December 2011

Your levy in action

Mother Nature’s news for summer

La Niña’s good and bad news

Perennial ryegrass evaluation

DairyNZ Forage Value Index on its way

Facts on fertiliser

Purchasing the right product

Waiting for the rainTaking control when the big dry hits

contents1 From the CEO

News in brief

2 Cover story – waiting for the rain

6 Managing dry conditions

8 Bruce Thorrold: DairyNZ view

10 Frequently asked questions about fert

13 Checklist for purchasing fertiliser

14 Organic trial findings

15 Myth busters: soluble fertilisers

16 Soil scientist Mike O’Connor

18 DairyNZ’s Forage Value Index

22 Summer management

23 Grazing for ryegrass persistence

26 Effluent design code of practice

27 Regional indicators for nutrients

28 Research farm profile: Tauhara Moana

30 News in brief

Hot & not

31 Regional focus

32 Regional update

Inside Dairy is the official magazine of DairyNZ Ltd. It is circulated among all New Zealand dairy farmers and industry organisations and professionals.

28

10 31

ISSN 1179-4916

Must-reads:

Fertiliser FAQs – page 10

Some of the most commonly asked questions about

fertiliser requirements, options and applications

have been answered by DairyNZ.

DairyNZ Forage Value Index – page 18

A new Forage Value Index is being developed

by DairyNZ and the New Zealand Plant Breeding

and Research Association (NZPBRA). It will enable

farmers to compare perennial ryegrass cultivars by

their expected profit.

On the cover: Morrinsville dairy farmer Eric Kolver monitors

pasture and weather conditions closely, to better manage

dry conditions.

2

We appreciate your feedback Email your comments to insidedairy@dairynz.co.nz

or call us on 0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 4 324 7969).

Alternatively, post to

Inside Dairy, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton 3240.

1InsideDairy

f rom the ceo

By the time you’re reading this,

the election will be over and we

should have a new government.

Instead of a Christmas wishlist, at DairyNZ we’ve got a wishlist of

things we’d like to see for farmers, from those in power. Here’s the

top four.

1. Keep agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme. We

are committed to reducing greenhouse gases in dairying but

there is no point in knee-capping our biggest export earner

when none of our international competitors are similarly

penalising their farmers. Taxing New Zealand agriculture

on its emissions would simply add costs to our produce and

our overseas customers may go elsewhere. Until we have

genuine on-farm solutions it's a lose-lose situation.

2. Work with us on developing the National Policy Statement

on water. We’ve made some good progress in the last three

years working collaboratively with regional councils to solve

the issues together, and want to continue to be able to do so.

3. Develop a joined-up approach across government and

partner with industry on a joint investment plan in the

people capability area. Increasing the knowledge and skill

levels of those working in the industry is crucial to our

continued success.

4. Don’t delay the July 2012 introduction of NAIT, and include

sheep and other at-risk species as soon as possible. Having

an effective national system to identify and trace our

livestock will mean we can respond far more quickly to a

disease outbreak or food safety scare.

I’m pleased to say our discussions with LIC over the

recommendations of the Anderson Report on the national dairy

industry good database are progressing – it’s in the interests of us

all that we reach an agreement.

The global economy is facing uncertain times, with upheaval in

the European markets. New Zealand’s economy needs the earnings

from agriculture more than ever. Let’s hope the rain keeps coming,

but of course not to the extent it spoils your summer holiday!

As always, I welcome your feedback. You can contact me at

tim.mackle@ceo.dairynz.co.nz

Tim Mackle

CEO DairyNZ

PS We’ve had great feedback on the Healthy Udder Tool which

went out with the October Inside Dairy. This time it’s for something

for the house, not the shed. It’s our Christmas cowbot – you can

find more of her relations at the website home of Rosie, our dairy

industry cowbassador rosiesworld.co.nz/funstuff

I’m taking the opportunity

to have my own column for

the final 2011 edition of Inside

Dairy, wrapping up what’s been

another very good year for

the organisation.

We are now halfway through our six-year levy period, and in

2014, every farmer who receives a milk company cheque will be

asked to vote on the continuation of the dairy industry levy that

funds DairyNZ’s work.

When DairyNZ was established, we undertook to have the

organisation independently audited twice, halfway through

the levy period, and again at the end. The half-year review was

conducted earlier this year by an Australian firm, Warwick Yates

and Associates. The full report can be found at

dairynz.co.nz/audit2011

In short, it found that:

• DairyNZ’s reporting and audit processes are rigorous and

ensure accountability and transparency

• DairyNZ’s senior management team has healthy levels of

professional communication and debate on a timely basis,

without the process being overly bureaucratic

• DairyNZ is a professionally run organisation that complies

with all governance principles.

The audit further highlighted the challenges facing the

industry, in particular, its environmental reputation. DairyNZ

management recognises the need for significant industry

collaboration to address these issues.

The auditor noted seven recommendations for DairyNZ

management to consider. It is, however, gratifying to note that

many of these recommendations are already being addressed as

part of DairyNZ’s management agenda.

We held our annual general meeting in Hamilton at the

beginning of November where the results of our directors’

elections were announced.

We had eight candidates for three positions. Directors Kevin

Ferris, Michael Spaans and I were all standing for re-election.

Michael and I were re-elected, along with Woodville farmer Ben

Allomes. I’d like to thank Kevin Ferris for his contribution to the

board in the last two years. He’s been involved and connected to

the heartland of New Zealand dairying and is always prepared to

encourage fellow farmers to focus on continually improving the

farming systems, particularly around sustainability matters.

I’d also like to welcome Ben to the DairyNZ Board. As a

former Sharemilker of the Year winner and president of Young

Farmers, he’s an outstanding younger farmer and I am sure he

will contribute much to DairyNZ in the future.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous

New Year.

Hon. John Luxton

Chairman, DairyNZ

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR:WRAPPING UP A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

cover fea ture

dairynz.co.nz2

Waiting for the rain

3InsideDairy

Taking conTrol when The big dry hiTs

When the hills of Eric Kolver’s Morrinsville farm began showing

tell-tale signs of early dry conditions last November, he’d already

taken steps to be ahead of the game.

Eric had been closely monitoring pasture cover, rainfall, soil

moisture and the predicted La Niña weather pattern, so it came

as no surprise when action was required to ensure the 180-cow,

system three farm was still milking in the new year.

“On November 11 I saw there was a problem, I’d been

monitoring pasture covers every 10-15 days and growth rates had

started to drop,” says Eric. “I decided to develop a plan.”

A variable order sharemilker for James and Jane Thomas, and

a former Dexcel senior scientist, Eric says identifying the problem

early and making a decision is key.

“On the 11th we contracted PKE early, to get good prices.

We bought in 45 tonnes, twice what we normally use. We were

basically planning for a worst case scenario – what if it’s still dry in

February?” says Eric.

“That PKE was fed out from mid-November to February at

2-4.5kg DM/cow/day. We also aimed to lengthen out the round

from 21 days to 25 days.

“Being proactive is so important in any drought but an early

drought is different and you need to keep as many cows milking

as possible, because there’s so much of the season left.

“In hindsight, the feed we bought in was very economical to

keep them milking. Contracting it early helped. We felt in control,

we had feed in the shed.”

The 75ha farm (57ha milking platform) had 40mm rain in

October and 32mm in November. Come mid-December, average

pasture covers were heading down to 1500kg DM/ha. Eric began to

weigh up the options – dry off, milk once-a-day or every 18 hours.

(cont'd pg 4)

Waiting for the rain

^ Variable order sharemilker Eric Kolver.

dairynz.co.nz4

(cont'd from pg 3)

“When I did the figures it was as good if not better to dry off

a few of the light heifers. So on December 16 we sent 15 heifers,

8 percent of the herd, out of the region for grazing so they’d

come back in good condition for next season,” says Eric.

“We were doing a bit of everything – bringing in feed,

lengthening out the round and reducing demand. We had also

sown 2.6ha of turnips in October, which eventually gave six

weeks of feed in January/February.”

On December 20, around 93mm rain provided some relief for

pasture. On December 22, eight empty or late calving cows (4

percent of the herd) were culled to reduce demand even further.

January eventually clocked up 233mm rain, most of it late in

the month. Silage was made in February and the herd eventually

milked right through until May.

“It does not last forever, we had less than 1800kg DM/ha

pasture cover for six weeks, but it seems like a long time when

you’re in it,” says Eric. “Extending the round, holding it and

having supplement going in really helps.

“You can be in control. You just have to get the information

and make the best decision you can, with the information

at hand.”

Eric says attending local discussion groups is invaluable during

these types of weather events. “It’s good to get the big picture,

see what other people are doing. That motivates you to get into

action too.”

16 hour milking success

Over the fence from Eric, lower order sharemilker Ben Gray

gave 16 hour milking a go when grass started to dry out

last December.

It worked out well – both for keeping weight on the 205

cow herd and his own lifestyle, while still achieving a record

season for production.

“It started looking like a hard summer so I decided to jump

into 16 hour milkings early rather than late, to save weight

on the girls,” says Ben. “I really did it to fatten the cows and

make sure they were carrying a bit more weight for calving.

“I might do it again this year, even just to keep weight on.”

Ben switched from twice-a-day milking to 16-hour milking

in December, doing a normal morning milking, a 8-9pm

evening milking the same day, then a lunchtime milking the

next day.

“I really enjoyed it, it gave me more time to do other

things. I actually continued it right through to dry off in April

and still did a record season, 75,000kg MS.”

Along with the 16-hour milking, Ben also fed 3ha chicory,

turnips late summer and PKE. He also maintains a

reasonably slow round.

5InsideDairy

once-a-day milking as a

summer managemenT Tool

BY CLAIRE PHYN / DairyNZ scientist

Once-a-day (OAD) milking can be used in dry summers to

help protect the next season’s production and reproduction

by getting cows to body condition score (BCS) 5.0-5.5 by

calving, whilst achieving reasonable production for the rest of

the current season.

The key things to consider are:

• Weigh up all nominated options, including early culling,

feeding supplements or drying cows off. Removing known

culls early provides the remaining cows with more feed

for milk production and cow condition

• All of the herd, or just the younger and thinner cows, can

be milked OAD to achieve longer lactations while helping

to reach target BCS. Cows milked OAD during late

lactation are able to gain (or maintain) condition better

than cows milked twice-a-day (TAD). They may, therefore,

achieve more days in milk because they do not need to be

dried off as early to meet calving BCS of 5.0 for mixed-

age cows and 5.5 for first and second calvers

• Switching to OAD decreases daily milksolids yields by

about 10-20 percent and is additional to any production

drop due to lower feed quantity or quality. However,

between 60-70 percent of the season’s milk has already

been produced. Therefore, the potential loss equates to

about 3-8 percent of a cow’s total milksolids production

• The actual effect on the total season’s production will

depend on lactation length – longer lactations can be

achieved than if cows had remained on TAD. This gives

the farm options to milk for longer if pasture growth

improves in the autumn

• Daily production losses may be less than 10 percent if

OAD reduces pressure on the cows, because they do

not have to walk to the shed in the hot afternoon

sun (particularly if long distances or hilly terrain is

usually covered)

• OAD also takes the pressure off people, enabling more

time for other activities (e.g. monitoring pasture covers

and cow BCS or feeding out), or an improved lifestyle

• Research indicates that OAD decreases feed intakes by

about 10 percent (i.e. by 1-1.5kg DM/cow/day when TAD

milked cows are eating about 15kg DM/cow/day)

• Bulk somatic cell count (SCC) needs to be able to

accommodate a doubling in value following the switch to

OAD. Cows identified with mastitis or high SCC should be

either dried off or milked in a TAD herd to keep bulk SCC

under control

• Milking three times in two days (or 16-18 hour milking

intervals) is another option. This strategy produces less

of a drop in production, but is not as effective as OAD in

achieving target BCS.

^ Eric Kolver

dairynz.co.nz6

drought management

Managing the Achilles' heel – summertime It’s late October and it’s pelting down. Right now there’s more than

enough grass to go around. But Bay of Plenty farm owner John

Campbell and sharemilkers, son-in-law Gregg Young and wife Natalie,

know exactly what their tactics will be if – or perhaps when – they face

dry conditions this summer.

“Every farm has its strengths and weaknesses,” says

Whakatane dairy farmer John Campbell. “This is a good farm in

autumn, good for growing grass in winter and is a strong spring

farm. Its Achilles heel is the summertime.”

The 232ha (effective) farm milks 840 crossbred cows on

pumice soil with low water holding capacity and where rainfall

is very unpredictable during summer. John knows the farm

well – he bought the original 93ha in 1983 and has added

neighbouring properties along the way.

Some neighbours have opted for irrigation, but logistical

access to water and the financials have deterred John. In fact,

the farm has performed in a dry summer without irrigation. For

the 2009/10 season the farm profit was ranked sixth of 23 farms

benchmarked using DairyBase in the area and was the second

highest for farms without irrigation.

The farm team has three key tactics for dry conditions – early

purchase of grass silage and contract PKE; drop cow numbers

early and put the young/light herd on once-a-day (OAD) milking.

“We purchase some 300t DM of grass silage every October – I

call it my irrigation,” says John.

“We put the younger cows on OAD, walk them in the morning

when it’s cool and feed supplement throughout. We don’t like

stripping weight off,” says John. “We walk cows a long way, if

it’s 2km to the shed in summer, we have basically walked the

milk out of them anyway.”

John's experience and risk management philosophy drives

proactive decision-making.

> Whakatane farmer John Campbell.

7InsideDairy

Getting in early

To help prepare for dry conditions, John and Gregg will harvest

any feed surplus available.

“We’ll just do light cuts so the paddock is back in the round

while the grass is still growing, usually in October and early

November to maintain quality,” says Gregg. “If it pops up, we

will do it, but we don’t go hunting for it.”

“There is always a feed pinch here at some point over summer,

so we have to plan for it,” says John.

In Whakatane, November has been dry for three of the last

five years. Gregg and John opt to fill any feed gap with PKE and

silage if necessary.

The farm was heavily affected by a severe drought in 2009/10.

“That year it was good until November, then it got dry and it

didn’t improve. That was the worst we have had,” says John.

The 2009/10 drought

As an impending dry spell loomed in mid-November, silage

was fed out to maintain cow condition. Little rain by December

meant the young cows and those in lighter condition (around

375 cows) were OAD milking just prior to Christmas.

The team also began looking at cows to be culled or sent

off-farm. “Any cows we could get rid of, we did,” says John.

“Initially any possible culls are cows that are not performing or

any older ones.”

Come mid-December, 15 cows were culled and later that

month 50 went to grazing in the South Waikato and 30 to the

South Island.

“In January, when the pressure was on, we culled every

cow we thought wouldn’t be here next season while being

conservative and allowing for 8 percent empties although empty

rate has not been more than 6 percent over the last few years.”

Mid-January saw another 85 cows culled and 35 more in

February/March (mostly empties).

Once it rained, fertiliser was used to get grass growing but

a slower rotation maintained and supplement is fed out until

pasture cover increased. Eventually, 335 were dried off on March

24 and the remaining 335 on April 14.

Supplement use

Throughout the 2009/10 drought, silage purchased was fed

out, along with PKE. In February maize silage, some grown

on run-off land, was used to extend the round, while keeping

weight on the cows.

“I put my hand in my pocket and bought in hay too. You

need to get weight on them before calving, to dry off at a

good condition score, so you have to do something about it,”

says John.

Last season chicory was grown on the effluent area, with an

excellent result. This year they are increasing the amount of

summer crop to 12ha chicory and 12ha turnips. These are grown

on under-performing paddocks affected heavily by the very wet

autumn and winter. If these paddocks were not put into crops

they would have contributed little to the season.

“I don’t want to fall into a hole and then start panicking. I

don’t want to have to think ‘can I feed these cows’. I like to have

feed on hand and not be buying it when in a feed pinch. The

biggest thing is to make a decision – I might not always be right,

but at least I have done something on the day.”

Key tactics to drought management with aim

to minimise BCS loss:

• Annual purchase/harvest grass silage in October for

the summer: 400-450kg DM/cow

• Contract PKE early

• Put the young/light herd on OAD – by Christmas if dry

• Drop cow numbers early – January.

“I don’t want to fall into a hole and then start panicking. I don’t want to have to think

‘can I feed these cows'."

^ The team: John Campbell, Jordan Macdonald (2IC),

Harry Brown (assistant manager), Gregg Young

(sharemilker) and Justin Eagle (farm assistant).

dairynz.co.nz8

da i r ynz v iew

The biological farming debateI spent a day last month at the

first National Biological Farming

Conference. You might have seen

me reported as saying that

DairyNZ welcomed the debate

about different ways of farming

and nutrient management.

Well we do welcome the debate – in part because fertiliser

management has fallen off the radar lately as more pressing issues

such as effluent and pasture persistency have taken centre stage.

By opening this topic up to discussion we can take another

look at the key principles of fertiliser management, keep updated

on any new developments in science and evaluate whether we

need to make any changes on-farm because of changes to

the system.

What I have yet to see reported were some of the other

comments I made about biological farming and

fertiliser management.

All dairy farming in New Zealand is based on biology. The vast

majority of New Zealand farmers, scientists and agri-business

people acknowledge and support the importance of soil biology

and physical structure in efficient and sustainable farming.

The term ‘biological farming’ has been adopted as a generic

brand by companies marketing products and services to farmers.

It seems to be defined as a system that aims to build soil biology

with an expectation this will lead to good results – which poses

the question, will the products and practises advocated and sold

achieve these results?

To me, there seems to be three main ideas or product groups

in biological farming.

The first is an idea to reduce inputs of soluble fertilisers. For

many high feed input farmers, a nutrient budget would show

that reducing the use of fertiliser is the right response to balance

out the amount of nutrient coming in the gate in feed. We have

seen farms that need no additional phosphate or potash inputs.

This includes reducing urea use.

Biological farmers comment they have reduced urea use

and seen clover content increase and pastures improve. These

observations don’t require a new principle of soil science to

explain – high N inputs will suppress clover (and some of these

farmers have been using over 200kg N/ha along with bought in

feed), and this will be made worse if pasture management is lax

with high residuals.

So taking some N fertiliser out of the system and better

managing pasture will produce results – possibly even more milk

9InsideDairy

DairyNZ strategy

and investment

leader - productivity,

Dr Bruce Thorrold >

production with less N input, as pasture quality improves through

management. And lower N inputs will lead to lower N leaching –

but simply on the basis of the reduced N inputs.

So in my view, all farmers should be examining their use of

solid fertiliser – but on the basis of nutrient budgets and nutrient

use efficiency benchmarks – not on the basis of an argument

that soluble fertiliser damages soil ecology.

Fert recommendations

The second idea is that fertiliser recommendations based

on balancing base saturation will give better results than

recommendations based on ensuring no nutrient is limiting.

This is a long-running debate among international soil and

fertiliser experts. From what I have read, it is my opinion that the

‘law of the minimum’ effect is a more certain and cost-effective

way of optimising fertiliser inputs and pasture growth.

Farmers have made the observation that changing their

fertiliser programme has led to improved soil structure and

water infiltration. While this may also be due to a focus on

preventing pugging, it is an area where some further work may

be warranted.

The third idea is that by using products claimed to enhance the

soil’s biological activity, farmers can produce more product with

lower inputs, and have healthier animals and a better soil. Many

of the products promoted utilise comparatively small amounts of

materials including rock minerals, seawater, fish by-products and

humates. Low rates of standard fertilisers are sometimes used.

There is no evidence that this will happen. This is an old

argument being recycled in a new brand. Many hundreds of

experiments have been done in New Zealand to measure the

links between the ‘active ingredients’ in fertilisers and pasture

growth and animal performance.

Research

Studies have been conducted under grazing and pasture

mowing, and include long-term studies running for over 30

years. Many different types of products have been tested

alongside widely used products such as superphosphate, potash

and urea. This research has helped calibrate soil and herbage

tests for New Zealand conditions.

This work shows that the response to any input or ‘active

ingredient’ is proportional to the amount applied. Research has

shown that nutrients (P, K, S, N, Mg etc) lime and gibberelic acid

are active ingredients.

The effectiveness of products such as DAP slurries, fine lime,

seaweed extracts, di-calcic phosphate, serpentine and compost

teas can be predicted from the amount of nutrients and lime

contained by these products. There is no evidence that fine-

grinding, foliar application, slurries or biological material in these

products improves their effectiveness over and above the active

ingredients applied.

I’m very aware of the interest in biological farming and the

reports from farmers who believe they are getting good results.

We are attempting to work with farmer advocates of biological

farming to test their observations that they are getting responses

much greater than can be explained by DairyNZ’s current view of

soil and fertiliser science.

These results will be reported to farmers as they emerge – but

right now, my view is that when we see farmers using biological

principles and getting good results – what we see is good

farmers getting good results. But it is a consequence of good

nutrient management, good pasture and feed management and

a focus on protecting soils from pugging.

I believe that farmers will get the best value for money from

their expenditure by following current advice based on soil,

herbage and animal testing.

Frequently asked fertiliser questions

Calcium, lime, liquid or finely ground...

Some of your fert questions answered

dairynz.co.nz10

fe r t i l i se r FAQ

The extension team at DairyNZ is frequently

asked about fertiliser requirements, options

and application. Below is a summary of key

questions and advice.

Q: Is the response from liquid fertiliser or finely ground fertiliser better than conventional solid fertiliser, when the same amount of nutrient is applied per hectare?

A: No. Many trials over the years have shown it is the amount of nutrient applied that matters. The total response to the nutrient, whether it be nitrogen, phosphate or lime, is the same over time regardless of whether the nutrient is applied as a liquid, finely ground or in a more coarse form.

The response time from the nutrient may differ, with a quicker response to liquid and finely ground products. However, the total response is the same when measured over time. Some products claim better responses where the response is measured over a shorter time period and the total long-term response from the more coarsely ground product is not measured.

Q: Is urea destroying organic matter in soils?

A: No. Pastoral grazing systems build up high levels of organic matter. Anything that stimulates plant growth (e.g. fertilisers P, K, S, N) increase the amount of litter going back into the soils, as well as what the grazing animal adds. These activities stimulate microbial activity. Therefore urea (nitrogen) does not destroy organic matter and may even assist in building organic matter when applied to grazed pastures. If high annual N rates are used, lime maybe required to maintain soil pH (need about 1kg lime per kg of urea or 3kg of lime per kg sulphate of ammonia).

However, recent research indicates that soil carbon has declined by about 10 percent over 20 years with intensive dairying. The reasons for this are uncertain but could include decreased root growth relative to shoot growth, and increased level of pasture utilisation with less return of plant residues to soil. It is unknown whether increased N fertiliser use might contribute to this. Nevertheless, levels of carbon in New Zealand pastoral soils are much greater than those in cropping soils and in many overseas pastoral soils.

Q: Should we be applying more calcium (Ca)?

A: Most New Zealand soils have an abundant supply of calcium as the soils are derived from parent material that is rich in calcium. Ca deficiency in New Zealand soils is unheard of. The confusion comes with the belief that Ca increases soil pH. It is not the Ca that increases pH but the alkali content of

the product, the cheapest forms being carbonate applied as either limestone (calcium carbonate) or as dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate).

Lime increases pasture production because it increases soil pH not because it increases Ca. In addition, superphosphate contains 20 percent Ca and this represents a significant input to soils. Calcium is required by the cow, however applying it to soil does not improve the calcium supply to the cow. If applied before calving it prevents the cow from mobilising calcium and can

induce milk fever.

Q: How does lime benefit soils and pasture production?

A: Liming benefits the soils in several ways, through increasing pH. One of the most important benefits is that it stimulates soil biological activity and increases the availability of soil N, particularly in the pH range 5.5-6.0. This is why limed soils appear greener, as the lime increases soil nitrogen, in the same way N fertiliser does.

Liming also reduces the availability of soluble aluminium and manganese which are toxic to plants at low soil pH (e.g. less than about 5.5). If the pH is lifted above 6.5 on coarse, textured soils it can result in a zinc or manganese deficiency by reducing their availability. Liming can also increase the availability of molybdenum and the wettability of a soil.

Q: Do humates improve soil organic matter (OM)?

A: Soils contain between 60t (soils in the McKenzie basin) to 350t (volcanic ash soils in Taranaki and peat soils in Waikato) of organic matter, with most dairy farms around 200-300t OM/ha. If say 60kg/ha of humate was applied, this would add only 0.2-0.3 percent organic matter to the soil and therefore is unlikely to have any effect. The claim that they stimulate soil microbes is very unlikely, given how little is applied.

Q: Overseer takes into account all major nutrients used on the farm, including those bought on in supplements and recycled in dairy effluent. How evenly are these nutrients spread over the farm and does Overseer underestimate the nutrients required on parts of the farm?

A: Nutrients are spread around in urine and dung patches which can cover around 25 percent of the area in a year. Therefore, it takes a number of years for even coverage. Overseer accounts for the longer-term effect of the nutrient recycling from this supplementary feed use by assuming even coverage eventually occurs. But it does account for the component that goes off the farm in the extra milk and the transfer to lanes and the effluent system.

11InsideDairy

(cont'd pg 12)

dairynz.co.nz12

Q: Why is it the results of soil tests from laboratories outside New Zealand (e.g. United States) are disregarded by some fertiliser consultants?

A: Regardless of where the laboratory is, what matters is that the tests are calibrated for New Zealand pastoral soils. Calibration means that a relationship needs to be established between the test and some other factor, generally pasture production. This relationship will allow to identify levels of soil test when soil properties are limiting (or excessive) for pasture or animal performance. For this reason, any soil or herbage tests not calibrated by field trials for New Zealand soils and pastures, should not be used. This caution applies to most tests from overseas labs and some tests from New Zealand labs.

Q: In early spring, there are occasions when sulphur is limiting. Can the application of finely ground elemental sulphur (S) be as effective in meeting this deficit as applying sulphur in the sulphate form?

A: For the plant to uptake sulphur it must be oxidised to plant-available sulphate S i.e. the plant cannot take up elemental S. The oxidation process is performed by microbes (bugs) in the soil and the rate of conversion is driven by temperature, moisture

and the particle size of the elemental S. Therefore, if sulphate S is deficient in early spring because the conversion from elemental S residues or soil organic matter is too slow due to temperature, finely ground elemental S will not be as effective as sulphate S. Applying elementals in the previous autumn can be effective for limiting the risk of S in early spring.

Q: What is the highest response possible from applying nitrogen and what is the maximum daily uptake of N/day?

A: In general, the highest N responses have been measured when grass is fastest growing in late-spring and can be about 20kg DM/kg N applied. At this time, when grass is growing rapidly, its roots can absorb up to 4kg N/ha/day.

Q: Is the Brix test useful for determining nutrient requirements or feed quality for animals?

A: The Brix test measures the amount of soluble sugars in a plant. This is very useful to fruit and vegetable growers. However, it has no value for pasture as the cows can utilise various forms of plant carbohydrate and the Brix test only measures a small amount of the structural and non- structural carbohydrate.

(cont'd from pg 11)

Article references: Dr A Roberts, Ravensdown; Dr A Mackay, AgResearch; Dr B Thorrold, DairyNZ; Dr S Ledgard, AgResearch; Dr D Edmeades, AgKnowledge; Dr A Morton, Ballance; Dr M Scarsbrook, DairyNZ; R Brazendale, DairyNZ; P Hedley, DairyNZ.

13InsideDairy

How to purchase the right fertiliser

fe r t check l i s t

Using the right product to achieve the best results, at least cost, is the primary objective of fertiliser. The following checklist helps ask the right questions when weighing up whether a particular fertiliser product is appropriate for your farm.

What are the recommendations based on?

What is the nutrient content of the product (kg nutrient/tonne)?

Has the nutrient content been determined from independent testing? Yes No

Have soil and plant tests been calibrated for New Zealand soils and pastures? Yes No/overseas

Does the product supply the nutrients required for your farm?

Only 16 nutrients are required for plants. Refer to DairyNZ Farmfact: Plant nutrition Yes No

What is the cost per kg nutrient and how does it compare to the cost of other

fertiliser products?

Refer to the DairyNZ Nutrient

Cost Calculator

If the product is being promoted as having a liming effect – what is the percentage of

carbonate in the product and how does this compare to lime?

Refer to the DairyNZ Nutrient

Cost Calculator

Is the fertiliser Fertmark registered? Yes No

Is the biological activity in your soil limiting pasture production?

The biological activity on most New Zealand soils is good, with the exception of some cropping

soils. If your soil has good physical properties, biological activity will be high.

Yes No

Is there scientific, independently peer-reviewed evidence? Yes No

Are the results expressed as an absolute comparison rather than a marginal comparison?

e.g. ‘Control = 300kg DM, Product = 350kg DM’ as opposed to ‘17% more grass’. Yes No

Do they know the detailed reasoning behind how and why this product works? Yes No

What are their qualifications? Do they have any qualifications or a background in

soil science? Yes No

Do they have experience in fertiliser use and nutrient budgeting for New Zealand soils? Yes No

Have they completed the Fertiliser and Lime Research Centre’s (FLRC) Sustainable

Nutrient Management Course? Yes No

If the product is being promoted as having benefits other than supplying nutrients, such as soil conditioning effects, improved biological

activity or making more nutrients available:

Ask about the salesperson...

Remember

• If unsure about any products or reasoning behind the products please seek advice

• And: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

References

• 1Refer to DairyNZ Farmfact: Nitrogen – the principles of applying nitrogen fertiliser to pasture. 2Refer to DairyNZ Farmfact: determining fertiliser nutrient requirements.

• The DairyNZ Nutrient Cost Calculator can be found at dairynz.co.nz/nutrientcostcalculator

• DairyNZ Farmfacts can be found at dairynz.co.nz/farmfacts

• Fertiliser Use on New Zealand Dairy Farms (Fert Research)

Current soil

nutrient status,

production and

other inputs

(supplements).1

Base saturation

or cation

exchange

capacity.2

Ask about the product...

Organic trial findings relevant to all farmers

organ ic s v s convent ion

dairynz.co.nz14

BY DR DAVID HORNE | Massey University, soil scientist

Massey University has run a farm systems trial for the past ten

years comparing organic and conventional production.

The guiding principles have been to provide sufficient nutrients

to meet plant demand for the targeted production, while not

over-supplying nutrients. At the project’s launch 10 years ago,

the mean Olsen P value on the organic farmlet was 47.

This number was considered too large as the value was greater

than the ‘biological

optimum’ (i.e. in the range

of 30 to 40) and it posed

an environmental risk of

phosphate runoff. An

Olsen P of 47 would also

be a major challenge to

maintain, in a cost-effective manner, given the relatively narrow

range of certified organic fertilisers.

To stage a reduction of Olsen P levels, initially only small

quantities of phosphate (P) fertiliser were applied until a mean

Olsen P of 35 was reached. Maintenance P has since

been applied.

The organic farmlet has not grown as much grass (an average

of 9.85 t/ha) as the conventional farmlet (an average of 11.25 t/

ha), much of this difference can be accounted for in differences

in nitrogen (N) inputs in both fertiliser and imported feed.

These differences also accounted for the organic farmlet

leaching less N than the conventional farmlet.

On the organic farmlet, a range of fertilisers and soil

conditioners have been used, with very mixed success. To be

perfectly frank, not all products evaluated proved to be effective.

As some of these products contain only very small quantities of

nutrients, their inability to provide adequate plant nutrition is not

surprising. Organic, and for that matter conventional, farmers

need to proceed with caution when contemplating the use of

‘alternative’ fertilisers.

Osflo, a chicken-based compost has been applied to the

organic farmlet for the last three or so years. This product has

the advantage of being a

nitrogen source.

When spread at a rate

of a little under 2t/ha,

then 68kg N/ha and 28kg

P/ha, are applied along

with other nutrients. This

is a match with the maintenance P requirement for the organic

farmlet, as calculated using Overseer.

A question often asked is ‘are we simply trading on or

mining the P reserves that had accumulated under conventional

management before conversion to organic production?’. This is a

very real risk that organic producers need to guard against.

Through the use of soil testing soil nutrient status has been

maintained on organic farms by using sufficient plant-

available nutrients.

In other words, providing there are adequate nutrients in the

fertiliser, they are plant available and that the fertiliser is cost-

competitive, the nutrient source per se is not important.

Of course soil quality is much more than just Olsen P, as in this

example, and is about all of the nutrients a plant needs as well as

soil biological and physical properties.

"In other words, providing there are adequate

nutrients in the fertiliser, they are plant available

and that the fertiliser is cost-competitive, the

nutrient source per se is not important."

cover fea ture

15InsideDairy

Epigeic: L. rubellus

Endogeic: A. caliginosa

Anecic: A.longa

BUSTED:

THE MYTH:

Soluble fertilisers destroy the life in soils

No! Application of soluble fertilisers to maintain soil fertility

will not destroy soil life.

Some people claim that soluble fertilisers, such as urea and

superphosphate, kill earthworms.

However the application of soluble fertilisers to maintain soil

fertility will not destroy soil life, but rather it ensures a continued

food supply to earthworms. Management practices that limit soil

damage in winter is the important factor in sustaining a healthy

earthworm population.

Earthworm numbers generally increase with applications

of soluble fertilisers, as the application of fertiliser stimulates

pasture growth, increasing the food available to earthworms1.

Earthworms are primary decomposers feeding on organic

matter, such as dead plant material and cow dung. As the

quantity and quality of organic matter increases, so does

earthworm abundance.

For example, a sheep grazed hill country pasture receiving

375kg superphosphate/ha/yr since 1980 had earthworm

abundance in excess of 1000m2, double that of a pasture that

had received no fertiliser in 26 years2.

Earthworms are at their most active in the winter and early

spring. During the winter months when soils are wet, earthworms

are vulnerable to livestock treading damage. Pastures damaged

by livestock treading can have reduced earthworm numbers3.

There is evidence to suggest that if present anecic

earthworms, which feed on organic matter at the soil surface but

live at depth (see figure one), may be more competitive in

dairy systems than epigeic earthworms which live near the

soil surface4.

Earthworms in New Zealand pastoral systems arrived

accidentally with the European settlers and hence have a

patchy distribution.

There are three types of earthworm which can be distinguished

and in an ideal soil all three types of earthworm should be

present. Epigeic earthworms (i.e. Lumbricus rubellus) feed

on organic matter on the soil surface and do not form

permanent burrows.

Endogeic earthworms (i.e. Aporrectodea caliginosa) ingest

topsoil and its associated organic matter, forming semi-

permanent burrows. Anecic earthworms (i.e. Aporrectodea

longa) draw organic matter from the soil surface into their deep,

permanent burrows to feed on.

BY ALEC MACKAY | AgResearch principal scientist, land and environment

MYTHBUSTERS

References

1 Schon, N.L., et al., Soil fauna in grazed New Zealand hill country pastures at two

management intensities. Applied Soil Ecology, 2008. 40: page 218-228. 2 Edwards, C.A. and

J.R. Lofty, Nitrogenous fertilizers and earthworm populations in agricultural soils. Soil Biology

and Biochemistry, 1982. 14(5): page 515-521. 3 Lambert, M., Earthworms in southern North

Island hill pastures. Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association, 1986. 47: page

279-282. 4 Schon, N.L., et al., Separating the effects of defoliation and dairy cow treading

pressure on the abundance and diversity of soil invertebrates in pastures. Applied Soil

Ecology, 2010. 46: page 209-221. 5 Fraser, P.M. and B. Boag, The distribution of lumbricid

earthworm communities in relation to flatworms: a comparison between New Zealand and

Europe. Pedobiologia, 1998. 42(5-6): page 542-553.

FigURE onE:

15InsideDairy

Epigeic

Endogeic

Anecic

0

20

40

60

Figure adapted from Fraser and Boag5, photos courtesy of R. Gray.

dairynz.co.nz16

Buying fert? Stick with tried and proven

fe r t adv i ce

“Don’t be fooled into bad decisions by using flashy, highly

advertised, cure-all products often promoted as environmentally-

friendly," says Mike. "They're no good."

Now retired, Mike was based at Ruakura for 35 years, working

for AgResearch and its predecessors. He was national coordinator

of soils and fertiliser work. He was awarded the Ray Brougham

Trophy in 2004 by the New Zealand Grassland Association

in recognition of his contribution to soil science and fertiliser

practice in New Zealand.

He was also made a Life Member of NZGA in 2007 and

a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and

Horticultural Science in 2006.

Mike says fertiliser is one of the most expensive farm purchases

and it’s important farmers get it right. “My point is to stick with

the tried and proven, the solid fertilisers, and work closely with

farm consultants – either fertiliser company consultants or private

ones,” he says. "I've seen this before, when profits were low and

farmers couldn't afford enough fertiliser and were tempted to

spend what money they had on unproven products with

big promises.

“Get soil tests done and interpreted. Get nutrient budgets

done to indicate the inputs and losses of nutrients on the farm

and then replace those losses with correct fertiliser inputs.”

Mike believes most farmers are good stewards of their land

but says they’re under increasing pressure to minimise their

environmental impact and that can lead to poor decisions.

“With farmers getting bombarded with ‘you are environmentally

unfriendly people’ they sort of think ‘oh hell, perhaps I better look

at some of these things, things that don’t run into the rivers and

don’t put too many nutrients on’.”

But the alternatives just don’t stack up, says Mike.

“You appreciate if you’re putting fertiliser on a farm, you need

something like 30-40 units of P, 80 units of K, 50 units of S and

probably 150 to 200 of N all per ha/year.

“Now if you’re putting on a liquid fertiliser, you’re putting on

0.003kg of P and 0.001kg of K per ha/year. You know, there’s just

nowhere near the amounts that have been lost so if you stuck to

only those products, then either your farm would go backwards

very quickly, as we’ve shown in many trials over the years,” says

Mike. "Or you'll just be wasting money.

"Some farms have high supplement inputs or high soil test levels

that should be reduced. A nutrient management plan based on soil

tests and nutrient budgets will tell you if this applies. In this case, it

will save you money."

Mike is concerned that a lot of the alternative fertiliser products

haven’t been properly tested.

“Companies involved appear to know very little about conducting

field trials and even less about interpreting the results. So I say, be

very wary about the claims being made by these companies until

you can delve into some of the results that they’re producing.”

Farmers should stick to tried and proven fertilisers and not be tempted

by highly publicised alternatives, says retired New Zealand soil scientist

Mike O’Connor.

17InsideDairy

> Retired soil scientist Mike O’Connor recommends farmers

do their research when choosing between fertiliser options.

With an endless stream of advertising arriving in rural

mailboxes, farmers need to sure of what they believe, says Mike.

“The first question to ask is ‘is the material coming from a

tried and proven fertiliser source?’ If not, throw it away."

“The second question is what research has been produced

on the product and who has

conducted the research? Have

the results been peer reviewed

by a reputable source? In

other words, have they been

reviewed and, say, published

in a Grasslands conference proceedings or a similar reputable

journal?,” says Mike.

“If you’re still interested, seek advice from your DairyNZ

consulting officer before committing to buy it.”

Mike says farmers need to understand their fertiliser needs.

“The first thing is to realise in New Zealand we fertilise our

pastures basically to grow clovers which in turn provide nitrogen

for the grasses. It’s the clovers that need the major elements like

P, K, S and Mg but it’s the grasses that need the nitrogen.

“You also need lime to correct the soil pH and the trace

elements required are mainly for animal health, things like

selenium, copper and cobalt,” says Mike.

“There are really no trace elements that are needed for pasture

growth on well-established pastures. There’s a lot of hype about

the need for trace elements but apart from the animal needs,

there’s usually no need for pasture production.”

Another thing that worries Mike is the increasing use of nitrogen

fertiliser on New Zealand dairy farms. He says average use has gone

from about 20,000 tonnes to close to 350,000 tonnes per farm in

15 years.

“Farmers are just thinking

of nitrogen as producing more

pasture for more stock but

should limit total N inputs to

200kg N/ha/annum or less to

reduce environmental risks. Also, for new pastures, they should go

easy on N use in the early stages.

“If you’re easy on nitrogen use – about 25 to 30 units of N per

ha/year in that initial establishment period – if you do that, just

enough to keep the clovers and the grasses growing but not too

much to cause ryegrasses swamping the clovers. Then you’ve got

a good balance of grass to clover in your sward and the potential

for a long lasting pasture – they work together.”

After 40 years working in the fertiliser field, Mike is still

confident superphosphate based products are best for pasture-

based production.

“For other fertiliser products the buyer beware philosophy

applies. My advice is don’t buy them, stick with the tried

and proven.”

“The first question to ask is ‘is the

material coming from a tried and proven

fertiliser source?’ If not, throw it away."

Index to put a value on perennial ryegrass

Soon this will be reality thanks to a new Forage Value Index

system currently being developed by DairyNZ and the New

Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association (NZPBRA).

“Improving farmer confidence to choose perennial ryegrasses

that maximise on-farm profit via a comprehensive, industry

good evaluation system will be the first major outcome from this

project,” says Bruce Thorrold, DairyNZ strategy and investment

leader for productivity.

“We see it as vital to improving the rate of genetic gain of

pastures and on-farm profit, while ensuring farmers make better

decisions with confidence.”

Despite a trend to import

more feed onto New Zealand

dairy farms, cows and perennial

ryegrass-based pasture remain

the key drivers of profit.

However, farmers have limited

information on the expected

profit of sowing new perennial

ryegrass cultivars.

Pastures have fallen behind in the economic evaluation stakes.

Particularly compared to dairy cattle’s well-developed evaluation

system which includes the calculation of economic values and

tracks rate of genetic gain for key traits.

Farmer confidence

The aim is to establish the DairyNZ Forage Value Index

(FVI: $/ha) as the dairy industry standard.

“A key outcome is that farmers will be able to select, with

confidence, perennial ryegrasses that are most likely to deliver

the greatest gains in their farm profit,” says project leader David

Chapman, DairyNZ principal scientist.

“Through DairyNZ, the dairy industry is getting closely involved

in the process of evaluating cultivars and assessing the annual

rate of genetic gain, and working with plant breeders to

improve both.”

Evaluation system

Traits included in the DairyNZ Forage Value Index are seasonal

pasture production (winter, early spring, late spring, summer

and autumn), metabolisable energy (ME) concentration and

persistence of dry matter yield.

These components ultimately determine total lifetime ME

production from new pastures.

This lifetime production measure

means that the DairyNZ Forage

Value Index is most similar to

PW for dairy cattle.

Each perennial ryegrass

cultivar evaluated by the

NZPBRA in its National Forage

Variety Trials (since 1991) will have a Forage Value Index and

associated trait values and reliabilities.

As with PW, the Forage Value Index is simply the sum of trait

values multiplied by economic values.

“Economic values are the expected change in profit for every

unit change in a trait value,” says Jeremy Bryant, DairyNZ pasture

and animal improvement specialist.

“For instance, the economic value for pasture production in

winter is the estimated increase in profit for every 1kg DM/ha

increase in pasture production over this period.”

Overlying the whole evaluation system is a continuous

improvement programme. This regularly assesses evaluation

system design, measurement methods, evaluation model and the

inclusion of new, economically important, traits.

p l ant b reed ing

dairynz.co.nz18

“A key outcome is that farmers will be

able to select, with confidence, perennial

ryegrasses that are most likely to deliver

the greatest gains in farm profit”

David Chapman: project leader, DairyNZ principal scientist.

Have you ever wanted to know which perennial ryegrass

cultivar will maximise your bottom line?

19InsideDairy

Economic values are a key component of the DairyNZ Forage

Value Index system.

The Forage Evaluation Team (representatives from DairyNZ,

NZPBRA and Lincoln University) used farm system models to

estimate economic values of extra dry matter production in

winter, early spring, late spring, summer and autumn.

The models replicated typical dairy farms in the upper North

Island, lower North Island, Canterbury and Southland.

For upper North Island dairy farms, extra feed in autumn had

the highest economic values, followed closely by summer and

early spring.

“Extra pasture production in autumn is valuable as it can be

used to replace supplementary feed and to extend lactation past

normal dry-off dates,” says Jeremy.

Increases in pasture production in late spring had the lowest

economic value in the upper North Island. This is because feed

supply already met feed demand and the extra feed must be

made into silage and fed out, incurring additional costs.

In the lower North Island, Canterbury and Southland, extra

feed was most valuable in winter, early spring and autumn.

In these irrigated or more summer-safe environments,

extra pasture in winter and early spring can partially replace

supplementary feed needed until pasture supply exceeds demand

(e.g. the feed supply/demand balance date).

Extra pasture production in autumn can be used to replace

supplements, increase pasture intakes and extend lactation.

Perennial ryegrass cultivars differ in their seasonal growth

patterns. “When yield data from the National Forage Variety Trial

and other sources are spliced with the economic values, we have

a way of calculating economic merit of a cultivar,” says Jeremy.

Perennial ryegrass cultivars with the best seasonal and total

growth characteristics will rise to the top of the DairyNZ Forage

Value Index rankings within a region.

After getting the right endophyte and ploidy, North Island

farmers should select perennial ryegrass cultivars that contribute

to high pasture production in summer and autumn.

South Island farmers will benefit most from perennial ryegrass

cultivars with strong performance in autumn, early spring

and winter.

Trait evaluations unique to regions

Figure 1: Economic values for extra dry matter production.

Note: upper and lower North Island – winter (May-June), early spring (July-August), late spring (September-October), summer

(November-January), autumn (February-April). Canterbury and Southland – winter (June-July), early spring (August-September),

late spring (October-November), summer (December-February), autumn (March-May).

Winter Early Spring Late Spring Summer Autumn All

Upper NI $0.30 $0.48 $0.21 $0.40 $0.41 $0.37

Lower NI $0.37 $0.47 $0.17 $0.33 $0.32 $0.33

Canterbury $0.45 $0.42 $0.29 $0.17 $0.29 $0.31

Southland $0.40 $0.46 $0.23 $0.12 $0.27 $0.28

$0.00

$0.10

$0.30

$0.20

$0.40

$0.50

Eco

no

mic

Val

ue

($/k

g D

M/h

a)

(cont'd pg 20)

dairynz.co.nz20

Patterns of genetic gain

The economic values of cultivars also help set clear targets

for plant breeding, as they reinforce that plant breeders should

select for strong winter, early spring, summer and

autumn production.

According to National Forage Variety Trial data of NZPBRA

since 1991, the trend for genetic gain in perennial ryegrass has

been greatest for summer pasture production (+27kg DM/ha/

year). This is followed by autumn (+20kg DM/ha/year), winter

and late spring (both at +5kg DM/ha/year) (Figure 2).

There has been no increase in early spring pasture production

over this time.

“This result is not surprising, as we have been breeding for

cultivars that produce less seed head, to improve spring quality,”

says Graham Kerr, NZPBRA member.

Genetic gains in total production of +50-55kg DM/ha/year

or +1000kg DM/ha since 1990 are being realised. Assuming

efficient harvesting by dairy cows and persistence of DM yield,

these changes in seasonal and total production are worth an

estimated increase in farm profit of $20/ha/year.

Figure 2: Annual rates of

genetic gain (1991-2008) in

perennial ryegrass for winter,

early spring, late spring,

summer, autumn and total dry

matter production.

60

An

nu

al r

ate

of

gen

etic

gai

n

(kg

DM

/ha/

year

)

50

40

30

20

10

0

-10Winter Early

Spring

Late

Spring

Summer Autumn Total

56

20

27

55

-1

Introducing the Forage Value Index

• DairyNZ has developed a prototype for a profit index of

perennial ryegrass cultivar merit that includes:

• Seasonal dry matter production

• Metabolisable energy

• Persistence.

• Extra pasture grown has a different value (farm profit per

extra kg DM/ha) in different seasons and regions

• Perennial ryegrass cultivars differ in their seasonal growth

pattern. The DairyNZ Forage Value Index will rank cultivars

so those with the best pattern of growth and production

will rate highly

• Initial cultivar rankings will be available for perennial

ryegrass in June 2012, with the system strengthening over

the following three years

• The DairyNZ Forage Value Index will improve forage

evaluation systems and the rate of genetic gain in pastures.

(cont'd from pg 19)

21InsideDairy

Trait evaluation

The NZPBRA National Forage Variety Trial system:

• Is the main source of information on perennial ryegrass

cultivar traits for calculating DairyNZ Forage Value indices

• Members of NZPBRA include: Agricom (New Zealand)

Ltd, New Zealand Agriseeds Ltd, Cropmark Seeds

Ltd, DLF Seeds Ltd, Grasslanz Technology Ltd, PGG

Wrightsons Seeds Ltd, Genetic Technologies Limited

and Seed Force Ltd

• Is a unique and comprehensive industry system, started

by New Zealand seed breeding organisations of the

NZPBRA in 1991

• Has over 280 ryegrass cultivars evaluated through three

year trials

• Has a wide coverage of sites throughout New Zealand

• Covers dry matter yield measured in a small plot under

irrigated and un-irrigated conditions

• Requires replicated trials and a minimum of three trials

before the commercial release of a cultivar.

Planned improvements to the National Forage Variety

Trial system:

• More intensive persistence testing – a zone approach

(ranging from challenging to benign environments)

• Persistence will be measured under typical farm

management in warm, humid, summer dry areas prone

to plant pulling, rust and insect attack (eg. black

beetle, porina)

• Intensive nutritive value (e.g. metabolisable energy)

testing to be added

• The minimum number of trials before commercial

release is to increase.

Tackling poor persistence

Pasture persistence issues have eroded farmer confidence in

new cultivars and associated endophytes, especially in the upper

North Island, with recent dry summers and unprecedented black

beetle numbers.

“Persistence is a big issue for the Forage Value Index system

and we have to get to grips with it,” says David Chapman,

DairyNZ principal scientist.

“More data will be required to do this properly, but in the

meantime the National Forage Variety Trial data, and other trials

that we have access to, will give us some leads.”

The Forage Evaluation Team, with the Pasture Renewal

Leadership Group, will produce tools to help farmers select

which paddocks to renew and the most appropriate cultivars and

endophytes for their farm.

Additional information will help farmers manage new pastures

so they yield and persist as expected.

The Forage Evaluation Team is currently working to generate a

region-specific persistence estimate for each perennial

ryegrass cultivar.

“Cultivars with poor persistence will be significantly penalised

in their Forage Value Index,” says David. “Evaluation system

improvements will further enhance the accuracy of the

persistency trait values.

“It is critical that farmers select the right types of perennial

ryegrass cultivars and endophytes to meet persistence challenges

in a region.

“This means that seed infected with AR37 or NEA2 is non-

negotiable in the upper North Island to protect new pastures

from attack by black beetle. AR1, at a minimum, is required

to protect pastures from Argentine stem weevil attack in

Canterbury to the top of the South Island.”

Where to from here?

Release of the DairyNZ Forage Value Index for perennial

ryegrass cultivars is planned for mid-2012.

The DairyNZ Forage Value Index will steadily strengthen over

the next three years, as further testing improves reliability of

cultivar traits and, in turn, their economic merit values.

DairyNZ and NZPBRA plan to make this project the cornerstone

of future forage evaluation.

summer management

dairynz.co.nz22

La Niña conditions are redeveloping in the tropical Pacific, with

the event expected to build through spring 2011 and continue

over summer 2012, according to the NIWA National

Climate Centre.

La Niña events occurred in both 2007/08 and 2010/2011 and

these were mixed seasons.

Optimists will look forward to a repeat of summer 2011, with

warm rainfall events from the north making last summer and

autumn one of the most productive years ever.

Pessimists will recall both the drought months of November

and December 2010 that preceded last summer, and the major

drought that occurred in the Waikato and other regions

during 2008.

During La Niña, New Zealand tends to experience more

north-easterly winds which bring moist, rainy conditions to the

north-east parts of the North Island and reduced rainfall to the

south and south-west of the South Island. Warmer than normal

temperatures typically occur over much of the country during La

Niña, although there are regional and seasonal exceptions.

Less certainty exists about the exact regional spread of the

rainfall events and their timing. For example, in 2008 Northland

experienced the predicted wet summer, but the rest of the North

Island did not. In 2010/2011 most, if not all, areas experienced

the dry start and wet finish.

For some areas, such as central Otago and south Canterbury,

drought can occur in both El Niño and La Niña.

For farm management decisions in preparation for this summer, DairyNZ recommends that farmers:

• Be optimistic about the likelihood of rainfall events that will

help produce milk profitably late in the season. Keeping cows

milking to exploit these likely events is important

• Also, be prepared for periods when soil moisture deficits

will limit pasture growth to some extent. Plan to de-stock or

have supplement available to minimise the damage of these

periods to future production, both later this season and for

following seasons.

Farmers should have a well thought through contingency

plan for the summer, setting out key decision points

concerning stock and feed management and the dates when

critical actions should occur.

This plan should include tactics for:

• Monitoring the situation through periodically grazing

residuals and making sure they stay at least above

7-8 clicks on the RPM (1500-1600kg DM)

• Managing body condition score (BCS) so individual cows

reaching BCS of 3.5 are identified in time for appropriate

action such as once-a-day (OAD) milking or drying off

• Identifying critical dates for stocking rate reductions

through culling

• Assessing the need for supplements

• Considering OAD milking

• Making the best use of farm advisors.

The DairyNZ Dry Summer Management Guide, including a

plan template, is inserted with this edition of Inside Dairy.

It contains all the information and references needed to

complete your own farm contingency plan.

Additional copies can be downloaded from the publications

and tools section of the DairyNZ website (dairynz.co.nz) or

through the DairyNZ Farmer Information Service ph

0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 4 324 7969).

Alternatively, your farm consultant may be able to help

develop a plan tailored for your situation.

PLAN AHEAD

Mother Nature’s news for this summer

dairynz.co.nz22

23InsideDairy

Grazing management for ryegrass persistence

Grazing management impacts on ryegrass persistence by

influencing the number and size of tillers in a pasture. The

degree of influence it has on persistence varies by season.

A tiller is a part of a ryegrass plant. Each tiller has a growing

point from which new leaves grow. The growing point is found

at the base of the tiller, close to the soil surface.

This means it is rarely damaged during grazing, allowing the

tiller to regrow after grazing. At any one time each tiller has up

to three live leaves and one or more dying leaves.

Persistence of pastures is strongly linked to how tillers respond

to the frequency, severity and timing of grazing and the growing

conditions (i.e temperature and moisture) at the time.

Perennial ryegrasses mainly reproduce asexually through

daughter tillers which become separated from the parent tiller

and result in a new plant. Few new ryegrass plants emerge in

established pasture through seed germination under existing

management. For pastures to persist, each tiller must leave

behind at least one offspring.

The survival, size and number of tillers in a pasture depend on

the rate of new tillers appearing and old tillers dying. Plants will

respond to stress by stopping tiller production. Ryegrass pastures

can change between having many small tillers per m2, resulting

from frequent intense grazing, to fewer larger tillers per m2,

resulting from less frequent grazing. The resulting dry matter

(DM) production is similar in both pastures.

Grazing management also impacts on pasture production and

quality. Understanding the principles of grazing management for

optimal pasture growth and quality is required. These are briefly

summarised as the following general rules:

• Graze between the two and three leaf stage – at the three

leaf stage if short of feed and at the two leaf stage if there is

plenty of feed

• Graze to a consistent, even post-grazing residual of 3.5-

4cm height (1500-1600kg DM/ha, 7-8 clicks using the rising

platemeter [RPM] winter formula) to maximise pasture yield

and quality, and milk production. Lower residuals will reduce

pasture regrowth (except in winter). Higher residuals reduce

pasture quality for subsequent rotations.

The table on pg 24-25 defines current knowledge of seasonal grazing

management impacts on ryegrass persistence, for dairy farms with

perennial ryegrass and white clover pastures.

^ A large ungrazed ryegrass plant with four live tillers. One of

these tillers (inset) shows an elevated node. The growing point

is now above this node, indicating seed head development.

This growing point is normally close to ground level. Grazing or

cutting below the node causes this tiller to die. A replacement

tiller is required to keep tiller density.

r yegrass per s i s tence

Reproductive Node

If grazing below

this - growth

stops, tiller dies

1 - 4 live tillers

5 dead tiller

3

4

1

2

5

(cont'd pg 24)

dairynz.co.nz24

SeasonPasture response relevant to

ryegrass persistence

Good management:

improved persistence

Bad management:

reduced persistence

Recommended

rotation length

Recommended grazing residuals

(grazing residuals are expressed as height in clicks,

as measured by the rising plate meter)

SPRING:

September to November

Frequent grazing favours ryegrass tiller

initiation by:

• Preventing shading. Light encourages

initiation of tillers from buds at the base of

the plant

• Preventing establishment of weeds

• Reducing stem elongation as some tillers

become seed heads.

Consistent post-grazing residuals, with grazing timed

between the two to three leaf stage.

Lax or under-grazing.

Silage and hay crops too long. More than

4000kg DM/ha.

Insufficient (less than 26 days) recovery time

after cutting silage and hay.

Repeated grazing before the two leaf stage.

Pre-grazing levels regularly above

3000kg DM/ha.

16-26 days.

Graze closer to the

three leaf stage (26 days)

if higher growth rates

required to meet

cow demand.

Target is seven clicks (1500kg DM).

Achieve consistent grazing height at each

grazing event.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplement to maintain herd intake.

If more than nine clicks (1750kg DM), mow to a

lower height after grazing.

TRANSITION SPRING TO SUMMER:

November and December

Development of reproductive tillers and

flowering peaks (see photo pg 21).

Rates of tiller death and replacement peaks.

Soil seedbank: summer-active grass weed seeds

germinate and establish in pastures.

N fertiliser applied at 30kg N/ha after each grazing.

This helps development of new tillers and reduces tiller

population decline during summer.

Where a summer moisture deficit is likely, a lower

grazing frequency is needed to allow for slower leaf

development. A gradual reduction in grazing area per

day is needed. Achieve this without lowering the

grazing residual.

Grazing area offered per day on January 1:

approximately 80 percent of the area offered on

November 1. Change from a 20 to a 30 day rotation.

Supplements fed if changing rotation lowers grazing

residual below seven clicks. Alternatively, de-stock.

Grazing residuals more than the consistent

level previously determined in the spring.

This can elevate growing points,

potentially exposing them to grazing at

the next grazing (see photo pg 21).

Reduced height of grazing residual

compared with spring indicates

underfeeding occurring and a threat to

the growing points of existing and

developing tillers.

Grazing to a lower residual than the

previous grazing.

Shift from 20 towards

30 days.

No more than eight clicks (1600kg DM) on the

rising plate meter. Target is seven clicks

(1500kg DM).

Achievement of consistent grazing height at each

grazing is important.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplements to maintain herd intake.

SUMMER:

December to February

Increased temperature and lower soil moisture

means new ryegrass leaves take longer to

emerge after grazing.

The plants respond by producing smaller and

thinner leaves for moisture conservation.

Some plant roots die after grazing. Grazing

more often during droughts results in root death

and less root replacement.

Reduce grazing frequency allowing for slower

leaf emergence.

Prevent the herd grazing below the consistent grazing

residual, determined at previous grazings, by

using supplements or crops.

Repeated severe grazings, to residuals

below target.

Grazing prior to three leaf stage.

Long rotations that allow paspalum and

kikuyu to dominate.

25-32 days.

Disadvantages of longer

rotations are:

• They can allow the

summer grasses

to dominate

• Inability to achieve

target grazing residuals

if moisture is

not limiting.

No fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM).

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplements to maintain herd intake and

protect pasture.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM) and

insufficient supplement, stand cows off pasture

once they reach residual target.

AUTUMN:

March to May

With the removal of moisture stress, the autumn

is often the first period where ryegrass pastures

start recovering tiller density.

Feed supplements and keep a long rotation to allow

pasture recovery after a dry period.

Rotation length remains similar to or longer

than summer.

Allocating too much pasture area (fast

rotation) immediately after rain.

Frequent intense grazing before plants reach

the three leaf stage reduces recovery of tiller

numbers during autumn.

30-40 days March-April,

60 days May

No fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM).

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplements to maintain herd intake and

protect pasture.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM) and

insufficient supplement, stand cows off pasture.

r yegrass per s i s tence

Principles for increasing the persistence of new pastures: spring-autumn

25InsideDairy

SeasonPasture response relevant to

ryegrass persistence

Good management:

improved persistence

Bad management:

reduced persistence

Recommended

rotation length

Recommended grazing residuals

(grazing residuals are expressed as height in clicks,

as measured by the rising plate meter)

SPRING:

September to November

Frequent grazing favours ryegrass tiller

initiation by:

• Preventing shading. Light encourages

initiation of tillers from buds at the base of

the plant

• Preventing establishment of weeds

• Reducing stem elongation as some tillers

become seed heads.

Consistent post-grazing residuals, with grazing timed

between the two to three leaf stage.

Lax or under-grazing.

Silage and hay crops too long. More than

4000kg DM/ha.

Insufficient (less than 26 days) recovery time

after cutting silage and hay.

Repeated grazing before the two leaf stage.

Pre-grazing levels regularly above

3000kg DM/ha.

16-26 days.

Graze closer to the

three leaf stage (26 days)

if higher growth rates

required to meet

cow demand.

Target is seven clicks (1500kg DM).

Achieve consistent grazing height at each

grazing event.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplement to maintain herd intake.

If more than nine clicks (1750kg DM), mow to a

lower height after grazing.

TRANSITION SPRING TO SUMMER:

November and December

Development of reproductive tillers and

flowering peaks (see photo pg 21).

Rates of tiller death and replacement peaks.

Soil seedbank: summer-active grass weed seeds

germinate and establish in pastures.

N fertiliser applied at 30kg N/ha after each grazing.

This helps development of new tillers and reduces tiller

population decline during summer.

Where a summer moisture deficit is likely, a lower

grazing frequency is needed to allow for slower leaf

development. A gradual reduction in grazing area per

day is needed. Achieve this without lowering the

grazing residual.

Grazing area offered per day on January 1:

approximately 80 percent of the area offered on

November 1. Change from a 20 to a 30 day rotation.

Supplements fed if changing rotation lowers grazing

residual below seven clicks. Alternatively, de-stock.

Grazing residuals more than the consistent

level previously determined in the spring.

This can elevate growing points,

potentially exposing them to grazing at

the next grazing (see photo pg 21).

Reduced height of grazing residual

compared with spring indicates

underfeeding occurring and a threat to

the growing points of existing and

developing tillers.

Grazing to a lower residual than the

previous grazing.

Shift from 20 towards

30 days.

No more than eight clicks (1600kg DM) on the

rising plate meter. Target is seven clicks

(1500kg DM).

Achievement of consistent grazing height at each

grazing is important.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplements to maintain herd intake.

SUMMER:

December to February

Increased temperature and lower soil moisture

means new ryegrass leaves take longer to

emerge after grazing.

The plants respond by producing smaller and

thinner leaves for moisture conservation.

Some plant roots die after grazing. Grazing

more often during droughts results in root death

and less root replacement.

Reduce grazing frequency allowing for slower

leaf emergence.

Prevent the herd grazing below the consistent grazing

residual, determined at previous grazings, by

using supplements or crops.

Repeated severe grazings, to residuals

below target.

Grazing prior to three leaf stage.

Long rotations that allow paspalum and

kikuyu to dominate.

25-32 days.

Disadvantages of longer

rotations are:

• They can allow the

summer grasses

to dominate

• Inability to achieve

target grazing residuals

if moisture is

not limiting.

No fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM).

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplements to maintain herd intake and

protect pasture.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM) and

insufficient supplement, stand cows off pasture

once they reach residual target.

AUTUMN:

March to May

With the removal of moisture stress, the autumn

is often the first period where ryegrass pastures

start recovering tiller density.

Feed supplements and keep a long rotation to allow

pasture recovery after a dry period.

Rotation length remains similar to or longer

than summer.

Allocating too much pasture area (fast

rotation) immediately after rain.

Frequent intense grazing before plants reach

the three leaf stage reduces recovery of tiller

numbers during autumn.

30-40 days March-April,

60 days May

No fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM).

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM), feed

supplements to maintain herd intake and

protect pasture.

If fewer than seven clicks (1500kg DM) and

insufficient supplement, stand cows off pasture.

dairynz.co.nz26

ef f luent management

System design a new focus

Existing farms with old effluent systems are less common but

new effluent systems and products bring their own challenges.

Along with daily operation, the system’s design influences its

ability to manage effluent from the larger-scale dairy farms

found in the region.

Canterbury effluent extension specialist Jeremy Burgess says

improving compliance is a combination of the quality of systems

going in the ground and good management on-farm.

“Farmers as a whole have a good attitude to sustainable

farming and being environmentally responsible, but some can

be let down by the system installed. In saying that, even the best

systems also need to be operated appropriately. A well-designed

system can make day-to-day management much easier.”

Jeremy works closely with Canterbury-based effluent system

providers to encourage systems in line with the new Farm Dairy

Effluent Design Code of Practice and the Farm Dairy Effluent

Design Standards.

“Having standards for effluent systems helps reduce the level

of risk for farmers nationwide who are investing in new systems.

Accredited providers will do extensive design, documentation

and ground work before a system goes in the ground,” says

Jeremy. “They will also commission the system after installation

to ensure it operates as it was designed to.”

He believes the code and design standards, released earlier this

year, have already been hugely positive for the industry and will

provide farmers with increased peace of mind.

Canterbury working group

Jeremy is a member of the Canterbury Dairy Effluent Working

Group, which was formed in 2009 to help lift the levels of

compliance in the region.

The group’s members are involved in a range of initiatives

to lift compliance, including farmer events for effluent

management, effluent training and development of resources

for farmers.

Dairy companies Synlait, Westland Milk Products, NZ Dairies

and Fonterra, AgITO, SIDDC, Environment Canterbury and

DairyNZ are all group members.

When the working group was launched, following the season

to June 2008, 46 percent of farmer consent holders were

fully compliant with their effluent consent conditions with

Environment Canterbury. Thirty-four percent had minor non-

compliance and 20 percent significant non-compliance.

The 2010-11 Canterbury Region Dairy Report showed a much

improved situation with higher compliance, as 64.9 percent of

dairy farmers in the region were fully compliant, minor non-

compliance is 25.4 percent and significant non-compliance is

down to 9.7 percent.

“There is still room for improvement but it’s positive that

things are moving in the right direction.”

As a region Canterbury is unique, in that dairying is relatively

new to the area.

The following guides help take farmers through the process of

having a new system designed and built based on the

new code.

• Farm Dairy Effluent (FDE) Systems - Planning the right system

for your farm dairynz.co.nz/effluentcode

• How will the code and standards affect me?

dairynz.co.nz/effluentcode

The ‘IPENZ Practice Note 21: Farm dairy effluent pond design and

construction’ has been developed to provide industry

standards and guidance for the construction of new effluent

storage ponds.

The following guide goes through the process of having a new

pond designed and built based on the practice note.

• A farmer’s guide to building a new effluent storage pond

dairynz.co.nz/ponds

For general information on effluent management, visit

dairynz.co.nz/effluentmanagement

Effluent system resources

Regional indicators for nutrient management now available

Regional indicators of nutrient performance are now available

to help farmers identify areas to make efficiency gains by

lowering nutrient losses from the farm system.

Developed in a partnership between DairyNZ and FertResearch,

the indicators are specific to each of the 12 dairy regions defined

in the Overseer nutrient budgets model.

The indicators give a regional picture of nitrogen leaching,

nitrogen conversion efficiency and phosphorus loss to compare

your farm with others in the region.

DairyNZ developer – sustainability, Brigid Buckley, says having

indicators should open up areas to increase productivity and

profitability on farms.

“Knowing how much nitrogen is leached and phosphorus is

being lost from a farm system, and how the system responds to

reducing nutrient losses, will become an increasingly important

management skill for dairy farmers.”

Brigid says there are two good reasons to review the nitrogen

conversion efficiency, nitrogen leaching and phosphorus runoff

figures found in the farm nutrient budget.

“There’s increasing attention from regulators in this area of

dairy farming so we need to have practical farming strategies

to manage losses if or when that’s required,” says Brigid.

“At the same time we know many farmers have been able to

increase their profitability by becoming skilled at harnessing their

nutrients and sending them out the gate in milk.”

The indicators are available at dairynz.co.nz/

nutrientindicators and will be included in fertiliser company

nutrient management plans.

From December, DairyNZ farm systems discussion groups will

cover the indicators.

“At these groups, consulting officers will be encouraging you

to work through strategies that could lift farm performance with

your fertiliser representative and farm advisor, and record the

actions you plan to take in your nutrient management plan.”

Regional indicators

The regional indicators of nutrient performance are:

• Nitrogen conversion efficiency (%): an indication of a

farm’s efficiency at converting external nitrogen inputs,

such as supplementary feed and fertiliser, into nitrogen in

products such as milk and meat

• Nitrogen leaching (kg N/ha/year): an estimate of the

nitrogen lost (leached) in drainage water below the

plant’s root system

• Phosphorus loss (kg P/ha/year): an estimate of the

amount of phosphorus lost from the farm system via

surface runoff.

Regions

North Island

Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Central Plateau, East

Coast, Taranaki, Manawatu

South Island

Nelson, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago, Southland.

For more information visit dairynz.co.nz/nutrientindicators

27InsideDairy

nut r ient management

dairynz.co.nz28

dem fa rm prof i l e

‘If you aren’t measuring it, you can’t be managing it’Tauhara Moana Trust farm shifts its focus to data

DairyNZ has embarked on a new journey in the last 20 months,

helping develop the first Maori focus farm at the Tauhara Moana

Trust farm north of Taupo.

The lease farm was taken over by the Tauhara Moana Trust

two years ago, coinciding with DairyNZ looking to get involved

with Maori trust farms. An opportunity to work with the trust to

improve the farm’s productivity and profitability, while focusing

on the environment, was welcomed by DairyNZ.

DairyNZ Maori project manager Clinton Hemana believes it is

an important step forward for the 1.5 million hectares of Maori

land currently in New Zealand, centred mainly in the Bay of

Plenty, Rotorua, Central Plateau, Taupo and Taranaki areas.

Clinton says the farm’s big driver is collecting data, often

a difficult task on a large farm, to make better management

decisions.

“We do a weekly farm walk, after which the farm

management team get together and look at weather, pasture

and production data, and then make sensible decisions on

rotation length, pasture allocations and the use of supplements,”

says Clinton.

“The key focus of the farm is to promote data collection and

evidence-based decision-making with the philosophy ‘if you

aren’t measuring it, you can’t be managing it!’

“We are showing how a Maori trust can take the journey to

move towards best practice in a practical, economical approach.

Like most focus farms, DairyNZ’s influence has been to plan,

monitor and review, and illustrate the need and value of

gathering data and learn from it.

“We use best practice and other information from the DairyNZ

website. It’s a real working farm trying to show how best

practice adds to the bottom line in the end.”

The 600ha farm has a 1757 herd in a sensitive catchment near

the Waikato River, on sensitive pumice soils, and supplies Miraka

Ltd, a new entrant to the New Zealand dairy processing industry.

With so much vital new ground to cover, the farm was ideal

to monitor.

29InsideDairy

Clinton says in just one season, Tauhara Moana have seen

huge benefits from taking DairyNZ advice onboard. The support

from sponsors LIC, Miraka Ltd, BNZ, Ravensdown and RE:Gen

has also been vital to its success to date.

“The farm has gone from harvesting seven tonnes of pasture

to nearly 10 tonnes – so they’re harvesting more grass and

there are more efficiencies around the use of supplements,”

says Clinton. “In addition to this, better decisions were made at

drying off last season, so the cows have calved 0.5-1.0 condition

score higher this year.

“Reproduction was a real problem last year because the cows

were in a poor condition at mating and there are still a few

lingering issues, but by next season it should be a different story.

It’s a work in progress.”

With the farm walk information available on the DairyNZ

website and four field days annually, local farmers and rural

professionals are able to get involved and track the farm’s

progress against targets and how they are achieved.

Clinton says the field days attract an average turnout of 80-

100, with all sectors and industry stakeholders turning up to see

the farm’s progress.

The Tauhara Moana Trust supports the management team,

which works as an advisory committee to sharemilkers Olly and

Kim Gibberd.

Olly says so far the experience has been great, especially

working with the trust and learning to make more use of what

resources are available from within the industry.

He says the monitoring process has become natural and they

are enjoying everything they are learning.

“We’ve polished up our recording and people are reading the

information because they know it’s accurate and they have seen

how much the farm has changed,” says Olly.

“What it’s created is a discipline to know what’s happening

on the farm. You are forced to see the changes because of the

weekly farm walks and reports. We’re in regular contact with

the team from DairyNZ and they keep us up-to-date with all the

latest technology.”

Clinton says the farm has completed a few trials of crops,

grass species and pasture dry matter analysis, but have only

been going for 18 months, so no strong data is available

from trials yet.

> (Top) Left to right:

Trustees of the Tauhara Moana Trust farm - Karaitiana Rutene,

Jarrard Tahau, Metiria Rameka, Danny Loughlin and Topia

Rameka Snr.

> (Bottom) Tauhara Moana Farm milk harvester Lala'ai

TeFono (Saga).

cover fea ture

dairynz.co.nz30

BY FIRST ANDLASTNAME | Job title

dairynz.co.nz30

>>

>

>>

>

what’s not

dairynz.co.nz30

what’s hot

Didn’t tee up the relief milker in time for Christmas

Sunburn

Farmers share their sustainable stories on radio’s The Farming Show

NZ hosts

great Rugby

World Cup

Battling the Christmas crowds

Boxing Day cricket – India vs Australia

dairynz.co.nz30

newsin briefNAIT scheme progress

Good progress on the NAIT scheme continues ahead of the July 1,

2012, start date for cattle. The NAIT Bill has had its second reading

in Parliament and is expected to be passed into law early next year.

From early 2012, farmers and anyone else in charge of cattle will

be able to register themselves with NAIT and be ready when the

NAIT scheme becomes mandatory. For more information on this and

other NAIT developments, sign-up for updates at nait.co.nz.

This month, NAIT Ltd will be consulting with interested parties on

the proposed cost recovery system to pay for the scheme. Costs to

date have been shared by Government and NAIT Ltd’s shareholders –

Dairy NZ, Beef+LambNZ and Deer Industry New Zealand.

From July 1, 2012, pending the passage of the NAIT legislation, it

will be mandatory for anyone in charge of cattle to:

• tag young animals with NAIT-approved RFID ear tags

• get their NAIT number by registering themselves and their

property with NAIT

• register cattle with NAIT and record all movements of cattle

on and off their farm with NAIT, or contract a NAIT-accredited

organisation or entity to do this on their behalf.

Latest figures indicate approximately 4.5m cattle and deer have

been tagged with NAIT-approved radio frequency identification

device (RFID) ear tags. That equates to 40 percent of the

national herd.

Scholarships close

The closing date for DairyNZ scholarship applications is

December 7.

Introduced in 2001, DairyNZ Scholarships are awarded to

outstanding students with a particular interest in dairying, who are

undertaking an agriculture or agricultural-related degree at either

Lincoln or Massey Universities.

Scholarship winners are mentored and supported through

university and can expect to gain employment in a variety of

positions, either on-farm or in the support areas in dairying.

For more information visit dairynz.co.nz/scholarships

New DairyNZ regional team manager Craig McBeth is looking

forward to playing his part in supporting the dairy industry.

Craig, who is based in Hamilton, has more than 20 years’

experience in the rural banking sector, primarily with ASB. Most

recently, he was general manager of rural banking.

Craig, who is responsible for leading DairyNZ’s field team

of consulting officers and events management nationwide, is

enthusiastic about his new role which he took up in October.

“Dairying has been good to New Zealand. It’s a sector that

looks after a lot of people and if I can play my part in helping it

achieve success then that is the satisfying and challenging thing

to do.”

Over the last few months he has been visiting all nine regions

to meet his team and gain an understanding of the distinctive

needs of the farmers in each area. “Going out to the regions has

been a highlight so far and I look forward to working with the

DairyNZ regional teams as they support farmers.”

Craig completed a B.Agr.Sc at Massey University before

commencing his banking career with the Rural Bank in Te Kuiti

in 1986.

He’s delighted to be part of the DairyNZ team. “Through the

recruitment process I sought the opinions of a few key industry

people on their perception of DairyNZ. Without exception, the

feedback was highly positive.

“DairyNZ is seen as critical to the ongoing success of the New

Zealand dairy sector.”

Craig replaces Chris Murphy, who is taking up a senior team

role at Dairy Australia, where he will have responsibility for the

AUD$20 million portfolio of investment in farm productivity.

DairyNZ development and extension general manager, David

McCall, says Chris is returning to his home country. “This is a

great opportunity for him and we’ve been lucky to have him for

the period that we have. In the medium term, his taking this

position will be beneficial to our working relationship with Dairy

Australia,” says David.

“In his time with us, Chris has re-launched our regional team

following the blue print of the adoption strategy. He has got

good people in place in the regional team and he has established

good systems, processes and disciplines in our work and

regional planning.”

REGIONAL UPDATE

SOUTH WAIKATO

New arrival excited about dairy industry

31InsideDairy

South Waikato Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Wade Bell 027 285 9273

Te Awamutu John Vosper 027 475 0918

Otorohanga Sarah Dirks 021 770 859

South Waikato Amy Johnson 027 483 2205

New DairyNZ regional team manager Craig McBeth.

Now is a good time to carry out performance reviews for staff

members, says south Waikato regional leader Wade Bell.

“With some of the early season pressure behind us, taking

time to assess what has been going well and areas for further

development will improve job satisfaction and increase the

productivity of your team,” says Wade.

“It will also provide a forum to iron out any of the minor

problems you may not be aware of which can often be simple

to resolve.”

The DairyNZ website has information and templates to provide

assistance for farmers going through the performance review

process.

Visit dairynz.co.nz>staff>performance management

dairynz.co.nz32

North Waikato Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Duncan Smeaton 021 245 8055

South Auckland Sarah Payne 027 486 4344

Hamilton North Phil Irvine 027 483 9820

Matamata David Swney 027 474 3258

Paeroa/Te Aroha Wayne Berry 027 293 4401

Hauraki Plains Murray Perks 021 242 2127

NORTHLANDNORTH WAIKATO

BAY OF PLENTY

Farmers are reminded to spend some time preparing a summer

management plan to ensure the smooth running of their operations

over the next few months.

North Waikato consulting officer Dave Swney says this plan needs

to be reviewed and monitored weekly to be successful. “There are

some key factors that make for an effective plan,” says Dave.

“Ask yourself what you want included in the plan whether that is

a feed budget, N applications, rotation lengths or culling? When will

these actions be implemented?

“Monitor the plan as you go and make management changes

according to the timelines in your plan.”

For more information refer to the Dry Summer Management

Guide, Farmfact 1-31 – Summer Management Plan at dairynz.co.nz

or talk to your local consulting officer.

In early December, Northland farmers have the chance to learn

about techniques aimed at saving them time and money.

Milksmart workshops, aimed at improving the milk harvesting

efficiency on New Zealand dairy farms, are being held in Kerikeri

on December 6 and Ruatangata on December 7.

The events will cover cow behaviour and cow flow – looking at

the interaction between cows, people and infrastructure.

Lower Northland consulting officer James Muwunganirwa says

the workshops are aimed at the farm decision-makers and focus

on practical steps to improve efficiency.

“Even the small changes can add up to significant time savings

over the season,” say James.

To register visit dairynz.co.nz/milksmart

Farmers questions about effluent pond construction will be

answered at four events across the Bay of Plenty.

The Effluent Pond Design and Construction events are designed

to provide practical advice on the design, installation and

management of storage ponds.

Western Bay of Plenty consulting officer Wilma Foster says those

who attend will get an overview of how pond storage relates to

the whole farm system. The host farm will be used as an example.

“We are also connecting farmers with those that supply effluent

products and services so farmers know where they can get some

help if they need to upgrade their system,” says Wilma.

The events are in Te Puke on December 9, Rotorua on December

12, Whakatane on December 13 and Taupo on December 14.

For more information go to dairynz.co.nz/events

Northland Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Tafi Manjala 027 499 9021

Far North Gareth Baynham 027 442 0556

Lower Northland James Muwunganirwa 021 242 5719

Whangarei West Helen Moodie 021 816 365

Bay of Plenty/Coromandel Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Sharon Morrell 027 492 2907

Western Bay of Plenty Wilma Foster 021 246 2147

Whakatane Cameron Bierre 027 288 8238

Central Plateau Moana Puha 021 225 8345

REGIONAL UPDATE

dairynz.co.nz32

TARANAKI

Taranaki Consulting Officers

Regional Leader / North Taranaki

Jo Bishell 021 276 2395

South Taranaki Tessa Tate 021 246 5663

Coastal Taranaki Alicia Newport 021 276 5832

Central Taranaki Katrina Knowles 021 831 944

Taranaki regional leader Jo Bishell says farmers should ready

themselves for a dry summer. “It’s always good to be prepared,”

says Jo.

Discussion groups in December will focus on creating a dry

summer management plan.

“Basically it’s about having enough feed on hand to get you

through the summer. That means hitting certain targets such as

being on a 30 day round at the end of December and ensuring

known culls are disposed of,” says Jo.

“To ensure good grass growth through to January, apply

nitrogen, as it promotes vegetative tiller growth and ryegrass

persistence going into summer.”

Jo points farmers to the Dry Summer Management Guide and a

range of tools at dairynz.co.nz including the summer feed budget

and a range of Farmfacts.

33InsideDairy

TOP OF SOUTH ISLAND/WESTLANDLOWER NORTH ISLAND

SOUTHLAND/SOUTH OTAGO

Lower North Island consulting officer Sean McCarthy advises

farmers to consider the three ‘Ps’. “Review your profit, your people

and your pasture,” says Sean. “Look at your budget to see if you

are on-track to meeting your financial goals for the season.

“With your team, plan holidays and the roster through to the

end of January. With staff away, the workload can greatly increase

for those still on-farm, make sure this is managed carefully.

“Finally, maintain a consistent, even grazing height going

into summer, as pasture quality has a big impact on summer

production. Ensure clumps are grazed into and that residuals are

grazed to 3.5-4cm height.

“Previously laxly grazed paddocks will require topping to ensure

high quality feed is carried into the summer.”

For more information on summer management go to

dairynz.co.nz/seasonaldiary

Southland/South Otago Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Miranda Hunter 021 246 3166

South/West Otago Caroline Hadley 021 225 5187

Central/Western Southland Chris Crossley 021 223 7195

Central/Eastern Southland Richard Kyte 021 285 9843

Eastern/Southern Southland Nathan Nelson 021 225 6931

Top of South Island / Westland Consulting Officers

Nelson/Marlborough Stephen Arends 021 287 7057

West Coast Virginia Serra 021 932 515

With Christmas looming, farmers are reminded to take the time

to reflect on the year gone by and ensure that everyone on-farm

gets the chance to recharge their batteries during summer.

Ross Bishop, who is hosting DairyNZ discussion groups on the

West Coast, says it is important that everyone gets a break.

“Take the opportunity to talk to staff about their roster and

ensure everyone gets a chance to get away from the farm and

recharge. Now that half the season is behind us, it is also a good

time to do a bit of a health check on the business by reflecting on

the year-to-date,” says Ross.

Discussion groups in December will allow farmers to discuss how

their year has gone as well as the usual seasonal topics including

planting crops and pasture quality.

For event details go to dairynz.co.nz/events

Getting decisions right about how we manage our nutrients is

an important issue for Southland and Otago dairy farmers.

From December, farm systems discussion groups will cover the

Southland and Otago regional indicators for nutrient efficiency and

practical nutrient management strategies, says DairyNZ regional

leader Miranda Hunter.

“There’s been a lot made of the impact nitrogen and

phosphorus losses have on our waterways and some people have

proposed that regulations are put in place to reduce them.

“It makes sense to keep our nutrients in the root zone and

convert them into feed. We’ll be taking a farm systems approach

to assessing some strategies to optimise nutrient use and

reduce leaching.”

Lower North Island Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Scott Ridsdale 027 499 9020

Rangitikei Scott Ridsdale 027 499 9020

Wairarapa/Tararua Leo Hendrikse 021 286 4346

Hawke’s Bay/Northern Manawatu

Sean McCarthy 021 222 9023

Southern Manawatu/ Horowhenua

Abby Hull 021 244 3428

33InsideDairy

Canterbury/North Otago Consulting Officers

Regional Leader Virginia Serra 021 932 515

South Canterbury/North Otago Chrissy Williams 021 227 6476

Mid Canterbury Leighton Parker 021 287 7059

North Canterbury Kim Reid 021 246 2775

Eastern Canterbury Juliette Lee 021 323 834

CANTERBURY/NORTH OTAGO

The arrival of South Canterbury/North Otago consulting officer

Chrissy Williams has bolstered the regional team’s numbers.

She fills a new position created to cater to the increased demand

generated by new conversions and the expansion of the dairy

industry in the area.

Chrissy comes to DairyNZ from AgITO where she reviewed and

developed learning programmes, resources and assessments for

agricultural training. Prior to that, for nearly 10 years she was a

senior agricultural tutor for Agribusiness Training.

She has also farmed in South Canterbury for more than 10

years, first in sheep and beef before converting to dairy.

Canterbury/North Otago regional leader Virginia Serra says

Chrissy’s experience brings an excellent mix to the role of

consulting officer.

“Adding to this she lives locally in the Waimate area so she

knows the area and the local farming community,” says Virginia.

Caring for every drop

New technology is improving the way dairy farmers irrigate

Demand on water resources nationally and regionally is continuing to grow

Water efficient practices are more relevant than ever

The financial and farm incentives to use water effectively are significant.

Five dairy farmers have shared their stories about how they use water resources well, thanks to technology, innovation, management, investment and experience.Two industry specialists also discuss sustainable practices and the way forward for irrigation. See what they say at dairynz.co.nz/irrigation

Spread the word – we’re responsible with water –

encourage your mates to view the clips at dairynz.co.nz/irrigation