Share Milker Praised for Attention to Detail With Pasture
NEW ZEALAND – A Kiwi tenant farmer has won best third pasture in Dairy New Zealand’s pasture renewal competition after recovering from an endophyte shortage.
3 April 2014
1 minute read
Gareth Beynon, who farms a 188 hectare, 700 cow farm near Whakatane, was met with a challenge when endophyte NEA2 was missing from the pasture.
The secret, according to Mr Beynon, was attention to detail: "One mistake can hurt the grass. Paying high attention to detail is really important. Watching for changes, clover growth, grazing - you don’t want to overgraze but you can’t undergraze the area either."
The pasture, which pleased Pasture Renewal Leadership Group judges, was sown in February 201 with a ryegrass – Bealey NEA2, (a tetraploid perennial).
Regularly irrigation and a weed spray shortly after germination kept weeds to a minimum. "Good pasture takes care of the weeds itself - they only become a problem when it opens up, and thanks to the irrigators that hasn’t really happened."
Using the Forage Value Index, he can see what cultivars should be most profitable in his region.
"It's interesting to compare what works for us with what the industry experts are saying,” adds Mr Beynon “At the end of the day you have to look at all the information that’s available to you and make your decision off that."
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