AUTUMN Pasture & Fertiliser 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.

The best paddocks to renew are the poorest producers as these have the potential for greatest improvement.

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.

Three ways you can measure pasture performance are:

 give a clear indication of paddock ranking.

 PADDOCK RECORDS

A simple collection of the number times paddocks have been grazed can give a quick indication of paddock growth.

Identify reasons for poor-performance