scholarly journals Availability of seed for hill country adapted forage legumes

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 257-267
Author(s):  
S. Monk ◽  
D.J. Moot ◽  
B. Belgrave ◽  
M.P. Rolston ◽  
J.R. Caradus
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Forage Legumes ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Seed Supply ◽  
Farm Production ◽  
On Farm

New Zealand hill and high country are marginal environments for perennial ryegrass and white clover. Other pasture species, particularly legumes, provide more productive and persistent options for the range of soil climate and topography found in these environments. On cultivatable hill country, lucerne (alfalfa) has been successfully introduced to dryland areas with imported seed increasing five-fold to 210 t per annum over the last decade. This has led to the first release of a New Zealand selected cultivar in 20 years. For subterranean clover reliance on hardseeded Australian cultivars that frequently fail to meet New Zealand biosecurity standards means seed supply is inconsistent. The potential exists to create a niche seed market through selection of locally adapted material grown for seed in New Zealand. Lotus pedunculatus is available commercially but seed often fails to meet certification standards and is predominantly used in forestry. Lotus corniculatus requires agronomic research to overcome some management constraints and the re-establishment of seed supply before it would be a viable option for drier hill country. Seed production for perennial lupins in New Zealand is predominantly for an export ornamental market, with some direct relationships with growers allowing onfarm use. Caucasian clover seed production has ceased in New Zealand and the demand for seed particularly from high country farmers is no longer met. The smallseeded annual balansa clover is being integrated into farm systems and its prolific seeding has enabled some on-farm production of seed for personal use. For it and arrowleaf and Persian clovers, imported cultivars are available and a local market is unlikely to thrive until agronomic and hard seed issues are addressed. Seed supply of forage legumes to satisfy demand for hill country is problematic and will require development of different models including grower co-ops, regional seed retailers, and on-farm production for niche markets. Keywords: alfalfa, Lolium perenne, Lupinus polyphyllus, Medicago sativa, perennial ryegrass, Sitona lepidus, Trifolium ambiguum, Trifolium michelianum, Trifolium repens, Trifolium resupinatum, Trifolium subterraneum, Trifolium tumens, Trifolium vesiculosum, white clover

National and export trends in herbage seed production

2004 ◽  
pp. 95-102
Author(s):  
N.B. Pyke ◽  
M.P. Rolston ◽  
D.R. Woodfield
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Grass Seed ◽  
Seed Industry

The viability of the New Zealand herbage seed industry is influenced by national and international factors and changes in consumer requirements. Four main species perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), tall fesuce (Festuca arundinacea) and white clover (Trifolium repens), account for more than 98% of the herbage seed grown in New Zealand. Annual production averages 22000 t, of which 70 to 80% is grass seed with perennial ryegrass (L. perenne) being the largest component. There have also been significant production changes among species with Italian ryegrass (L. multiflorium) in particular increasing in importance, with production doubling between 1999 and 2003. There has been a marked reduction in total area for herbage seed production over the past decade, however, this has been offset, particularly in ryegrass, by higher seed yields per ha. These improvements in seed yield have primarily been achieved through implementation of better management techniques. The increased use of the plant growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl has been very beneficial in grass seed production. There has also been a major shift in New Zealand seed production towards the production of proprietary cultivars. In white clover, for example, proprietary cultivars represented less than 10% of production in 1991 but have increased to 57% in 2003. The rapid uptake of the novel AR1 endophyte technology in proprietary ryegrass cultivars, which has grown from 0% in 2000 to 21% of perennial and hybrid proprietary ryegrass seed produced in 2003, is an excellent example of what can be achieved with an addedvalue product. The future viability of the New Zealand herbage seed industry requires further development of identifiable added value traits associated with the seed. Keywords: AR1 endophyte, plant growth regulators, production statistics, ryegrass, seed production, tall fescue, white clover

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 PERFORMANCE OF WHITE CLOVER LINES ON NEW ZEALAND HILL COUNTRY

1978 ◽  
pp. 162-169
Author(s):  
W.M. Williams ◽  
J.R. Caradus
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Production Potential ◽  
Strong Argument ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
The Third ◽  
Infertile Soils ◽  
Better Than

Eighty-two white clover lines from overseas and 13 hill country collections from within New Zealand have been examined on a hill country site for their persistence and production potential under sheep grazing on infertile soils. By the third year of the trial only seven lines were equal to or better than Huia. These included only two overseas lines (one cultivar from France ('Crau') and a line from New Hampshire, U.S.A.) and five of the 13 collections from New Zealand hill country. This is considered to be a strong argument for the use of New Zealand material in breeding white clover for New Zealand hill country conditions.

scholarly journals Adoption of forage technologies

2013 ◽  
pp. 39-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Caradus ◽  
Simon Lovatt ◽  
Bruce Belgrave
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
White Clover ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Current Management ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Farmer Management ◽  
On Farm

Pastoral farmers seek to continue to increase on-farm productivity, and to do this they need new forage options that they can adopt into their current management strategies. Four case studies show that New Zealand farmers have rapidly adopted new technologies that include forage herbs, white clovers with improved stolon growing point densities, and novel endophyte technologies. The less disruptive these technologies are to accepted farmer management strategies the greater the likelihood of adoption. Keywords: Forage technologies, adoption, chicory, white clover, endophytes

scholarly journals Liveweight changes in lambs grazing six perennial ryegrass cultivars

1999 ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
C.T. Westwood ◽  
M.G. Norriss
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Independent Research ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Research Organisation ◽  
Clover Content

Liveweight changes were measured for lambs grazing six high endophyte perennial ryegrasses, in a grazing experiment run by an independent research organisation in Canterbury, New Zealand. Ryegrass cultivars were sown under code in a binary mix with white clover in February 1997. Plots were strategically irrigated to avoid moisture stress, and stocked at approximately 27 Coopworth ewe lambs per ha in May 1997. Common pasture residual mass was maintained across cultivars by strategic addition of extra lambs, with extra grazing days recorded for each replicate. Lamb liveweight gains and botanical composition of replicates were assessed quarterly. Lamb liveweight gains differed significantly between treatments in Years 1 and 2 of this ongoing 3 year study. Lambs grazing 'Quartet' tetraploid perennial ryegrass gained, on average, 37.4 kg and 36.1 kg liveweight during Years 1 and 2 respectively, and together with 'Aries HD' (35.0 and 35.9 kg) produced significantly greater liveweight gain compared with 'Grasslands Nui' (22.0 and 23.7 kg) and 'Bronsyn' (22.5 and 24.1 kg), LSD0.05 = 6.0 and 7.4. Lambs grazing 'Embassy' gained 31.6 kg and 28.7 kg, and 'Vedette' 29.8 kg and 28.0 kg. Extra grazing days expressed as a percentage of base grazing days were between 3.8 and 6.7% across cultivars for Year 1 and between 2.0 and 6.5% across cultivars for Year 2. This study demonstrated significant differences in animal productivity between perennial ryegrass cultivars that produce comparable yields of dry matter. Differences may reflect variation in forage quality, endophyte toxins, clover content in the sward or other unidentified cultivar characteristics. Keywords: digestibility, endophyte, lamb, liveweight, perennial ryegrass, tetraploid

scholarly journals Evaluation of agroforestry options for three tree species

1997 ◽  
pp. 187-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.S. Thorrold ◽  
R.L. Knowles ◽  
I.D. Nicholas ◽  
I.L. Power ◽  
J.L. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Radiata Pine ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Farm Production ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Good Site ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Species Being

Information on tree growth rates, economic returns and the effects of trees on pasture for radiata pine, Australian blackwood and Eucalyptus fastigata were analysed to assess the economic returns of using these tree species within a hill country farming operation. Under the assumptions made, all three species options were more profitable in the long run than sheep and beef farming. Radiata pine produced the greatest return, large increases in log prices or yields of other tree species being required to give equal profit. The results of the analysis and market information emphasise the importance of good site selection and silviculture in the production of high quality timber. For some species these requirements may not fit on-farm production systems or be economically attractive. Keywords: Acacia melanoxylon, agroforestry, Eucalyptus fastigata, hill country farming, Pinus radiata

THE EFFECT OF INCREASING WINDS ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF OVERSOWN SEED AND FERTILISER

1987 ◽  
pp. 131-136
Author(s):  
M.J. Macfarlane ◽  
C.J. Korte ◽  
A.G. Gillingham
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Flight Path ◽  
Seed Rate ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Being Moved ◽  
Measured Distribution

Distribution patterns of white clover, perennial ryegrass and cocksfoot were measured when oversown with granulated superphosphate in contrasting cross wind speeds, under both airfield and hill country conditions. Increasing velocity of cross wind reduced the variability of spread of all components. Swath width increased, and maximum seed rate declined, with increasing cross wind. Some separation of seed types occurred, with the tighter fractions being moved further downwind. Measured distribution patterns from single flights were used to estimate paddock scale applications by overlapping swaths at normal flight path spacings for a Fletcher FU24-950 aircraft (12 m centres). The proportion of land receiving less than half the target application rate declined from 50%, under near calm conditions, to nil, under conditions of medium cross winds (e.g. l0-12 km/h). Wind is therefore a desirable factor during oversowing operations and significantly reduces variability of overall distribution. Keywords: hill country. superphosphate, PAPR, oversowing, topdressing

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