Winter grazing management for lucerne stands

In this video Prof Derrick Moot outlines best practice grazing management of lucerne stands in winter. Herbicide applications, plant growth and development are discussed. The implications of these winter management decisions on early spring feed supply for high priority livestock are outlined (approx. 4½ mins).

Late autumn annual clover pasture status – the hybrid ryegrass/sub clover mix

In this, the final video blog in the late autumn field walk series taken in early May, we look at the state of the fourth treatment in our ‘MaxAnnuals’ Experiment at Ashley Dene, Canterbury (approx. 4 mins). This pasture was established with the following dryland pasture mix in autumn 2013:10 kg/ha ‘Ultra Enhanced’ perennial ryegrass … Read more

Late autumn annual clover pasture status – the cocksfoot/sub clover mix

In this video we look at the third of the dryland pasture mixes which forms part of our grass/clover experiment at Ashley Dene, Canterbury. (approx. 6 mins)This pasture was established with:2 kg/ha ‘Greenly’ cocksfoot (orchardgrass; Dactylis glomerata)10 kg/ha subterranean clover (5 kg/ha ‘Denmark’ plus 5 kg/ha ‘Rosabrook’; Trifolium subterraneum)0.5 kg/ha ‘Tonic’ plantain (Plantago lanceolata)0.5 kg/ha … Read more

Late autumn annual clover pasture status – the hybrid ryegrass/sub/balansa mix

In this video blog, the third in the autumn series taken on 7th May 2015, Dick Lucas discusses the state of the hybrid ryegrass pasture initially established in autumn 2013 at Ashley Dene, Canterbury. Approx. 4 ½ mins) The initial species and sowing rates for the pasture discussed in this post was:10 kg/ha ‘Ultra Enhanced’ … Read more

Late autumn annual clover pasture status – the cocksfoot/sub/balansa mix

In this second video blog taken on 7th May 2015, Lincoln University Dryland Pasture Research team member Dick Lucas discusses the status of the cocksfoot/sub clover/balansa clover dryland pasture mix. The pasture was initially established in autumn 2013 at Ashley Dene, Canterbury. The initial species and sowing rates for this pasture mix were:2 kg/ha ‘Greenly’ … Read more

Autumn annual clover regeneration at Ashley Dene

Dick Lucas ventures into our MaxAnnuals experimental area at Ashley Dene in the first of this series of video blogs taken on 7 May. In this video Dick discusses the general state of the cocksfoot or hybrid ryegrass pastures this autumn with a bit of a recap on what he has observed at the site … Read more

Putting a price on lucerne

Sheep grazing grass pasture at Ashley Dene

With drought conditions developing along the east coast we thought maybe we would throw some numbers out to put a price on how lucerne can transform dryland farming systems. Here, at Lincoln, the 2014/15 rainfall for the Jul-Dec period is about 170 mm – or about half what is expected over the same period in … Read more

Resurrecting a mid-age flood damaged lucerne stand

Post prepared by Prof. Moot, summer scholar Rebekah Brosnahan and Anna Mills Many dryland regions of New Zealand experience heavy winter rainfall that can cause periodic waterlogging in paddocks. Lucerne is more sensitive than ryegrass under flooding and this is sometimes cited as a reason not to sow lucerne in a paddock. However, after a … Read more

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