In this video, taken on 15 Sept 2015, Prof Derrick Moot returns to the lucerne monoculture at Ashley Dene, Canterbury. This pasture underwent winter weed control and we look at how successful the herbicide application has been in relation to vegetative growth as spring grazing is initiated.
The countdown to lambing is on at Bonavaree when I visited in late May. Doug and Fraser have had a really successful year with Jeffries Front Flat, and it is still looking like a productive paddock that is geared to produce well again this spring. Seed Harvest The lucerne seed harvest from this paddock was … Read more
The role of Bumble bees at Bonavaree is an important one. Short tongued bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) are the principle pollinator of Lucerne. There are other bee and insect species capable of pollinating the lucerne flower, but bumble bees are the most successful. The lucerne flower produces a tripping mechanism when an insect is pollinating … Read more
Things are tracking along nicely for a good seed harvest at Jeffries Front Flat. The growth in this paddock is very impressive since my last visit in December. Please compare the pasture height photos below of the December visit (top) and the February visit (bottom). The time span between these 2 visits is 56 days, … Read more