Lucerne

Farm survey – responses needed on horehound levels on farm

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The Horehound Biocontrol Group is seeking input about the magnitude of horehound problem, especially in Lucerne. With lucerne growing more widespread and already occupying over 150,000 ha, we notice horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is rearing its head as one of the worst weeds in lucerne stands, especially on extensive properties with ridges and areas with difficult … Read more

State of spring sown lucerne during the establishment phase prior to the first graze

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These videos, taken on 25 Jan, we look at the state of a newly established – spring sown – dryland lucerne stand. In the first video Derrick discusses the state of the young lucerne at about 80-90 days after sowing as we prepare for the first graze/cut now flower buds are visible. There is also … Read more

Lucerne root growth and access to soil moisture

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In this video Prof Derrick Moot discusses the differences between established and establishing lucerne stands in relation to the rate at which the roots explore and exploit water stored in the soil. Known as the extraction front velocity (EFV) this is a measure in millimeters of soil per day that the plant roots access to … Read more

Preliminary spring production data from lucerne

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A dry spring in Canterbury has resulted in our dryland pastures at Ashley Dene being destocked on 25 Nov. Spring rainfall of 78 mm is only about half that expected in an average year and pasture growth has now ceased. In this video Derrick Moot discusses grazing mangement of lucerne in the spring period and … Read more

How to avoid reducing the life of your lucerne stand when set stocking

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In this video, taken on 9 October at Ashley Dene, Derrick Moot describes in more detail the management we applied to the spring set stocked lucerne treatment for research purposes in order to develop appropriate on-farm guidelines. Weed control and the invasion of the problematic perennial tap-rooted and rhizomatous weeds which indicate the stand is … Read more

How to reduce the lifespan of your lucerne by set stocking

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As a follow up to our last blog post on how to successfully implement a set stocking phase in you lucerne grazing system we thought we should show you what will happens if the stand is set stocked with either too many stock and/or for too long in spring. Basically, for research purposes, we’ve halved … Read more