Marlborough – Technology Transfer

Funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) this project investigated strategies for dryland livestock farmers to drought proof their farming systems using different species and develop their properties with guidance from Lincoln University staff. Farms who contributed to blog posts the initial Marlborough Technology Transfer project, which documented on-farm activity with photos from our Marlborough famers included:

‘Bonavaree’ (Doug & Fraser Avery, Marlborough). Winner 2010 South Island Farmer of the Year; Winner 2019 Westpac Bayleys Marlborough Sheep & Beef Farmer of the Year.
‘Breach Oak’ (Warwick & Lisa Lissaman, Marlborough). Second place 2019 Westpac and Bayleys Marlborough Sheep & Beef Farmer of the Year.
‘The Pyramid’ (Chris & Julia Dawkins, Marlborough). Winner Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards 2019. Winner Westpac and Bayleys Marlborough Sheep & Beef Farmer of the Year 2021.
‘Tempello’ (David & Jo Grigg, Marlborough).
Gundy & Lisa Anderson from ‘Bog Roy Station‘ between Omarama & Otematata started outlining changes to their farm system from 2013. Winners 2013 Canterbury Farm Environment Awards.

With the aid of Cath Goulter, working on behalf of the Dryland Pastures Research Group, the farmers involved developed practical messages for other farmers to follow. These have been posted on our Blog and provide a web-based resource for other farmers to use as a reference to develop appropriate strategies for their own farms. A list of blog posts are listed below for each farm. PDF versions of farmer presentations, including descriptions, are in the Downloads area.

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Additionally, a series of Dryland Legume Workshops were held in Marlborough in 2012, 2013 and 2014. PDFs of the presentations given by researchers and farmers on their experiences integrating legumes into their farm systems are provided in the Downloads section below. A description of each presentation is given.

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Researchers

Derrick Moot, Head of Dryland Pastures Research
Dick (Richard) Lucas, Senior Lecturer

Postgraduate Research

2013. Hollena Nori (PhD). The development and growth of annual clovers for use in dryland pasture.

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Downloads

17 Dec 2015. Nori H, Monks DP, Moot DJ. 2015. A reproductive development scale for arrowleaf, balansa, gland and Persian clovers. (PDF 3.2 MB).
28 Aug 2014. An update on dryland pastures research conducted by the Lincoln University Dryland Pastures Research Group – presented by Prof. Derrick Moot (Lincoln University) (PDF 7.8 MB).
20 Jun 2013. Legumes at Meadowbank – presented by Will Grigg (Marlborough). Will describes the development of Meadowbank with a range of dryland pasture mixes on drought prone hill country and outlines the increase in production achieved by implementing change (PDF 8.7 MB).
20 Jun 2013. Soil fertility, Legumes & Fertiliser: Unravelling the Mysteries – presented by Dr Jim Moir (Lincoln University). Soil scientist James Moir describes soils, nutrients for plant growth, fertilisers, nitrogen fixation by legumes and potential limitations to productivity and discusses how to identify products capable of benefiting plant production (PDF 1.8 MB).
20 Jun 2013. The Importance of Legumes to the Farm System – presented by Peter Anderson (The Vet Centre, Marlborough). Peter discusses the effect of feed quality on animal performance and condition and it’s implications on lambing percent and profitability (PDF 3.2 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Sub clover at Tempello – presented by David and Joanna Grigg (Marlborough). Grazing management for successful and persistence of subterranean clover un-cultivatable dryland hill pastures for sheep and beef farming will be explained and the decisions needed to develop best management practises outlined (PDF 1.3 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Lucerne & Lucerne/Grass mixes – presented by Doug and Fraser Avery (Bonavaree, Grassmere, Marlborough). South Island Farmers of the Year (2010) will provide all the inside information on how to establish and direct graze lucerne successfully and outline how to increase feed quality and quantity in low rainfall, drought prone environments. Decisions and management strategies on how the farm overcomes winter feed shortages, manages potential animal health problems and utilises lucerne at different times of the year, and pasture renewal practise will be explained (PDF 0.4 MB).)
18 Jun 2012. Arrowleaf clover: Farmer experiences with increasing clover – presented by Chris and Julia Dawkins (The Pyramid, Marlborough). In a 700+ mm rainfall environment with summer drought conditions 12 ha of arrowleaf clover and perennial grass pastures have been established. Arrowleaf clover is the latest flowering annual clover available. Chris is looking at how to best manage this top flowering clover in a perennial pasture to provide quality pastures for late lactation and lamb weaning feed while ensuring persistence of the clover from year to year (PDF 1.4 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Balansa clover: Farmer experiences with increasing legume – presented by Warwick and Lisa Lissaman (Breach Oak, Marlborough). In a 600+ mm rainfall environment Warwick has sown a range of annual clovers including Persian, gland and balansa with tall fescue into heavy, winter wet, summer dry land. There are mixed species pastures which include plantain and clovers growing alone and management of gland and balansa clovers with winter active tall fescue is being monitored. One of Lincoln Universities PhD students is also collecting information on the growth and development of the clovers in this environment. This is the first of three presentations given by Warwick at the workshop (PDF 1.6 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Gland clover: Farmer experiences with increasing legume – presented by Warwick and Lisa Lissaman (Breach Oak, Marlborough). In a 600+ mm rainfall environment Warwick has sown a range of annual clovers including Persian, gland and balansa with tall fescue into heavy, winter wet, summer dry land. There are mixed species pastures which include plantain and clovers growing alone and management of gland and balansa clovers with winter active tall fescue is being monitored. One of Lincoln Universities PhD students is also collecting information on the growth and development of the clovers in this environment. This is the second of three presentations given by Warwick at the workshop (PDF 1.2 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Duck Gulley pasture improvement – presented by Warwick and Lisa Lissaman (Breach Oak, Marlborough). In a 600+ mm rainfall environment Warwick has sown a range of annual clovers including Persian, gland and balansa with tall fescue into heavy, winter wet, summer dry land. There are mixed species pastures which include plantain and clovers growing alone and management of gland and balansa clovers with winter active tall fescue is being monitored. One of Lincoln Universities PhD students is also collecting information on the growth and development of the clovers in this environment. This is the third of three presentations given by Warwick at the workshop (PDF 0.9 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Lucerne conversion at Jedburgh – presented by Tony Turnbull (Jedburgh, Marlborough). Tony is a new convert to lucerne. In a 600 mm rainfall environment with summer drought Tony is converting rolling hill country to lucerne. He has also has success direct drilling annual clovers into danthonia grassland. Tony outlines his successes, failures and fixes during his conversion programme in this presentation (PDF 1.0 MB).
18 Jun 2012. Matching plants to the environment – presented by Bob Reid (TasGlobalSeeds, Tasmania, Australia). Dryland Legume Workshop, Marlborough. (PDF 1.0 MB).

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Bonavaree

Tempello

Breach Oak

The Pyramid

Bog Roy Station

Researchers

Postgraduate Research

Downloads