www.times-age.co.nz THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
FEATURE SUPPLEMENT l 17
2024 AUTUMN
PASTURE & FERTILISER
Take heart with autumn pasture renewal Autumn pasture renewal is the process of replacing older, less productive pasture with completely new pasture, to improve performance. The aim is nutritional pasture with a long lifespan that fuels the growth of high quality, high yielding, stock. Nurturing the perfect pasture involves fertile soil, quality seed, a potent mix of pasture species, well managed threats from pests and diseases, and optimum moisture. We look at each of these key determinants in this feature. DairyNZ and PGG Wrightson say the first step with any poor performing pasture is to address the underlying problems causing pasture deterioration. These could include low quality grasses, soil infertility and issues with PH, dry conditions or flooding, drainage, compaction, over-grazing, pugging, weeds, and pests. The life of pasture can be shortened by extended periods of drought or, alternatively, wet winters.
PRIORITISING WHICH PADDOCKS NEED RENEWING DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ, together with other organisations such as PGG Wrightson and Farm Source, have come up with a system to guide farmers through pasture renewal decisions. A system of ‘condition scoring’ pasture is
recommended, leading to fact-based choices about the next course of action. Farmers are encouraged to walk their pastures and score each paddock with a rating between one and five. Scoring guides can be found on the websites of DairyNZ, PGG Wrightson, and Farm Source. For a score of five, where the whole paddock has a dense sward of desired grasses and clovers, the recommended course of action is to do nothing. On the other hand, for a condition score of one, where the entire paddock is severely damaged, the recommendation is to sow a summer crop in the spring and then sow perennial pasture the following autumn.
INVESTING IN RETURN Replacing poor producing paddocks with new pasture is one of the simplest ways to invest on-farm for a relatively predictable return. Over time, it’s usual to observe a decline in the population of desirable, productive plants, accompanied by an increase in undesirable or unproductive plants pastures become ‘runout’. Old pastures produce less dry matter, are lower in metabolisable energy, and have reduced stock performance. This decline compounds as the pasture ages. Successful pasture renewal can increase dry matter per hectare per year by around three to six tonnes. This is true for all farms, with extra production converted into additional income.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024 WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE
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2024 AUTUMN
PASTURE & FERTILISER
Quality sowing jobs
First grazing Other advice is to use the ‘pluck test’ to work out when to graze new pasture – that is, when plants break off rather than pull out when plucked by hand. The first grazing should be a quick nip off with young stock or two to three hours grazing with cows.
For the lower North Island, the recommended pasture renewal date in the autumn is around 20 March, although earlier sowing is recommended in dry autumns such as the one forecast for 2024. PGG Wrightson recommends buying quality seed and selecting the right pasture species and/or cultivar for your farm. The company also says that sowing a small area well is less risky than sowing a large area poorly. The company also advises farmers to take care when sowing clover – it should be sown at a shallower depth than ryegrass. Also critical is attention to weed control, contouring, and levelling.
Before first grazing, it may pay to test a sample for nitrate toxicity – nitrate poisoning is not uncommon when grazing resown pastures.
PASTURE RENEWAL TOP TIPS Top pasture renewal tips from The Pasture Renewal Charitable Trust, PGG Wrightson, Beef + Lamb NZ, and DairyNZ are to: Plan well in advance. Walk your paddocks and identify those that are underperforming. Identify the reason why a paddock is underperforming and fix the issue before you undertake any renewal process.
Soil test at least six months in advance to allow yourself the time to correct any large nutrient deficiencies. Decide if you want to renew in autumn. Usually, perennial pasture is best renewed then. Plan the cultivation programme and work with the contractor to achieve your requirements. Spray out the old crop well before any cultivation or direct drilling commences using an appropriate dose of glyphosate plus insecticide (if needed for insect pest control).
Choose a cultivar, heading date, endophyte, additional species mix, and seed coating. Plan sufficient seed requirement for sowing rate and order your seed mix well in advance. After drilling, monitor for slugs, pests, and weeds - treat accordingly. Manage early grazing to avoid overgrazing or pugging, as this will help with the persistence of the pasture and protect your investment.
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FEATURE SUPPLEMENT l 19
Fertile soil More than two-thirds of Wairarapa’s farms report they have no formal farm nutrient planning document (Statistics New Zealand data). But getting farm nutrient decisions wrong can result in phosphate leaching, E.coli and sediment in our waterways, negative impacts on animal and human health, and climate change issues.
A German scientist working in the 19th century formulated the Law of the Minimum which says that if one of the essential plant nutrients is deficient, plant growth will be poor even when all other essential nutrients are abundant. The International Fertilizer Association has produced an infographic explaining how 14 essential plant nutrients help with the health of plants. Go to: www.fertiliser.org.nz. Nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and sulphur are the four most important nutrients for crop yields and sustainable food production. The website for New Zealand’s Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) provides a downloadable tool for calculating soil nitrogen and helping with nitrogen fertiliser decision-making. Go to www.far.org. nz/resources/soil-nitrogen-supplycalculator. Taking a different approach, Kiwi Fertiliser is one of several fertiliser companies that pride themselves on delivering soil fertility as close as nature intended. The company says “farmers have been led to believe urea is essential for high production. We contend that is not true. Nitrogen can be sourced from the air by plants if the correct
conditions are met. After all, the urea manufacturers obtain nitrogen from the air, convert it to urea, and then sell it to the farmer.” Soil pH matters too – this is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity in soils. Agricom NZ reports that the optimal pH range for most plants is between 5.5 and 7, with a pH of 5.5 being slightly acidic, 7 being neutral and 7+ being alkaline. Acidic soils are crying out for applications of lime. Legumes can also help to combat soil acidity. Agricom NZ’s advice on soil fertility and structure can be found here: www.agricom.co.nz/ management-advice/soil-fertility. The objective of Our Land And Water NZ, which is set by Government, is to enhance the production and productivity of New Zealand’s primary sector, while maintaining and improving the quality of the country’s land and water for future generations. Its resources relating to nutrient management can be found here: ourlandandwater.nz/topic/ nutrient-management/. Our Land And Water NZ says that “New Zealand farmers can keep more nutrients in their soil by choosing the right fertiliser for their type of land and applying it strategically, so it stays on the farm rather than draining away as pollution.”
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024 WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE
20 l FEATURE SUPPLEMENT
2024 AUTUMN
PASTURE & FERTILISER
Manage the threats from pests and diseases Pasture, supplementary feed, and water can be contaminated with pests and diseases (including weeds) and can be the mechanisms by which these are introduced onto your farm. The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) carried out several studies in the 2000s, investigating the effect of various fungicides on the incidence of blind seed disease and on fungal endophyte transmission. The key findings remain relevant and are: Blind seed disease (caused by the fungus Gloeotinia temulenta) can result in significant reductions in seed line germination in ryegrass.
This disease is more prevalent in short, open crops with less bulk at flowering, as well as in second-year ryegrass seed crops.
Grub or Brown Beetle Larvae, Lucerne Weevil, Porina Caterpillar, and the Tasmanian Grass Grub. All these pests damage pasture.
Fungicide options are available that provide effective control of blind seed disease.
FAR and DairyNZ both warn against the Fall Armyworm (FAW), a problematic moth known to damage crops during its larvae stage and introduced into the country in 2022. FAR’s December 2023 update states that five FAW had been confirmed in the 2023/24 growing season. Reminds farmers that earlier planted crops are less likely to suffer significant economic loss, because earlyseason FAW populations had not built up multi-generational numbers. FAWs are resistant to some sprays, so farmers and growers should first consult with relevant advisers.
Advice from Beef + Lamb NZ is to “inspect stockfeed on delivery (including non-traditional feed such as low-grade surplus horticultural produce) for evidence of pests, damage and contaminants and manage appropriately. Remember that baleage and other supplementary crops represent a significant risk for the introduction of weed species.” DairyNZ warns against pests arriving with feed, including the Adult Black Beetle, Aphids, Clover Root Weevil, Grass
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FEATURE SUPPLEMENT l 21
Seeds and sowing CERTIFIED SEED IS BEST Advice from the experts is to use certified and treated seed, and ensure it is sown within a month of purchase. All certified seed has a Seed Analysis Certificate which is available from your seed supplier. It contains identification of the cultivar tested and the merchant reference number (also known as seed line number) as well as when it was tested, tests for purity and germination, and other tests such as the endophyte percentage in perennial ryegrass. PGG Wrightson says that “seed treatment can be seen as an insurance policy against paddock failure.” Seed treatment lasts for about six weeks after sowing, which is the period when young plants are most vulnerable. Treated seed reduces the risk of losing a pasture or crop by protecting new seedlings from pests and disease. Because seeds are living entities that can deteriorate over time, storage of seeds on the farm needs to be in a cool, dry place. The recommendation is to sow seeds within one month of their uplift and not to keep seeds from one season to another. Establishing a healthy pasture requires attention to several factors including sowing date, seedbed preparation, sowing depth, and seed ground coverage.
SOWING DATE Early sowing in dry autumns (e.g. in late February) can boost establishment, yield, and pasture persistence. It is also easier for contractors.
DairyNZ reports on a recent trial in Cambridge. It used seed with novel endophyte (NEA2) sown in late February that remained in the ground for over six weeks without rain. Treatments sown before the rain maintained a high endophyte level and grew 2 t DM/ha more than seed sown postrain (5.8 t DM/ha versus 3.8 t) 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.” The Forage Value Index is explained over the page.
SEEDBED PREPARATION A well-prepared seedbed – fine and firm without weeds – ensures ideal conditions for plant growth. Some of its research in the Manawatu involved sowing with a V-roller into a wellconsolidated seedbed, resulting in better white clover establishment than in a poorly consolidated seedbed.
SOWING DEPTH DairyNZ’s advice is to aim for a depth of 5-10 mm for ryegrass and white clover seed mixes, to guarantee optimal establishment. The exception to sowing shallow is when there are dry conditions. In that case, it is sometimes better to drill seed a little deeper into better soil moisture. In these conditions, however, white clover may struggle.
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22 l FEATURE SUPPLEMENT
2024 AUTUMN
PASTURE & FERTILISER
Potent mix of pasture species Plant species and cultivar play a major role in maximising the life of pasture, the amount of feed available and, ultimately, the profit from every hectare of pasture sown. The best results come from matching species and cultivar to the farm system, climate, soils, and pests. Perennial ryegrass and white clover are the mainstay of most pasture-based dairy farming systems, with other plant species integrated into pasture or
planted as special-purpose crops. Each plant species has cultivars bred to suit particular climates, soil types, and farm systems. DairyNZ, in collaboration with the NZ Plant Breeding and Research Association, has developed a Forage Value Index (FVI) tool for NZ dairy farmers to estimate the profit of perennial and short-term ryegrass cultivars for each region. The FVI is $/ha value based on expected contribution to dairy farm profit, converted into a one to five-star rating. Legumes such as clover and lucerne are highly recommended to achieve
rapid improvement, yield increase, and healthy nitrogen in pasture grasses. Massey University says that it can be debated whether paspalum is good or bad in pastures – it does provide feed during dry summers but can result in poor animal production over winter. This is because it out-competes perennial ryegrass in summer, resulting in less ryegrass available to give winter production. The Science Learning Hub supported by Dairy NZ, provides advice on various pasture species.
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FEATURE SUPPLEMENT l 23
Plantain Potency TARARUA FARMERS LEAD THE WAY. In 2018, Tararua farmers and the local community teamed up in a fiveyear project aimed at reducing their environmental footprint and improving water quality in the region. A book about this venture (called Tararua Farmers Lead the Way) can be downloaded here www.dairynz.co.nz/ resources. It’s introduced by Tararua Mayor Tracey Collis and Project Chair Mavis Mullins and celebrates the awardwinning Tararua Plantain Project. Throughout the five-year DairyNZ-led project, farmers in the region have helped build understanding of how Ecotain® plantain fits with pasture-based farm systems to reduce nitrogen (N) loss. They have also worked with the community to identify environmental improvement solutions that can work in other New Zealand regions. Plantain works by increasing the urine volume of cows, which dilutes the nitrogen in urine and so reduces the total amount of nitrogen excreted in urine. It also retains nitrogen in the soil, preventing it entering waterways. Eighty-eight dairy farmers in the Tararua District now have plantain on their farms, and learnings are being shared with other farmers. 3,189 hectares
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have been planted in mixed pastures including plantain, with 104 hectares in a plantain crop. More than 560 monthly water quality monitoring samples are taken by farmers across 21 sites. This project won the team and collaboration award at the Primary Industries New Zealand Awards in July 2023.
INSPIRED BY TARARUA FARMERS. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures’ Plantain Potency and Practice programme is a seven-year (20212028) Aotearoa New Zealand-wide collaborative research and development initiative, funded by partners MPI, DiaryNZ, Fonterra, and PGG Wrightson. Its inception was inspired by the early successes of the Tararua farmers’ plantain project. The aim of the programme is to substantially reduce nitrogen lost to fresh water and greenhouse gases from the pasture-based food exporting sectors by using plantain. Confidence is growing in the ability for Ecotain® plantain to achieve substantial reductions in nitrate leaching. “Plantain can bring significant benefits to local waterways and communities,” DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle.
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is reported to have said “The trials also show feeding cows plantain has no impact on milk quality or volume.”
Aaron and Jo Passey own and operate a 129-hectare dairy farm just north of Dannevirke. During their first year using plantain, the Passey’s cultivated and drilled three paddocks into plantain crop at 12 kg Ecotain® plantain seed per hectare.
The national programme’s farm trial research at Massey University has shown that mixed pastures containing 30 to 50 percent plantain can achieve reductions in nitrate leaching from dairy farms by 20 to 60 percent, helping to reduce nitrogen losses to waterways.
Now, Ecotain® plantain is present on 63 percent of the farm, making up an average of 10 percent of the pasture sward. So far, the Passeys have successfully reduced N-loss by five percent on their farm.
The programme’s Lincoln University farm trial in Canterbury, on lighter soils under irrigation, shows similar trends: a 38-50 percent reduction in nitrogen leaching from pasture containing 24 percent Ecotain® plantain. By 2040, the PPP initiative is forecast to save farmers around $1 billion and reduce nitrateleaching by 15,000 tonnes annually.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024 WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE
24 l FEATURE SUPPLEMENT
2024 AUTUMN
PASTURE & FERTILISER
The tyranny of moisture Water is critical for good pasture growth and high performing stock. ANTICIPATING DRY SPELLS A tool launched at the end of 2023 by NIWA and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) can predict dryness and drought. Go to: shiny.niwa.co.nz/drought-forecast/. The new tool aims to enhance the resilience of the agriculture sector, and help farmers and growers better prepare for adverse weather conditions. The free tool uses artificial intelligence and long-range weather modelling. It provides a weekly and 35-day outlook on the risk of areas experiencing dryness or drought.
SEASONAL CLIMATE OUTLOOK AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION NIWA’s modelling, published in its Seasonal Climate Outlook through to March 2024, indicates a 100 percent chance of El Niño continuing throughout autumn 2024. El Niño comes with an increased risk of temperatures remaining above average, dry spells in Wairarapa, and ongoing water restrictions. However, the type of El Niño currently being experienced is also likely to result in more variable rainfall patterns than experienced during strong El Niños in the past. Wind strength is forecast to be above
normal in the lower North Island, with more frequent northwesterly quarter winds. In its December 2023 publication of the Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries, MPI forecasts that milk production in New Zealand will decline by 1.5 percent in the season to 31 May 2024 due to warmer temperatures. Farmers and growers are encouraged to make good early decisions, especially in terms of pasture growth, feed requirements, irrigation water management, and planting programmes. MPI also suggests that the forecast warmer El Niño weather pattern will
reduce late season sheep slaughter weights and increase slaughter numbers due to feed constraints.
IMPACTS OF THE BIG DRY PGG Wrightson’s team says that “prioritising summer crop establishment and maximising total dry matter (DM) content are important. The usual principles apply to growing healthy crops. These include understanding the total DM required by animals, using soil and herbage test results to understand the nutrients available, and thinking about how to wisely use nitrogen (N) onfarm. Ask yourself: will the N response be limited by low soil moisture at the time of application?”