Pastures and Forages

How one Canterbury dairy farmer improved his soil health which led to an increase in pasture productivity and a decrease in nutrient leaching. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Simple, repeatable systems are proving to be a winning formula for North Otago couple Peter and Emma Smit. They spoke at a recent Pasture Summit field days to find out just what those systems entail and how the Smits achieve top-performing financial returns. Words Anne Lee, Photos Holly Lee.

The scramble for supplementary feed last season is a good forewarning for farmers to do their budgets and plan early for maize silage feed reserves this season. Words Sheryl Haitana.

The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH) is carrying out comparative demonstration at scale, looking at a Standard Herd and a Future Herd, which is focused on greater individual cow performance. Words Southern Dairy Hub.

A new programme has been approved to research more resilient pastures and farm systems to help address the issue of declining pasture harvested in the Upper North Island. Words Jacob Quinn.

Vigilant analysis, strategic decisions and sacrifices are behind the success of Waikato dairy farmers Dan and Gina Duncan. Words Sheryl Haitana.

Another pasture species could provide valuable reductions in nitrogen loss with calls for more research into the potential of tetraploid hybrid ryegrass. Words Anne Lee.

Canterbury growers are developing a market for maize grain in the South Island. Words Heather Chalmers.

At Longbeach Estate in coastal Mid Canterbury, reminders of its proud pioneering farming history sit alongside the latest in agricultural practices and technology. Words Heather Chalmers.

A study monitoring heifer growth rates on winter crops has shown the importance of testing all winter feeds for nutritive value and formulating winter diets to ensure nutrient requirements are being met, rather than just allocating feed on a drymatter basis. Words Andrea Dixon & Dawn Dalley.