry lev els are set at a m inim u m of 7 0 % endop hy te in ry egrass seed. E A T E D S E E D S eed treatm ent can b e seen as an ‘ insu rance p olicy ’ against p addock failu re. R edu ces the risk of losing a p astu re or crop at estab lishm ent, b y p rotecting newly - em erged seedlings from p ests and disease.
• S eed treatm ent lasts for ap p rox im ately six week s p ostsowing, the tim e that y ou ng p lants are m ost v u lnerab le to insect attack and disease. • P rov ides good control of low to m oderate insect p ressu re - a wider control p rogram m e is needed where increases are high. S T O R IN G S E E D O N F A R M S eed is a liv ing entity that can deteriorate ov er tim e, and this p articu larly ap p lies to endop hy te lev els in ry egrass seed. O n- farm , store seed in a cool, dry p lace and sow seed within one m onth of u p lifting seed. D o not k eep seed from one season to another. Source: www.dairynz.co.nz
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www.age.co.nz Thursday, February 14, 2019
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER
Care required with feed crops in autumn At this time of the year, feed crops and pastures can be toxic to livestock, particularly when frosts, overcast or cold weather follow a period of rapid growth. James White, from Seed Force, offers some advice. Nitrate poisoning can occur when the plant uptakes more nitrogen from the soil than is able to be utilised. James White, Commercial Extension Manager for Seed Force, says this can affect many species but most notably forage brassicas, short-term ryegrasses and oats. He says grazing strategies, such as not running hungry stock on to at-risk crops or pastures and reducing their intake by providing a supplement such as hay or silage (or a feed with low nitrate levels), will help minimise the risk. Allow time for livestock to adjust to feed crops by gradually increasing the allocation over time. During high-risk periods, feed the pasture or crop in the afternoon as nitrate levels will typically be lower, particularly on sunny days says James. Nitrate test kits are available, so farmers can test their own crops, or samples sent away for analysis. Levels exceeding two per cent of dry matter are considered unsafe. All stock can be affected by nitrate poisoning, but cattle and younger stock are most susceptible. James says nitrate poisoning can happen very quickly, so he urges farmers to check stock often during high-risk periods and animals showing any sign of illness should be removed immediately. Acidosis is another risk factor when feeding forage brassicas, but this can also be minimised by introducing stock to the crop slowly, ensuring animals are not going on to the crop hungry and providing access to supplementary feed. James says brassicas also contain
anti-nutritional compounds (SMCO and Glucosinolates), but these can be managed through a slow transition and adequate supplementation. Bloat can also be an issue if feeding frosted brassica crops. Careful transitioning is essential when feeding fodder beet crops, particularly to cattle. The feed should be introduced to the animal slowly and the feed allocation gradually increased. This allows the animal’s rumen to adjust to a new type of feed. It is important to know exactly how much feed you are giving animals over this transition period. Crops should be measured and plants sent away for dry matter testing. James cautions against using “book value” dry matter measurements as these can vary greatly with fodder beet and have a big impact on allocation due to fodder beet’s high yield potential. During the transition period – which should last for at least 14 days – give the animals plenty of room with wide feeding-faces. Never run hungry animals on to the crop over this adjustment period. Ensure the animals’ nutritional needs are being by providing the correct supplement with their crop diet. This will vary between different classes of stock. Young cattle should be vaccinated with a 10-in-one vaccine before they are introduced to fodder beet. Sheep are at less risk of acidosis on fodder beet so don’t need the careful transitioning used for other stock. While they can self-regulate their intake easier than cattle in the early stages of feeding, they should still be introduced to the crop gradually. Source: www.bee˜ ambnz.co.nz
“
Nitrate test kits are available, so farmers can test their own crops, or samples sent away for analysis. Levels exceeding two per cent of dry matter are considered unsafe”
ARE YOU IN NEED OF PASTURAL RENEWAL? Call the team at Colton Bros and take advantage of our spray truck and two direct drills with slug bait and fertiliser application
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PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
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Thursday, February 14, 2019 Wairarapa Times-Age
2019
Autumn PASTURE&FERTILISER
Analysis of your pasture growth data will help you plan the most profitable renewal programme While you may instinctively know your best and worst paddocks, without measuring or assessing, pasture growth paddocks cannot be accurately ranked to identify worst performance. PADDOCK SELECTION STEPS Identify the poorest producing paddocks. Compare those to the best performing paddocks to assess potential. Identify why these paddocks are the lowest producing. IDENTIFY THE POOREST PADDOCK The best paddock(s) to renew are the poorest producers as these have the potential for greatest improvement. For example, where the yield can be increased by 2t DM/ha the return is around 130kg MS/ha. The return will be greater if the extra growth occurs at a time of the season when animal demand exceeds pasture growth. The highest producing paddocks on a farm indicate the property’s overall potential. Under-producing paddocks
highlight the opportunity for extra pasture growth. Use grazing and yield records to identify your best and worst paddocks. The more measures and assessments you have to compare the better (and easier) the decision will be. If records are unavailable use the Pasture Condition Score Tool available at www.dairynz.co.nz and walk your farm at least six months before sowing date. MEASURES OF PADDOCK PERFORMANCE Three ways you can measure pasture performance are: • Weekly cover pasture information Use a rising plate meter or visual yield estimates from farm walks to estimate pasture to calculate
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“
The best paddocks to renew are the poorest producers as these have the potential for greatest improvement”
paddock growth. Software programme such as Pasture Coach and MINDA Land & Feed can be used to calculate paddock growth and provide paddock profiles. • Grazing records Analysis of good grazing records can give a clear indication of paddock ranking. With good grazing records the performance of individual paddocks can be calculated by
adding up the number of cow grazing days over the year. • Paddock records A simple collection of the number of times paddocks have been grazed can give a quick indication of paddock growth. IDENTIFY REASONS FOR POORPERFORMANCE Introducing new plants will not increase production if you do not resolve the underlying causes of low pasture production - treat the cause and not the symptom. Problems include: soil fertility, poor drainage, pugging, soil compaction, overgrazing, weeds and insect pests Source: www.dairynz.co.nz
Fertiliser the way EWE want it Dolomite, Humates, Phosphate, Potash, Serpentine, Sulphur, Selenium, Salt, Trace Minerals, Lime Mag and much more. CUSTOM BLENDS. SPECIAL MIXES. Biogro certified products also available.
180 Mulcher New Ber ti TSB mer Flails c/w T Ham ST $9500.00 +G
Trimax 237 Topper Going order $2550.00 +GST
0800 UP YA PH • A/H 372 2874 Roading & Track Lime.
WAYNE & ANDREA m Mower Fieldmaster 2.7 iced rv Se Tidy & ST +G 0 .0 0 0 5 6 $
rks New Scimitar Log Fo mb thu lic au Hydr $2850.00 +GST
Mower Fieldmaster 3m Gear Very tidy $10,250.00 +GST
PRICE CONTRACTING
Bale Forks Euro Brackets T $650.00 +GS
06 370 1212 | www.agtec.co.nz 315 Ngaumutawa Rd, Masterton
Plowing | Cultivation Work | Direct Drilling HOME 06 379 5953 | WAYNE 027 4979 837 | WATERSONS LINE, CARTERTON