B.Ag.Sci. Honours (2015)
Growth and regrowth of dual-purpose wheat and canola following different methods of grazing (PDF 1.5MB)
Research Overview
Dual-purpose crops are an innovative system where a winter grain crop can be grown for forage in winter while still achieving an economic grain yield at maturity. Tim’s experiment investigated the forage yield and crop recovery for wheat and canola sown on two dates, with two grazing methods and three times of closure. He found Duration of grazing was determined to be detrimental to crop recovery, with periods <20 days required for maximum recovery rate. Results indicated there is potential for use of dual-purpose crops in New Zealand mixed farming systems, and grazing management is more likely to be determined on stock management factors opposed to specific crop management requirements, however break feeding will result in variable recovery across a paddock. Tim was supervised by Dr Jeff McCormick.