Spring Management of Lucerne

Posted on behalf of Prof. Derrick Moot Recent trips from South Canterbury to Marlborough highlight several emerging issues for lucerne in this early spring. The particularly high (>200 mm) rainfall in June and subsequently warm winter temperatures have combined to create unusual circumstances. Here, Derrick outlines some of the problems and solutions to consider over … Read more

Bog Roy – After the rain…

 Posted on behalf of Lisa at Bog Roy Station Since our last blog, autumn has finally arrived, along with a very welcome inch of rain last week. Prior to the rain, feed levels were getting very tight. All the lucerne and lucerne mix paddocks have had at least a six week spell, and since all … Read more

Post drought recovery – the stuff you need to know

Posted on behalf of Dr Derrick Moot (Professor of Plant Science, Lincoln University) The summer of 2012/2013 is one of the driest on record for North Island farmers and many in the South Island. Recent rain in some places makes decisions on what to graze, and when, crucial. The ideal grazing response will depend on the … Read more

Bog Roy Station – Background on the three areas

1. Rough Gully: This is about a 30 ha block, originally sown in 2007, which was subsequently subdivided into 3 paddocks, each approximately 9 ha at the end of 2010. The pasture mix comprises lucerne and cocksfoot. We started cage cuts on this area last season, and although Dryland, it outperformed all other measured areas … Read more

Bog Roy Station – Dryland Blog

Gundy and I (Lisa) have been asked to join the impressive line-up of properties in the Lincoln Dryland Blog series, reporting frequently on the going’s on at Bog Roy throughout the year. I am a  B.Ag.Sci. Hons. graduate from Lincoln University and worked as a Field Officer in Central Otago and Upper Waitaki/Mckenzie regions for Ravensdown … Read more

Flushing and mating on Lucerne – the stuff you need to know

Posted on behalf of Dr Derrick Moot (Professor of Plant Science, Lincoln University) UPDATED: 28/2/2017 One of our most frequently asked questions at this time of year is “Can I use my lucerne for ewe/hogget mating?” so we thought it was timely to post some information so you can make an informed decision: As always … Read more

Frequently asked questions

Hi, Just a bit of an update on FAQs – we’re putting most of our fixed content on the Dryland website (www.lincoln.ac.nz/dryland). The Frequently Asked Questions page is where Derrick Moot and Dick Lucas have responded to some of the most commonly asked questions they get at field days or via email. They currently include responses to questions about weed … Read more

Soil fertility and dry matter yields

Hi, This reply has been posted in response to questions John posted on the blog Monday: Doug has supplied the 2012 soil test results (below) from ‘Bonavaree’ (0-7.5 cm soil depth). For ease the results have been averaged from 8 paddocks which were individually tested. Any fertilisers to be applied will meet requirements of the individual paddock. … Read more

Free lucerne text alert service from Beef + Lamb New Zealand

Beef + Lamb New Zealand offers a free text alert service which delivers lucerne management tips & the latest research from Professor Derrick Moot at Lincoln University & other lucerne experts directly to you. This free service is sent out by Beef + Lamb New Zealand extension manager Aaron Meikle and can be subscribed to at: http://beeflambnz.com/news-events/News/2012/february/text-service-provides-direct-line-to-forage-information/ … Read more