Recovery of pasture production and soil properties on soil slip scars in erodible siltstone hill country, Wairarapa, New Zealand

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
BJ Rosser ◽  
CW Ross
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Soil Slip

scholarly journals SOIL SLIP EROSION AS A CONSTRAINT TO HILL COUNTRY PASTURE PRODUCTION

1984 ◽  
pp. 66-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.A. Trustrum ◽  
V.J. Thomas ◽  
M.G. Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Potential Productivity ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Soil Slip ◽  
Severe Erosion ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques

The results and implications of applying remote sensing techniques together with pasture measurements to quantify the influence of soil slip erosion oh hill country pasture productivity in the Wairarapa are reviewed. Sequential aerial photographs were used to identify, date, and measure the area of slip scars of different age. The reduction in potential productivity of hillslopes due to erosion was then determined by measuring the pasture growth ratesof the different aged slips (and uneroded ground) and integrating these with the proportions of the hillslopes of each age class. Three years of pasture measurements in the Wairarapa hill country showed that although slips revegetated rapidly over the first 20 years to within 7080% of the uneroded productivity, further recovery was slow. Our evidence suggests that these man-modified forest soils, once eroded, may never regain the same potential for agricultural production under a pasture regime. Reduction in pasture production associated with erosion was most severe in summer and mid-winter when farmers have the highest risk of major feed deficits. Since native forest removal, the reduction due to erosion in potential pastoral productivity, integrated over whole hillslopes, has reached 18% on these hillslopes. An estimation of the extent to which improved farming technology has probably masked this reduction in potential productivity is discussed. On hillslopes where severe erosion occurs continually, farmers will be faced with increasing difficulty in maintaining animal production levels unless soil conservation and farm management strategies are designed to further mask the impacts of erosion and thereby prolong the viability of pastoral agriculture on such hill country. Keywords: soil slip erosion; pasture production; hillslope; potential pasture production; hill country pasture; erosion rate; farm management technology; physiographic areas; fertiliser level.

scholarly journals ESTABLISHMENT OF OVERSOWN WHITE CLOVER ON UNIMPROVED NORTH AUCKLAND CLAY HILL COUNTRY

1967 ◽  
pp. 88-95
Author(s):  
G.J. Goold ◽  
T.E. Ludecke ◽  
J.N. Pari
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Acid Soil ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Available Phosphate

IN NORTH AUCKLAND, as is the case in all other areas of New Zealand, the key to pasture improvement lies in the introduction of legumes. Almost invariably poor pasture production is associated with poor clover growth. Contributing factors to poor clover establishment and growth are low amounts of available phosphate, potassium, molybdenum and sulphur, acid soil conditions and ineffective nodulation. This paper is concerned with the germination and establishment of white clover on unimproved North Auckland clay hill country. White clover establishment has been investigated on the soils of two northern yellow-brown earth soil suites, namely, the Marua suite from greywacke parent material and the Waiotira suite, from massive sandstone. These soils have been described by Taylor and Sutherland (1953) and are shown in their order of leaching in Tables 1 and 5, respectively.

scholarly journals Agricultural innovation in East Otago: helping to shape New Zealand's farming industry

2006 ◽  
pp. 25-31
Author(s):  
D.R. Stevens ◽  
K.A. Cousins
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Land Reforms ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Sheep Breeding ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Genetics Research ◽  
Farming Industry

The East Otago region has been at the forefront of agricultural advancement in New Zealand with key people leading the way in creating a culture of innovation. Rural technology developments are traced back from the emerging new biotechnology industries, through animal genetics research, improvements in hill country and pasture production, soil and fertiliser research, the introduction of deer farming and sheep breeding, to the frozen meat shipments, agricultural organisation restructuring and land reforms of the early settlers. Keywords: deer, genetics, grazing management, history, innovation, sheep, soil classification, soil fertility, technology

scholarly journals Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum): its history and current and future research in New Zealand

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
M.L. Smetham
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Moisture Deficit ◽  
History Of ◽  
Future Research Directions

This review covers the history of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and its present occurrence in New Zealand; a review of research and conclusions to be drawn from this; and examines past and future research directions. Subterranean clover has been important in terms of area of use in New Zealand since the late 1930's. Today it makes a significant contribution to pasture production on steep, north-facing North Island hill country where effective rainfall is low, and in other areas where soil moisture drops below wilting point for between 2 weeks and 5 months of the year. Research has identified the superiority of cultivars possessing a compact, ground-hugging habit of growth, and flowering late, in late October - early November, for use in North Island hill country. In drier areas, more research is needed to identify superior cultivars, although there is evidence that lines in the mid-season or early mid-season flowering groups may be appropriate. A major problem for the use of subterranean clovers in New Zealand is the slow breakdown of hardseededness. About 7 M ha of land in New Zealand is mapped as being subject to slight to severe moisture deficit (an area which could with advantage support subterranean clover), but further research is needed to identify appropriate cultivars for 4.8 M ha or more of this area. Key words: history, New Zealand, research, Trifolium subterraneum

scholarly journals Improved forages to enhance hill country sheep production

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 225-231
Author(s):  
T.J. Fraser ◽  
D.R. Stevens ◽  
R.W. Scholfield ◽  
B.J. Nelson ◽  
A.J. Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Forage Quality ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Poor White ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
Farm Programme ◽  
On Farm

Recently, sheep and beef farms in New Zealand have been out-competed for prime land by dairy and horticulture farming. This means that industry targets to increase sheep and beef production have to be achieved on farms with constraints on pasture production. They are increasingly restricted to hilly and other locations with variable climates and soils, and landscape constraints on farming practices. These challenges lead to the formation of two on farm projects within the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Demonstration Farm programme to improve production from permanent pastures on sheep and beef farms. The first of these was a 4 year evaluation at Whangara Farms North of Gisborne looking at improving forage supply on both noncultivatable hill and flat to easy country through spraying out existing vegetation and oversowing or direct-drilling with white clover and plantain. The second project at Aria in the King Country concentrated on improving the forage quality and quantity at critical times of the year. Clovers and plantain were established through cultivation. Both projects showed that forage and animal production increased after the introduction of clovers and plantain. However, plantain at Whangara did not persist beyond the fourth year from sowing. Poor white clover establishment at Aria resulted in substituting red and white clover for plantain from the second year with improved forage and animal performance. At both sites the costs associated with introducing new forages was repaid within the first 2 years. Keywords: hill country development, forage species, forage quality, whole farm systems

scholarly journals An assessment of current fertiliser practices in New Zealand hill country

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 173-178
Author(s):  
D.C. Edmeades ◽  
R.M. Mcbride ◽  
M. Gray
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Production Functions ◽  
Nutrient Requirements ◽  
Critical Levels ◽  
Soil Tests ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
New Information ◽  
Increase Productivity

In the last decade major reviews on the phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) nutrient requirements of clover-based pastures in New Zealand have been completed. This has resulted in adjustments to the P, K and S pasture production functions and some changes to the critical levels for soil tests, and modifications to our interpretation of some soil tests such as Organic S and Reserve K. Applying this new information to New Zealand's hill country pastoral soils, using case studies, suggests that there is considerable unrealized potential to increase productivity. Keywords: critical levels, economics, fertiliser, pasture, phosphorus, potassium, soil fertility, soil tests, sulphur

An evaluation of a strategic de-stocking regime for dairying to improve nitrogen efficiency and reduce nitrate leaching from dairy farms in nitrate-sensitive areas

2000 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Cecile De Klein ◽  
Jim Paton ◽  
Stewart Ledgard
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Nitrogen Efficiency ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Leaching Losses ◽  
Sensitive Areas

Strategic de-stocking in winter is a common management practice on dairy farms in Southland, New Zealand, to protect the soil against pugging damage. This paper examines whether this practice can also be used to reduce nitrate leaching losses. Model analyses and field measurements were used to estimate nitrate leaching losses and pasture production under two strategic de-stocking regimes: 3 months off-farm or 5 months on a feed pad with effluent collected and applied back to the land. The model analyses, based on the results of a long-term farmlet study under conventional grazing and on information for an average New Zealand farm, suggested that the 3- or 5-month de-stocking could reduce nitrate leaching losses by about 20% or 35-50%, respectively compared to a conventional grazing system. Field measurements on the Taieri Plain in Otago support these findings, although the results to date are confounded by drought conditions during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The average nitrate concentration of the drainage water of a 5-month strategic de-stocking treatment was about 60% lower than under conventional grazing. Pasture production of the 5-month strategic de-stocking regime with effluent return was estimated based on data for apparent N efficiency of excreta patches versus uniformlyspread farm dairy effluent N. The results suggested that a strategic de-stocking regime could increase pasture production by about 2 to 8%. A cost/ benefit analysis of the 5-month de-stocking system using a feed pad, comparing additional capital and operational costs with additional income from a 5% increase in DM production, show a positive return on capital for an average New Zealand dairy farm. This suggests that a strategic destocking system has good potential as a management tool to reduce nitrate leaching losses in nitrate sensitive areas whilst being economically viable, particularly on farms where an effluent application system or a feed pad are already in place. Keywords: dairying, feed pads, nitrate leaching, nitrogen efficiency, productivity, strategic de-stocking

Pathways ahead for New Zealand hill country farming

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 73-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.G. Scrimgeour
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
The Status ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Hill Farming ◽  
The Hill

This paper provides a stocktake of the status of hill country farming in New Zealand and addresses the challenges which will determine its future state and performance. It arises out of the Hill Country Symposium, held in Rotorua, New Zealand, 12-13 April 2016. This paper surveys people, policy, business and change, farming systems for hill country, soil nutrients and the environment, plants for hill country, animals, animal feeding and productivity, and strategies for achieving sustainable outcomes in the hill country. This paper concludes by identifying approaches to: support current and future hill country farmers and service providers, to effectively and efficiently deal with change; link hill farming businesses to effective value chains and new markets to achieve sufficient and stable profitability; reward farmers for the careful management of natural resources on their farm; ensure that new technologies which improve the efficient use of input resources are developed; and strategies to achieve vibrant rural communities which strengthen hill country farming businesses and their service providers. Keywords: farming systems, hill country, people, policy, productivity, profitability, sustainability

scholarly journals Evolution in Configuration and Productivity of New Zealand Hill Country Sheep and Beef Cattle Systems

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Januarius Gobilik ◽  
Stephen Todd Morris ◽  
Cory Matthew
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Feed Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Cattle Systems

Metabolic energy budgeting (MEB) was used to evaluate evolution over 30 years (1980–1981 to 2010–2011) in New Zealand southern North Island ‘hill country’ sheep and beef cattle systems. MEB calculates energy required by animals for body weight maintenance, weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and lactation to estimate the system feed demand and thereby provide a basis for calculating feed conversion efficiency. Historic production systems were reconstructed and modeled using averaged data from industry surveys and data from owners’ diaries of three case-study farms and reviewed for patterns of change over time. The modeling indicated that pasture productivity was 11% lower and herbage harvested was 14% lower in 2010–2011 than in the early 1980s. This productivity decline is attributable to warmer, drier summer weather in recent years. However, primarily through increased lambing percentage, feed conversion efficiency based on industry data improved over the study period from 25 to 19 kg feed consumed per kg lamb weaned, while meat production rose from 137 to 147 kg per ha per year. Similar improvements were observed for the three case farms. The New Zealand MEB model was found effective for analysis of tropical beef production systems in Sabah, Malaysia.

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