It’s always good to have a Plan B

21 February 2019

The amount of pasture growing on the farm at this time of year plays a critical role in determining a successful start to next season’s production.

It influences both cow body condition score (BSC) at dry off and the amount of pasture dry matter (DM) available through winter and early spring to feed cows in the lead up to the 2019 calving.

Current pasture growth levels can even influence how many paddocks you are able to renew in the next few weeks.

Many parts of New Zealand have enjoyed bumper grass production this season. Having said that, many farmers will recall autumns when their feed supply has gone from one extreme to another in a very short time.

What are your tools for building pasture cover to meet your winter feed budget if conditions unexpectedly change before dry off?

One option provides an efficient, cost-effective Plan B if required.

Strategically-timed application of ProGibb SG will increase pasture production by 30 to 60 percent (%) more DM in just three weeks, with no effect on the nutritional value or future production of the treated paddocks.

Adding that type of growth response to a paddock which normally produces 50 kilograms (kg) of DM per hectare (ha) per day could be expected to result in growth rates of at least 75kg DM/ha/day, which is a significant amount of extra feed.

Nufarm development specialist Cynthia Christie says March is the ideal month to start planning autumn ProGibb SG applications

“Many of the farmers we know who use ProGibb SG in autumn say the best results come from having that extra grass available in the second-to-last and last grazing rounds before the cows are dried off for the winter.”

Cynthia says two things need to be factored into the planning process. The first is the recommended 21 day gap between application and grazing; the second is autumn grass growth rates.

“Autumn ProGibb SG applications differ from those in spring because grass growth patterns are reversed. In spring, daily DM growth is getting faster and faster but in autumn it is slowing down, and you need to take that into account,” she says.

One tactic that has proven successful with autumn ProGibb SG applications is combining it with liquid nitrogen (N).

Many pastures are more N-deficient in autumn and even a small amount of N often makes a big difference. This also gives farmers the chance to reduce costs of application by spraying both ProGibb SG and foliar N in one pass.

Grazing the pasture before ProGibb SG is applied is critical. For dairy pastures, ProGibb SG must be applied anytime during the first zero to five days after the cows leave the paddock, with one to three days after grazing is best.

^®ProGibb SG is a registered trademark of Valent BioSciences Corporation, Libertyville, Illinois, USA.

Article supplied by Nufarm