Building pasture resilience

26 January 2018

Pasture resilience and how to achieve it should be a key consideration when planning your permanent pastures this season.

For any farm to reach its potential and maximise production, having pastures and systems that work with the environment rather than against it can help immensely. A great place to start is to consider your farm’s unique situation and factors such as location, climate and stock class, together with your production requirements. This will help determine what your main perennial species should be and what companion species should be included in the mix to help make your pastures as resilient as possible.

One way to help build pasture resilience is the inclusion of more than one grass species in a pasture seed mix. The various species can complement each other’s growth patterns and help extend production when the pasture’s productivity would otherwise be limited. A species worth considering in perennial ryegrass mixes is new generation cocksfoot, because when the ryegrass component of the mix is under pressure from climate or insects, the cocksfoot will be thriving while still being productive and palatable.

Cocksfoot has long been considered a persistent option that tolerates dry conditions and insects. However, many farmers noted a lack of palatability or performance with the old varieties. Historically, plant breeders were focused on developing prostrate – prostrate/low yielding types which demonstrated persistence but little else.

Seed Force’s breeding partners have developed a world-recognised portfolio of new generation cocksfoot. These plants are quite different to the cocksfoot of old. Seed Force has been at the forefront of testing and developing the new types since 2006 and ‘SF Greenly ll’ is a recent outcome of this advanced breeding. The key focus for its selection was longevity and production, coupled with leaf softness and digestibility. While cocksfoot has often been an option in low input environments, the new generation types such as SF Greenly ll are well-suited to a range of environments, especially high input systems.

The perceived palatability issues surrounding cocksfoot have often been largely due to the pasture not having sufficient nitrogen (N), be it artificial N as fertiliser, or supplied via nitrogen fixation from companion legumes. When supplied with the same nutrients as applied to typical perennial ryegrass pastures, together with the inclusion of legumes, SF Greenly ll impresses with its production, quality and longevity within the mix. As with any perennial species, it is important to sow into ideal conditions at the correct time.

SF Greenly ll is also a cost-effective addition to mixes, as the sowing rate of the perennial ryegrass component will be reduced to accommodate the addition of SF Greenly ll. When adding it to a perennial pasture mix, use a sowing rate of between two and five kilograms per hectare for the cocksfoot component. The rate will be determined by the environment the mix is going into. The addition of SF Greenly ll doesn’t increase the per hectare cost as its inclusion is off-set by the reduction of the ryegrass component.

It’s good to remember the selection of permanent pasture is not as simple as only picking one perennial ryegrass and white clover combination – and it doesn’t have to be difficult either! It’s simply a matter of following good advice on what combination is best for your farm to help ensure success.

For more information on how to build pasture resilience with SF Greenly ll, talk to your local Technical Sales Rep or visit your Fonterra Farm Source store.

Article supplied by DairyNZ