scholarly journals THE EFFECTS OF RESTRICTING OR STOPPING FERTILISER APPLICATION TO WAIKATO DAIRY PASTURES

1988 ◽  
pp. 157-160
Author(s):  
C. Feyter ◽  
M.B. O'Connor ◽  
R.J. Fris ◽  
B. Addison
Keyword(s):  
Potassium Chloride ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
The Other ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Electronic Probe ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Visual Assessments

Waikato dary pastures were developed through large inputs of superphosphate and potassium chloride. Many farmers have continued to apply similarly large amounts of fertiliser in post-development situations. Trials to study the effects on the production of dairy pastures to restricting or stopping fertiliser application were started in 1978 and have continued to the present. The tria1s were conducted on 6 commercial dairy farms throughout the Waikato region selected for high milkfat production and past fertiliser applications. Each trlal included 3 fertiliser treatments: 1000, 500 and 0 kg fertiliser (30% potassic superphosphate)/ha/year. Pasture production was estimated through a trimming technique designed to cause minimal interference with management and use of the experimental paddock by the farmer and in later years through calibrated visual assessments and electronic probe readings of pasture dry matter. Pastures receiving 500 kg fertiliser/ha/year produced on average 2.5% less over an 8 year period than pastures receiving 1,000 kg fertiliser. Applying no fertiliser caused a slow reduction in pasture production in 3 of the trials but an immediate reduction of more than 10% in the other three trials. The latter effect could be partly explained by low soil test levels and high stocking rate. Keywords: Yellow-brown loams, gley soils, maintenance fertiliser, phosphorus, potassium.

Grazed pasture parameters. I. Pasture dry-matter production and availability in a stocking rate and grazing management experiment with dairy cows

1966 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.G. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Dry Matter Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Grazed Pasture ◽  
Matter Production

1. Net pasture dry matter production and available pasture dry matter were measured over 3 years in a small-scale replica of the study of the effects of dairy cow grazing management and stocking rate reported by McMeekan & Walshe (1963).2. The four treatments were(i) Controlled rotational grazing, light stocking rate (0.95 cows/acre).(ii) Controlled rotational grazing, heavy stocking rate (1.19 cows/acre).(iii) Uncontrolled, set stocked grazing, light stocking rate (0.95 cows/acre).(iv) Uncontrolled, set stocked grazing, heavy stocking rate (1.19 cows/acre).3. The pasture measurement technique employed measured net pasture production (gains through new growth minus losses from all sources). It is argued that this parameter, rather than absolute pasture production, governs the changes in the dry matter feed supply to the grazing animal.

scholarly journals ECONOMICS OF NITROGEN USE IN DAIRYING

1982 ◽  
pp. 70-75
Author(s):  
D.A.L. Buxton
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
The Other ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Nitrogen Use

During the last 10 to 15 years, the use of fertiliser N at low rates on New Zealand dairy farms has become more popular. There are many ways in which fertiliser N can be used to increase pasture and milkfat production. Five of those options are analysed, viz. I. High rates of N. 2. Bridging a spring feed deficit. 3. Increasing stocking rate. 4. Earlier calving. 5. More cow condition. Research work is finding the best times and rates of application of N. The extra pasture produced must then be utilised to maximise milkfat responses. Trials have shown that the use of high rates of fertiliser N ( > 80 kg N/ha) is unlikely to be profitable on N.Z. dairy farms. N used to enable more cows to be wintered, and then milked in early spring, appears to be very profitable, due to better utilisation of later spring-autumn pasture growth. The other three options are also profitable, but the increase in total farm milkfat production is only 3 to 4%. The options need to be tested more thoroughly with models and grazing experiments.

Fire and survival of Stylosanthes spp. in the dry savanna woodlands of the Northern Territory

1982 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
JJ Mott
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Native Grass ◽  
Hard Seed ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Good Germination

A series of burns was carried out during the early and late, dry season and early wet season, in mixed native grass-legume plots containing Stylosanthes humilis, S. hamata, S, scabra and S. viscosa as the legume component. The least mortality was shown by S. scabra, but its survival was poor in any sward more than 3 years old. After burning the other species relied solely on seedling regeneration for subsequent season's growth. Fire killed a considerable quantity of seed, but its heat softened hard seed in the soil and good germination occurred with summer rains. However, the presence of a large proportion of soft seed through the winter months could lead to out-of-season germination and subsequent death of seedlings after unseasonal winter rains. Although the total dry matter yield of swards was reduced by all fires, burning could play an important part in increasing yields of S. hamata in swards overgrown by dense native grass, since it increases the amount of soft seed in the soil. If burning causes a high mortality of mature plants of the perennials S. scabra and S. viscosa, a reduction in stocking rate may be needed to ensure regeneration of a productive sward, as these species have slow seedling growth rates.

A relation between wool production per animal and annual pasture dry matter production per animal

1982 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 705 ◽  
Author(s):  
BA Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Simple Relation ◽  
Dry Matter Production ◽  
First Year ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
The Third ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Curvilinear Relation

A simple relation between the annual wool production per animal (y) and the amount of pasture dry matter produced per animal (x) was derived and tested using the results from a grazing experiment in which the effects of superphosphate and stocking rate on wool and pasture dry matter production were measured from pastures which were continuously grazed by Merino wethers for 3 years. The linear relation, y = a + b/x, accounted for 63% of the variance in wool production per animal in the first year, 82 % in the second and 97 % in the third. Exclusion of an outlier from the first year results increased the variance accounted for to 85 %. This model is simpler and more precise than some others that have been published. It is also consistent with the curvilinear relation between production per animal (y) and pasture production per animal (x).

BEEF PRODUCTION ON PASTURE AND LUCERNE

1974 ◽  
pp. 73-79
Author(s):  
B.G. Croy ◽  
W.C. Weeda
Keyword(s):  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
The Other ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Successive Generations

In 1971-3 and 1972-4 two successive generations of Friesian male weaners were carried to slaughter on two self-contained farmlets, one all pasture, the other with half its area in pasture and half in lucerne. The pasture farmlet produced slightly less herbage dry matter than the pasture/lucerne farmlet. Average net hot carcass production was 922 and 829 kg/ha/yr respectively. The stocking rate was 4.85 animals/ha with an overlap of two generations from November to February. Herbage yields and animal intakes were estimated by before and after grazing cuts. The lucerne was grazed at a 40-day rotation in its growing season. To obtain high cattle growth rates, much stalk was left ungrazed, being 15 to 20% of the total dry matter standing before grazing above a height of 3 to 4 cm. Overall conversion efficiency of ingested forage was lower on the lucerne/pasture farmlet than on the pasture farmlet and it was also more variable on the former. With the grazing rotation and pressure adopted in this trial, bloat was no serious problem.

Resource Efficient Dairying trial: measurement criteria for farm systems over a range of resource use

2005 ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.N. Jensen ◽  
D.A. Clark ◽  
K.A. Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Return On Assets ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Low Input ◽  
Land Prices ◽  
Management Processes

The aim of the Resource Efficient Dairying (RED) trial is to measure the productivity, economic and environmental effects of different feed inputs and management processes on a dairy farm. This is a longterm systems trial located at Scott Farm (Dexcel Research Farm) established on 1st June 2001 and expected to continue until 2006. Trial design was based on six systems that have an allowance of up to 200 kg nitrogen (N)/ha (excluding the low input treatment). They are: low input (no N fertiliser, heifers grazed-on and 2.3 cows/ha); control (3 cows/ha); standoff (3 cows/ha); low supplement input (5 t dry matter (DM) maize silage/ha, 3.8 cows/ha); moderate supplement input (10 t DM maize silage/ha; 5.2 cows/ha); and high supplement input (15 t DM maize silage + 5 t soymeal/ha; 6.9 cows/ha). The last two systems have irrigation available to boost pasture production. All systems were designed to operate at a common comparative stocking rate (CSR) of 85 kg liveweight (LW)/t DM. Two seasons' data have shown that increasing the stocking rate (SR) by 1.5 cows/ha from 3.8 to 5.3 cows/ha, plus extra feed, increased output by 90 and 184 kg milksolids (MS)/total ha in the two years, when the extra area required to supply the extra feed is included in the calculation of kg MS/ha. However the further increase to 6.9 cows/ha plus extra feed produced less MS/total ha than the system stocked at 3.8 cows/ha. Calculations of economic farm surplus (EFS) and return on assets (ROA) reveal that when the payout is $3.50/kg MS the low input system is competitive irrespective of land price ($18000 or $37000/ha) or supplement cost (18 c or 24 c/kg DM). Conversely at a higher payout of $4.50/kg MS the treatment supplemented with 10 t maize silage DM/ha is competitive over the range of land prices and supplement costs tested. Keywords: dairy cows, economic evaluation, maize silage, milksolids, nitrogen fertiliser, stocking rate

The economic significance of maintaining pasture production at its peak value

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. Ludemann ◽  
J. L. Jacobs ◽  
K. F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Economic Significance ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Western Victoria ◽  
Pasture Plants ◽  
Peak Value

Persistence of pasture is considered an important trait by many farmers using pasture-based systems. Despite this, pasture persistence is generally poorly defined. This study includes an analysis of changes in farm operating profits (OP) when pasture persistence is improved. Persistence was defined as either a 1-year increase in years at peak dry matter (DM) production or a reduction in the rate of decline in annual pasture DM production after the year that peak production occurred (duration of pasture life), both resulting in a 1-year delay in pasture renovation. Changes in OP for these definitions of pasture persistence were modelled for two dairy farms in temperate regions of Australia (Terang in south-western Victoria and Elliott in Tasmania). An increase in duration of peak DM production on the basis of economic theory increased OP more than an increase in duration of pasture life. Increases in OP for a 1-year increase in peak DM production were AU$165 ha–1 for Terang and $202 ha–1 for Elliott. This compared with $21 ha–1 for Terang and $15 ha–1 for Elliott for a 1-year increase in the duration of pasture life. Therefore, farmers and plant breeders could place more emphasis on improving the duration of time that pasture plants achieve peak DM production than improving pasture persistence at the end of the pasture plant’s lifetime, to increase annual OP.

Effect of chemical removal of grasses from pasture leys on pasture and sheep production

1987 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 349 ◽  
Author(s):  
CW Thorn ◽  
MW Perry
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
Wool Growth ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
Stocking Rates

Pasture production, pasture composition and quality, and liveweight, body condition and wool growth of Merino weaner wethers were monitored over 2 seasons and at 2 stocking rates (4 and 8 sheep/ha) on a mixed annual grass-legume pasture sprayed with propyzamide to control grasses. Propyzamide virtually eliminated annual grasses from the pasture (less than 5 kg/ha of grass dry matter in spring v. 403 kg/ha on untreated pasture in 1981) and this carried over into the second season (61 kg/ha v. 647 kg/ha in spring 1982). Propyzamide treated pastures had less total dry matter (P = 0.05) throughout 1981: however, except for a single sample date, there was no effect of propyzamide on total available pasture in the second season. Increased growth of clover and capeweed compensated for the absence of the grasses. The higher stocking rate reduced available clover, capeweed and total dry matter (P = 0.05) throughout both years. Sheep grazing grass-free pastures had lower liveweights during winter in both years, but made compensatory gains during late spring and summer consistent with the higher quality (1.6 v. 1.07% nitrogen when sampled in January) of propyzamide treated pastures. In 198 1, wool growth rates were reduced at the higher stocking rate and total clean wool production was reduced from 4.55 kg/sheep at 4/ha to 3.65 kg/sheep at 8/ha. Pasture treatment had no effect on wool production in either year. The implications of using selective herbicides to remove the annual grass component of legume-based annual pastures in south-western Australia are dis cussed in relation to pasture and sheep production.

scholarly journals Soil nutrient status of the Bay of Plenty region and the implications to pasture productivity and fertiliser requirements

1991 ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.F. Ledgard ◽  
T.J.M. Johnston ◽  
D.C. Edmeades ◽  
D.M. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Slow Release ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Soil Nutrient Status ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Nutrient Additions ◽  
Reactive Phosphate Rock

The soil nutrient status of sheep and beef, and dairy farms in the Bay of Plenty region was examined using results from over 4700 soil samples analysed by MAF between 1988 and 1991. The proportion of farms in various soil test categories was determined and related (using known relationships) to the potential responsiveness of pastures to fertiliser nutrient additions. About 70% of farms had soil phosphorus (P) tests below optimum values, indicating that pasture production would be increased by addition of P fertiliser on these farms. Similarly,about 50% of farms hadbelow-optimum levels of sulphur (S) and potassium (K). Pasture production on most farms was limited by more than one nutrient and a relatively high proportion of pumice soils had low levels of P, S and K. Pumice soils are prone to large leaching losses of added sulphate S and field experimental results indicated that elemental S (in sulphur superphosphate) was more efficient at increasing pasture production on these soils than sulphate S (in superphosphate). Soil test data was also used to indicate that about onethird of sheep and beef, andone-half of dairy farms were suitable for use of slow-release reactive phosphate rock (RPR) as a source of P, as indicated by soil pH56.0 and MAF fertiliser P requirements at or above maintenance levels. Keywords soil test, fertiliser requirement, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, slow-release fertiliser

scholarly journals Special management aspects of farming pakihi

1998 ◽  
pp. 153-154
Author(s):  
Brent Riley
Keyword(s):  
Soil Type ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Field Trip ◽  
The Other ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rate System ◽  
Alluvial River ◽  
Owned Company ◽  
Insight Into

I farm in partnership with Michelle, leasing a 218 ha dairy farm and adjoining 60 ha runoff in Collingwood, Western Golden Bay. We wintered 810 cows and 110 yearlings on the property which comprises 35% alluvial river flats and 65% pakihi. We are also 20% shareholders in a family-owned company that operates four dairy farms, one of them being the farm that we lease, the other three being run by my two brothers and their families, and my parents. One of these we have visited at Matariki on the field trip. We run a high stocking rate system of 3.6 cows/ha with high inputs and produced 245 000 kg milksolids last season. We farm in a wet environment, although we do get some sunny days. So far this season we have had 110 inches of rain, up on the average of 100 inches. Fortunately, we live on the dry side of the valley! I hope to give you an insight into farming pakihi; the process we went through to develop and establish pasture from scrub; and the changes that have occurred with time on this soil type.

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