Farmlands Plan 365 March 2015

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE NUTRITION FORAGE AND ARABLE HORTICULTURE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT DAIRY MANAGEMENT

Plan 365 is a technical guide aimed at helping shareholders learn about best practice and the latest advancements in rural technology.

Autumn supplementary feeding of dairy cows

Many dairy farmers will be questioning the level and type of supplementary feeding for dairy cows this autumn, despite the period being recognised as one of the most profitable for supplementary feeding.

The autumn is a key time for increasing days in-milk, maintaining milk production at an economic level and building up pasture covers. There are a number of options that can be used to put weight back on cows and increase body condition score. The herd can be dried off early to give the cows more time to gain weight but milk income decreases and cows still need to be fed. Whilst the dry period is important for the regeneration of the mammary gland, overseas surveys have suggested that too long, as well as too short dry periods, can have a negative effect on milk yield in the subsequent lactation. A better option may be to

split the herd in two and put the lighter herd onto supplementary feed to increase body condition score. This gives the option of preferentially feeding the lighter herd with more pelleted feed or grain in the shed and silage or straights, like palm kernel or soy hulls, in the paddock or on the feed pad. The lighter herd could be put on once-a-day milking if required. Dry cows need a lot more silage to gain weight compared to grain, so when feed-out losses are taken into account, it makes sense to use low-waste in-shed feeding systems to feed for production and weight gain whilst cows are milking, rather than supplement dry cows with silage for weight gain.

It was always considered difficult to feed cows over the winter to gain more than 0.5 BCS. However, feeding higher levels of winter forage crops is reportedly supporting gains up to 1.0 BCS over an 8 week winter

feeding period. Transitioning back to grass doesn’t appear to be a problem but I think more work is required to determine how cows, which have gained condition quickly in the winter, lose it in the spring. Last spring, some herds seemed to lose more condition than expected in early lactation, which may be a reflection of how well the cows were transitioned off fodder beet but may also be a reflection of how condition quickly gained might be more readily shed.

The higher protein and lower carbohydrate content in autumn grass is good for milk production but supports lower rates of weight gain than supplements rich in carbohydrates (e.g. maize silage, cereal silage, grain and grain based compound feeds). Compound feed offers a convenient, reliable way to increase energy intake throughout autumn, with the added bonus of major minerals like calcium (to help replenishment of bone reserves) and trace elements with the option to include magnesium oxide through a potentially climatically changeable period. For cows used to getting 2kg/ day in the milking shed, an extra 1kg/ cow/day over April and May should be sufficient to put nearly an extra 0.5 BCS on cows in late lactation, which tend to partition extra energy to weight gain rather than milk production.

Article supplied by Dr. Rob Derrick, Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

Dairy farmers embracing new feeding technology

With a Morrinsville dairy farm having broken the $100,000 a hectare barrier, it’s perhaps not surprising that a quiet technology revolution is occurring as dairy farmers adopt new feeding systems aimed at increasing production per cow, whilst reducing labour and mitigating risk. Individual cow feeding in the dairy shed, partially mixed diets (PMR) and total mixed diets (TMR) increase feeding options but require skills farmers seem keen to embrace.

Dry matter intake is the major limiting factor to increased milk production per cow on a pasture only system. It has been estimated that more than one third of all farm dairies now have in-shed feeding systems installed. At lower levels of feeding in the dairy (2-3kg), flat rate feeding from one silo will do a great job for most spring calving herds – especially if they can be managed as two herds. At higher levels of in-shed feeding, multiple silos and feed heads or compound feeds offer nutritional advantages over just grain and the ability to allocate feed appropriately to individual cows becomes more attractive. Innovations like silo fluidisers, to prevent bridging, are helping farmers feed straights in the dairy shed without resorting to hammering the silo every milking. Farmers globally regularly feed 6-8kg DM in the dairy shed with twice daily milked cows. Surveys suggest that about one quarter of in-shed systems in New Zealand can feed individual

amounts to individual cows according to milk production, breed, liveweight, stage of pregnancy or condition score and it probably won’t be that long before in-line milkfat and protein monitors are commonplace.

High feeding rates in the dairy shed can still leave a feed deficit during times of reduced pasture growth or for herds at higher stocking levels. Feeding forage in the paddock on the ground can be associated with unacceptable feed losses and pasture damage. Mobile troughs reduce feed losses but are still associated with some pasture damage and increased workload. Feed pads offer an opportunity to feed silages and straights with less waste, no pasture damage and if connected to effluent storage can improve nutrient recycling. Feed pads provide the ability to feed partially mixed diets – whereby silages and straights are mixed together in a reasonably homogenous manner – but grazed pasture still makes up a significant portion of the diet. Welldesigned feed pads give shy feeders that miss out on the best pasture the opportunity to top-up from the trough. Hybrid systems require proficiency and passion for both grassland management and supplementary feeding to a high level.

Increasingly, farmers are taking the feed pad idea a step further and building wintering barns, which double-up as feed pads – especially when the weather is bad. In fewer cases, cows

are being housed continuously in free stall cubicle barns and fed a total mixed ration without in-shed feeding. It is generally easier to balance TMR diets compared to PMR diets, because the vagary of the pasture quality and availability is removed.

Farmlands Nutrition is committed to helping shareholders meet the nutritional needs of their stock, irrespective of the level of technology and sophistication they wish to adopt.

Article supplied by Dr. Rob Derrick, Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

Alastair Robinson — a master of on-farm dairy nutrition

Canterbury dairy farmer Alastair Robinson knows that by understanding the feeds available and the nutritional requirements of his cows, combined with attention to detail and timely decision making, he can maximise both the productivity and profitability of his 800 in-milk cows.

Alastair is the fourth generation in the Robinson family on the 386 hectare farm just out of Rangiora. The farm also includes dairy support land used for making silage and rearing replacements and has grown in size over the generations. Alastair prides himself on his high yielding pedigree Holstein Friesian cows, which calve 10 months of the year. With the November herd test revealing an average of 2.24kg milksolids per day, with heifers doing up to an astounding 2.7kg milksolids per day and the top cow producing 61 litres of milk per day, Alastair is more than happy with the way his herd performs.

Alastair only changed to Farmlands Nutrition when his previous supplier stopped making dairy feed to concentrate on poultry in June 2013. When Farmlands Nutritionist Dr. Rob Derrick suggested he install a second feed silo at his new dairy shed to maximise the benefits from his feeding system, Alastair went ahead with Dr. Rob’s advice. He has been pleased with the flexibility and precision this system offers him. By closely

monitoring milk urea levels, Alastair has found that he can match protein supply to requirements and optimise both milk production and cow condition by changing to different customised formulations of Reliance Feed. With 800 cows typically in-milk hoping to produce more than 450,000kg milksolids this season, he calculates his winter premium and capacity adjustment for a flatter lactation curve was worth $290,000 last season, without taking into account the added 15 cents per milksolid for having a high protein/fat ratio.

When soy hulls became available ex Christchurch, Alastair was the first South Island shareholder to order a unit load, initially using it on the feed pad to extend diminishing silage stocks. Later he tried soy hulls in the dairy shed, finding that cows would eat 4-5kg pellets plus 4kg soya hulls during twice daily milking — and troughs are licked clean.

When seen on 11th December with Technical Product Manager Stacey Cosnett and Technical Feed Specialist Megan Hardy, Alastair confirmed he

was 29 percent up on milksolids for the season and 26 percent up for December and was currently running with a protein/fat ration of 0.94. Freshly calved cows are holding condition despite increased milk production, which Alastair partly attributes to using pre-calving pellets plus Bovatec to condition cows and reduce milk fever and partly to the soy hulls, which he thinks are increasing intakes without noticeably reducing pasture intake. The freshly calved cows are currently eating 4kg/day of a custom Dairy Performance and 4kg soy hulls. They are ruminating well and lameness problems have reduced. Alastair is using a combination of compound feeds and straights to optimise animal production and health. He knows his cows very well and is getting a lot of personal satisfaction from being able to feed them to their potential.

Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Farmlands Technical Product Manager.

Listening to the beet

Fibre is of key importance in the equine diet. Adequate fibre intake ensures maintenance of a healthy digestive system and reduces the risk of colic and gastric ulcers, as well as behavioural issues associated with a lack of fibre.

As a rule of thumb, the bare minimum fibre requirement for horse health is 1 percent of their body weight in hay/ chaff or pasture daily (in dry matter), however a minimum of 1.5 percent is more ideal. When horses are living out on adequate pasture, we can happily assume they are receiving this required intake. However, when they are boxed or yarded more attention needs to be paid to ensure fibre is provided through their supplementary feed. There is often a shortfall in fibre intake when horses are travelling and away competing during the season, with more time spent in yards and stables than usual.

Fibre can be added to the ration by incorporating a Dunstan Beet. Dunstan’s Beet Flakes are a premium, quick soaking fibre source and are known as ‘super fibres’, as they have a much higher calorie content than traditional fibre sources, with an energy level close to oats. Not only do Beets add additional fibre to the ration to assist with maintaining digestive health — aiding to reduce the incidence of colic and gastric ulcers — but they also provide more calories than most other fibre sources, which is great for weight gain.

Dunstan Beets are also naturally high in calcium, making them ideal for inclusion of high-grain diets to balance the calcium/phosphorus ratio.

Providing soaked Dunstan Beet also assists in increasing water intake. This is beneficial when horses are travelling away and water consumption may be compromised.

Dunstan Beets have many applications in equine diets and with two beet options (non-molassed Dunstan Betabeet and molassed Dunstan Sugarbeet), horse owners can choose the Dunstan Beet product that best suits the requirements of their individual equine.

The slow release of energy provided by Dunstan Beets make them a suitable option for horses with behavioural issues associated with high grain

diets — a portion of the grain can be substituted with this calorie-dense fibre source. For horse owners who wish to avoid any additional molasses in the ration and are looking for a super ‘cool’ calorie source, Dunstan Betabeet Flakes provides a nonmolassed, non-heating, rapid soaking beet flake, ready in 10 minutes. Dunstan Betabeet Flakes are also ideal for inclusion in rations of horses susceptible to laminitis or tying-up. Alternatively, for the very fussy eater, or those horses requiring more calories per kg from their beet, Dunstan Sugarbeet Flakes provide the ideal solution. With the added molasses in Dunstan Sugarbeet Flakes, the product is highly palatable and the increased calorie contribution is more fattening. Dunstan Sugarbeet Flakes are ready in 30 minutes after soaking.

For more information, talk to the friendly staff at your local Farmlands store today.

Are you and your stock ready?

OSPRI’s NAIT programme is nearing the end of its 3 year transition phase for cattle — but what does this mean? Here are some things you should know so you and your animals are ready for 1stJuly.

Why was there a transition phase?

The 3 year transition was set up as a grace period to allow farmers to register themselves in NAIT as PICAs (person in charge of animals) and also to get familiar with the programme’s requirements. Anyone who owns or looks after cattle should now have a NAIT account. The 3 year period has also provided time for people to get all their stock tagged and registered in NAIT and any that are unsuitable to tag have been able to go to meat processors untagged with the Impractical to Tag option.

What do you need to do by 1st July?

1. Tag all cattle

By 1st July 2015, all your cattle need to be tagged – this includes all cattle born before the NAIT programme became mandatory on 1st July 2012, even if they’re not leaving your property.

Exception: Calves only need to be tagged before they are 6 months old or before they leave your property – whichever comes first.

2. Register all cattle

Registering your animals is the next step after they’ve been tagged. It’s easy to forget but it’s a crucial step, as it activates the animal’s tag in the NAIT system and distinguishes tags sitting in the shed from tags that are actually in animals. This is

important for disease control. Registering your animals involves logging on to the NAIT system and telling NAIT what tags were put in animals and then entering some details about those animals.

What about Impractical to Tag animals?

If you have cattle that you consider too dangerous to tag, you still have a window of opportunity to send them to slaughter without NAIT tags, until 1st July. These animals must already have an old AHB bar-coded primary tag to be eligible for this option. An Impractical to Tag levy of $13 (excluding GST) will apply. This option will not be available after July. Of course, there will still be instances where animals lose tags and it’s not practical to re-tag them, so a new process to deal with this is being worked on.

Do you have any pending movements on your NAIT account?

Animals moving between two farms (anywhere except to sale yards or meat processors) are known as farm-to-farm movements. Whether you are the sender or the receiver of animals, you need to do something in NAIT – either record or confirm the movement.

What do I do if I am having trouble? OSPRI manages the NAIT programme and their contact centre staff are available to help with any of your NAIT questions on 0800 624 843.

There will also be NAIT workshops around the country soon, so keep an eye out for one near you. You’ll get training in a small group and some hands-on experience with the NAIT system. Article supplied by NAIT.

The leading edge in young stock worm management

Edge injection is now registered for sheep, as well as cattle. Edge is a combination injection containing the trusted active doramectin, together with the power of levamisole for enhanced protection. This market-first combination of actives effectively treats all important production-limiting worms including Cooperia, which has shown in New Zealand to be less susceptible to many commonly used drench families. With a dose rate specifically for accurate dosing in young stock, Edge injection provides combination efficacy against internal parasites for your young stock this summer.

Why use Edge injection?

• Treat cattle and sheep: multi-species use – avoid multiple drench purchases for cattle and sheep.

• Weather-proof: Impervious to the effect of weather, alleviating the concern of rainfall. Also eliminates the worry of other environmental factors such as dust, dirt or licking.

• Ease of administration: Quick administration with less volume to carry around.

• Accurate dose: Individual animal dosing at 1ml/20kg.

• Pharmokinetically superior: Peaks quickly to therapeutic level (head kill), with predictable and rapid excretion (less tail selection).

Registered pursuant of the ACVM Act 1997, No. A10696

EDGE INJECTION 500ML TWINPACK

• Combination injection for cattle and sheep.

• Effective against all important internal production limiting worms.

• Ideal for younger stock in autumn and spring.

Eon pour-on covers all bases

Treating adult lactating dairy cattle and beef cattle for parasites is all about improving production. Eon is a broad spectrum endectocide for dairy and beef cattle. It contains eprinomectin, a member of the macrocyclic lactone (ML) family. It delivers internal parasite control in one low volume application. Its convenient, broad-spectrum efficacy, nil withholding periods and wide safety margin make it a suitable product for parasite control in beef and dairy cattle.

• Contains the potent and trusted active ingredient eprinomectin.

• Nil milk withholding period.

• Nil meat withholding period.

• Nil bobby calf withholding period.

To drench or not to drench?

Under normal circumstances (good or normal nutrition levels, body condition scores and weather) adult cattle are able to cope with reasonable levels of internal parasites because of their immune system—although this can still come at a cost to production. However, under adverse conditions such as those currently being experienced (potential drought, lack of feed and stress), immunity to worms decreases and they can have a far greater impact on the animal. Controlling Ostertagia, the most damaging parasite, is especially important at this time. Coupled with this stress, the warm temperatures and autumn rain will allow optimal survival and development of worm larvae on pasture, so animals will readily get infected. Low pasture covers will ensure maximum exposure to larvae too.

Drenching stock 2-3 weeks after the rain will have several benefits.

• It will remove parasites before they have a chance to breed and lay down more eggs for late autumn/early winter, reducing re-infection levels.

• It will maximise efficiency in converting what precious feed there is into body condition, rather than have it wasted fighting a worm infection.

• Using a drench that lasts longer, such as Cydectin® Pour-On, will prevent new infections from establishing for even longer — up to 4-5 weeks after drenching, depending on the drench and worm species.

cows at or before drying off can help reduce the effects of parasitism over the months ahead and improve your returns. Published studies1 carried out on New Zealand farms using Cydectin PourOn have demonstrated milk production increases of around 4 percent, including one study conducted at dry-off. This equates to about $21/cow return2 — very cost-effective on an investment of only around $5/cow. Additional benefits of improved cow condition and shorter time to conception may also be seen.

Not all drenches are created equal — there are significant differences between them. You could be spending your hard earned money on a drench and not get the outcomes you expect. Cydectin®

for cattle and deer has the longest persistent activity claims in New Zealand, giving 35 days against the main production limiting parasites Ostertagia and 28 days against Trichostrongylus, the main production limiting parasites in adult dairy cattle. It has nil milk, meat and bobby calf withhold periods and also treats and controls lice.

Article supplied by Zoetis.

References:

1. A.W. Murphy; The effect of treatment with Moxidectin, a long acting endectocide, on milk production in lactating dairy cows. World Buiatrics Congress Sydney 1998.

2. Based on a payout of $4.70/kgMS.

Achieving a faster finish for lambs and grass-fed Wagyu cattle

Combining high octane hybrid ryegrass with chicory and clover is helping power up stock liveweight gains for an intensive sheep, beef, deer and cropping business in the Manawatu.

Link Farm began direct drilling Shogun hybrid ryegrass, with its specialist chicory/clover finishing pastures 3 years ago and now has approximately 150ha of the mix, with more to come.

Operations Manager and co-owner Scott Linklater says it has a good fit with his family’s focus on making the most of its land and livestock.

“Our aim is to have animals growing rapidly here year-round. We want the best performance from all our finishing stock and to ensure that we put a lot of emphasis on growing high quality feed.”

Link Farm totals 580ha over four properties and is a Beef+Lamb NZ demonstration farm. The livestock side of the business involves both breeding and finishing and includes what will soon be a stud Charollais flock of 800 ewes producing terminal sires for sale.

Both AI and embryo transfer are being used to build up purebred numbers, Scott says.

Finishing lambs are mostly grazed on ovation contracts, with numbers ranging from 4,000 last season to an expected 6,000-8,000 this season. Starting early with the first intake arriving in November means Link Farm will effectively be growing lambs for all but 1 month out of 12.

Both deer and Wagyu beef are finished for Firstlight. Scott says deer numbers will be up to around 800 this year, from 400 last year, while the family both breeds its own Wagyu from a small herd of 80 cows and buys in weaners to finish.

Supporting the system is a large area of cash and forage crop, including 100ha of process peas, 22ha fodder beet, 15ha kale and 40ha of rape.

While spring sown chicory and clover together creates high value summer grazing for lambs and cattle, adding short term ryegrass to the mix extends cool season feed production in line with

the family’s goal of growing plenty of quality feed year round, Scott says.

When Shogun became available 3 years ago, its very high dry matter yield and excellent animal performance made it a natural replacement for the ryegrass cultivar used previously and Scott says it’s a win-win on both fronts.

“It’s amazing how much it grows. We’re looking to get 3 to 4 years out of it and will definitely continue using it.”

He has also sown straight swards of Shogun ex cereal crops in autumn, using it as an opportunity to clean up any broadleaf weeds in the paddock before adding chicory and clover in spring.

Agriseeds Pasture Systems Manager, Graham Kerr says Link Farm is one of a growing number of properties that have incorporated Shogun into their system to push farm performance.

“The beauty of Shogun is that its outstanding combination of features offers lots of opportunity to do this. It has the rapid establishment of an Italian with exceptional total and cool season yield — and palatability and feed quality too. Harness these in a crop rotation – in this case under summer moist conditions, where it persists 3 to 5 years — and the level of liveweight gain it can produce is amazing.”

For further information, talk to one of the friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Agriseeds.

Autumn sown forage oats for winter feed

If potential winter feed deficits are becoming apparent, there are options that can be taken now (or soon) to fill this gap. Farmers need to choose their options carefully, because the dry and colder conditions in autumn can make results from autumn planting variable.

With rapid establishment in cool conditions, forage cereals are an ideal option for growing a large amount of high quality winter feed. Oats are the most common autumn sown forage cereal for a single winter grazing, producing between 5-8t/ha into the winter season.

Farmlands Ashburton shareholder

Richard Kennedy finds autumn sowing oats work well as part of his systems on his Mid Canterbury coastal dairy run-off lease block at Lowcliffe.

“Even with nothing flash or fancy, oats provide bulk feed quick. They are a great flexible option and have done well even in the drier paddocks.” Last summer and autumn was again dry — in previous years Richard has found even Italians sown early autumn just haven’t had the persistence or bulk of feed he would have liked, particularly in the dry coastal paddocks. Coronet forage oats were direct drilled in April at 120kg/ha, into a paddock of run-out Italian that had failed to persist. Even with frosts through winter, the Coronets held their quality well and were strip grazed by cows from early August.

Farmlands Technical Field Officer Keith Gundry, from Ashburton, says last year highlighted the benefit of sowing oats due to the cooler autumn weather. Rapes sown at a similar time just struggled but the Coronet oats had no issue and established extremely well. Compared to the option of Italians at Richard’s place, the oats produce more bulk, even in the dry paddock they were drilled into. In spring as the oats ran out, the paddock has successfully been stitched into with Italian ryegrass, chicory and clover for the summer. For many regions, March through to the beginning of April is still suitable for Italian and annual ryegrass plantings. But every day sowing is delayed after the end of February has a big influence on yield, with the loss of roughly 1 percent per day of the total production potential to 1st June. This is where the use of Milton or Coronet oats can

provide an early to mid-winter single graze forage of higher volumes than an Italian ryegrass from an equivalent sowing date.

Milton oats are faster to maturity than Coronet oats, providing higher levels of feed during early/mid-winter, compared to later winter high quality feed from Coronet oats. The different maturity times allows them to be used separately as a feed management tool, ensuring a high quality forage cereal feed throughout the winter period. Both varieties have excellent winter disease tolerance.

With the exception of sowing depth, the management of forage cereals is very similar to annual ryegrass management. Forage cereals should be sown at 2-3cm in depth (ryegrass 1-2cm depth), with a DAP type fertiliser. An application of 35 units of nitrogen per hectare should then be applied after sowing but avoided for later sowings. If grazing over the winter, graze the forage cereal as you would an annual ryegrass. As with other forage options, nitrate toxicity can occur on most grasses and crops that have high growth rates in autumn and winter. It is good practice to introduce animals gradually to crops, provide a low nitrogen supplementary feed (e.g. hay) and inspect animals daily. If you suspect nitrates may be high, please consult your local vet. For further information on cereal management, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer. Article supplied by Agricom.

Busy farm needs high quality pasture for long-term goal

A Woodbury farm is busy growing deer, sheep, beef cattle and service bulls as well as rearing calves, wintering dairy cows and growing cash forage crops. Under such intense grazing, there’s no room for a grass that’s going to “fall over”.

Perenniality is essential for their pasture, as well as quality, Alister Holmes says. He farms 560 hectares (530ha effective) with his wife Lyn, who is actively involved with the farm near Geraldine in South Canterbury.

For 4 years the couple have applied their knowledge and hard work to develop a multi-faceted farming system that makes the most of flat to rolling ‘summer safe’ country previously farmed by Alister’s parents for more than 30 years.

“We first tried Aber (high sugar ryegrass) in 2012, sown in February in lighter soil that can dry out and it grew really well through winter and into late autumn. It held its quality through a run of frosts, grew a lot of grass and the ewes and lambs did well on it, despite a lack of clover at that time,” Alister says. Farming for 15 years after graduating from Lincoln University with an agricultural science degree, he says the Aber High Sugar Grass (AberHSG) varieties grow deep roots and this is a trait that’s important to any grass grown for long-term results.

The diploid varieties AberDart and AberMagic have since been sown into 35 hectares and more will be sown as part of pasture renewal of 10 percent of the farm

each year, mostly where forage crops have been turned over for 2 or 3 years to break pest and weed cycles.

Timaru based Farmlands Technical Field Officer Dave Schrader had suggested AberHSG as the better option for the farm’s lighter and stony paddocks. It’s since proven itself on the clay-based downs as well.

“Alister wanted good perenniality, as well as the finishing quality you expect in a modern ryegrass and that’s what he’s seeing,” Dave says. He is known to clients for his concern for the long-term benefits – and for his voluntary work, recently ended, as a Duke of Edinburgh Awards Co-ordinator.

The Woodbury farm requires good quality pasture that will last for 10 years on the flat and 15 years on the downs (foot hills) within the sequence of paddocks for renewal.

“We want hardy perennials that can stand up to the grazing pressure, because our grazing residuals can be below 1,500 (kg dry matter per hectare), depending on the season and we need good recovery without losing quality," Alister says.

The flats are grazed in rotation behind electric fences where sheep follow cattle. Hereford and Angus steers and bulls are grown to 2 years and there are about 200 dairy bulls grown for service or beef, plus a 70-strong mob of beef cows prepping the paddocks, along with 25 first-calvers. Behind them is a flock of 2,200 Coopworth ewes lambing at 147 percent to produce 2,500 lambs for finishing –

and there’s deer, 150 red hinds, grown for venison.

“If there are any gaps to fill we can buy in cattle to finish.”

Alister intends for their long-term pasture to not only meet this grazing pressure but to improve the farm.

“We want to grow more dry matter. We are aiming for bigger ewes and we want to get more lambs away at weaning mid-December.

“If the Aber can do that and pull our mean lamb slaughter date forward 2 or 3 weeks to mid-March then it’s going to make our system a lot more flexible.”

Crops are integral to the feed plan, with kale grazed in the winter — some of it sold — as well as fodder beet for his own cattle, 4ha of swede to help lamb finishing and brassica crops.

For more information, please contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer.

Article supplied by NZ Seed Houses.

Growing more for less with SF Sultan

Farmers needing a reliable feed option that establishes quickly and offers sowing time flexibility should consider SF Sultan annual ryegrass from Seed Force.

Unlike the common varieties like Tama, SF Sultan is a diploid, meaning a smaller seed size and therefore more seeds per kilogram. This allows a significantly lower sowing rate can be used (18kg/ha compared with up to 30kg/ha for a tetraploid) while still providing abundant feed through the seasons.

At these recommended sowing rates the SF Sultan is providing up to 900 seeds per m2 compared with a tetraploid at around 600 seeds per m2 —that’s the equivalent of 9 million seeds per hectare versus 6 million. Even when taking into account expected losses at establishment, that is a real advantage for SF Sultan.

A key benefit of this higher plant population is its established plant density, which can ensure quick ground cover and help overcome potential weed burdens that the more open tetraploid varieties often have to contend with.

Hawera farmer Bruce Nickel rates the silage he cuts and the grazing he gets from Seed Force’s SF Sultan annual ryegrass as supreme.

The SF Sultan annual ryegrass fits in well with Bruce’s cropping operation, which grows wheat, barley, beans and corn, all for grain harvest, to

be sold to pig or dairy farmers as a ground finished product.

“When the grain crops come off, the SF Sultan goes in as winter feed for dairy grazers. We have about 800-1,000 head grazing each year,” Bruce says.

The dairy grazers are on for 8 weeks, fed on the SF Sultan silage and SF Sultan ryegrass paddocks, before the paddocks are shut up for silage prior to grain planting again.

“It (SF Sultan) is very, very good. It’s pretty hardy, good in the cold and doesn’t mind wet feet.”

If they get a bit of pugging after winter grazing, there is still time to re-drill SF Sultan and get a decent cut of silage prior to ploughing.

“The annual SF Sultan silage is second to none. It’s absolutely pristine and cows go berserk on it. It makes supreme silage. I’ve never seen anything like it – it’s just fantastic.”

SF Stellar perennial ryegrass is then used for the land going back into permanent pasture for 3 to 4 years, giving it a break from continuous cropping.

“It’s a nice dense crop, comes away evenly — it’s a very, very good grass crop,” Bruce says.

“I wouldn’t switch. There’s nothing that has surpassed it in the last 12 to 18 months and we have had a very good result.”

By choosing SF Sultan, you get a quality proprietary variety that has been extensively tested across the country, at a similar or lower per hectare cost to a common variety like Tama.

For more information, contact your local Farmlands representative.

Article supplied by Seed Force.

New grasses a step ahead

Two new Italian ryegrasses that will help farmers boost production are now available for the first time.

New Zealand has a good record of breeding Italian ryegrasses, which play an important role on most farms for production of one of the cheapest feeds possible.

To breed improvements takes a lot of effort and time. DLF Seeds has been breeding in New Zealand for improved Italian ryegrass performance for 9 years. The objectives in the breeding programme and testing were to develop a new cultivar with improved production in all seasons and the ability to produce for at least 2 years in favourable climates. Hundreds of crosses have been developed, each with the potential to be a good cultivar and are then extensively tested in production trials. Only if they perform equal to, or better than, the best cultivars do they move on for further testing.

Elizabeth Kitson is the Italian ryegrass breeder for DLF Seeds. “From all the crosses and testing, we eventually found two outstanding cultivars that were consistently excellent for production and summer survival. In one trial, the cultivar Mona was 35 percent more productive than the cultivar we were trying to better.”

Mona is a tetraploid Italian ryegrass with fast establishment and growth through winter and spring - but it also has an improved ability to survive moderate summers and grow for

another year. An added benefit of Mona is its very late heading date. This extends the period in spring when farmers can graze or cut very leafy and high quality forage by up to 1 month. Winter and early spring growth is not compromised by the late heading, as Mona is at least as productive as other cultivars in this period.

Some farmers prefer tetraploid over diploid Italian ryegrass because the larger seed gives faster establishment and feed quality is excellent. Others prefer diploid cultivars, which have a higher tiller density, so tend to be more tolerant of heavy grazing in wet conditions and better able to either survive summer, or grow longer into summer.

“Jackpot is the other Italian ryegrass we bred here,” Elizabeth says.

“Jackpot is a diploid and gives a farmer everything they need in an Italian ryegrass — high production and quality and the robustness to tolerate grazing in wet or drier conditions. It has a good tiller density — important for competing against weeds and for persistence.”

In all the testing that Mona and Jackpot have been involved in, they have never been beaten by other cultivars for total or seasonal production. This gives farmers the confidence to choose Mona or Jackpot, knowing they have made the best decision possible.

For more information, please contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer. Article supplied by DLF Seeds.

Protect your pasture investment with Poncho® seed treatment

Autumn 2015 has all the hallmarks of being another challenging season for pasture establishment. Mild winter conditions and a kind spring have created good conditions for pasture pests such as Argentine stem weevil, grass grub and black beetle to thrive.

In light of this threat, the advice coming from Bayer SeedGrowth Specialists

Colin Dunstan and Jeff Smith is that all pasture seed should be treated with an effective insecticide seed treatment and Poncho fits the bill.

Poncho is a proven seed treatment insecticide developed to help farmers get the most out of every hectare, by protecting newly sown grass to achieve optimal pasture establishment. Providing broad spectrum insect control, Poncho protects developing grass plants against Argentine stem weevil, black beetle and grass grub attack during establishment.

Each year both Colin and Jeff are

called to see paddocks where insects have devastated newly sown pasture, causing large financial losses. This is a message supported by Farmlands Technical Field Officer, Dave Schrader. Dave, who covers South Canterbury, also knows that many more farmers could reap large benefits if Poncho was more widely used.

Keen to find a way to communicate this message to shareholders, Dave approached Colin in spring 2013 and decided to conduct a number of practical paddock trials to demonstrate the benefits of Poncho. While several of the trials recorded large yield benefits one trial stands out, for both the visual and financial benefits seen.

The dry land paddock was located on the sheep and beef unit of Trevor Nicol at Maungati near Timaru and was sown with a mixture of fescue, red clover, white clover, chicory and plantain at a rate of 31kg/ha on 20th November 2013.

“It wasn’t long before we could see differences in the part of the paddock where Poncho had been applied,” Dave says. “These continued through to the time we conducted a manual rising plate meter comparison on 23rd January 2014, 64 days from sowing and just prior to the first grazing.”

The data collected was analysed using both the standard Sheep and Beef equation and the Dexel Dairy January equation. The results were impressive and ranged between 1,785-1,864kg/ ha depending upon the test used. At 20 cents per kg DM, this resulted in additional DM worth between $357–373/ha. “With results like these, it isn’t surprising that the farmers who conducted the trials have ordered seed treated with Poncho for autumn 2015,” Dave says.

These trials proved to be so useful that Farmlands and Bayer CropScience have agreed to repeat the exercise in 2015 with seven more trials. There will be two trials on the lower North Island, two in North Canterbury and one each in South Canterbury, Central Otago and Southland. The target is to have these trials underway by March 2015 and for the trials to be demonstrated and the data disseminated during 2015.

To find out more, talk to your friendly Farmlands team today.

Article supplied by Bayer.

Producing pastures that last

Pasture is generally regarded as the cheapest form of feed, so a poorperforming pasture is definitely a liability on your farm. Replacing these pastures can make a big difference but not everyone has the same success rate. However, there are a few key strategies that you can use to help you get a wellestablished, productive new pasture that will thrive for many seasons to come.

One step that is often overlooked during the resowing process is the use of a starter fertiliser. Using a starter fertiliser such as DAP (typically at 150-200kg/ha) at the time of sowing can make a big difference to your new pasture. Placed next to but not touching the seed, it provides the developing seedling with a good supply of phosphorus and nitrogen, which in turn means the young grass can establish well and out-compete any weeds that have escaped your spraying regime.

The additional cost of starter fertiliser can make some people reluctant to use it but it is a good investment, as it will help your pasture establish quickly and this will promote long-term pasture persistence.

Even if you use a starter fertiliser, you may notice your new pasture develops yellow leaf tips around 2 to 3 months after sowing. This may be a sign of nitrogen deficiency. Clover takes around 12 to 18 months before it reaches its full nitrogen-fixing potential. While it gets up to speed, nitrogen

applications are particularly useful. These should occur every 6 to 8 weeks, or after each grazing, at rates of 3040kg N/ha while conditions are suitable. Your overall aim is to encourage ryegrass tillering and clover growth so that plants are well grown and any weeds are shaded out.

Nitrogen applications can continue into late autumn and early winter while plants are still actively growing. To continue with applications, soil temperatures need to be more than 6°C and the ground should not be too wet. In autumn (March-April) you can expect responses in the range of 5-10kg DM/ kg N, while in early winter (May-June) you will get responses of around 4-8kg DM/kg N.

Autumn weather conditions can also be highly variable. If 5-10mm of rain is not guaranteed within 8 hours of a nitrogen application then you are better off using SustaiN, rather than urea. On average, SustaiN halves the amount of nitrogen lost to the atmosphere, compared to urea applied in the same conditions. Instead, this nitrogen is retained in the soil, where it may be used by plants. If you would like advice on a fertiliser programme to support the establishment of your new pasture, talk to your Farmlands or Ballance representative.

Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

Selective herbicide option for new pasture

Tribal® Gold has been developed specifically for New Zealand pastoral farmers and contains a unique co-formulation of MCPA, MCPB and flumetsulam. Paul Addison, Nufarm’s Technical Specialist, says Tribal Gold was created after the company noticed a common trend in weed species in pasture renewal programmes.

After 2 years of development and testing, Tribal Gold has shown excellent results and offers farmers a robust and simpler option for controlling broadleaf weeds in new pasture prior to the first grazing.

It’s different from other MCPA/MCPB combinations in this market because it has a wider weed spectrum. Thanks to the inclusion of flumetsulam, Tribal Gold kills a large number of additional seedling weeds that are not normally controlled by older mixed formulations. These include buttercup, chickweed, seedling cornbind, cleavers, spurrey and storksbill. Other species controlled include black nightshade, docks, fathen, hedge mustard, mayweed, mallow, plantain, redroot, shepherd’s purse, thistles, twin cress, willow weed and wireweed.

Tribal® Gold is also rainfast in 2 hours, which can make a big difference when farmers are trying to spray paddocks in changeable spring and autumn conditions. Recommended rates are 4-5L/ha.

To find out more, talk to your friendly Farmlands team today. Article supplied by Nufarm Limited.

Post-harvest management of Psa-V

Psa-V risk post-harvest

Autumn is a high-risk period for Psa-V in kiwifruit orchards, with cooler and wetter weather favouring infection and an abundance of wounds created during harvest and leaf-fall providing possible entry points for Psa-V. Around 300,000 to 500,000 fruit stalk scars per hectare are created at harvest and about 2.5 million leaf scars per hectare are created during leaf-fall. In addition, late flush growth and wounds due to frost and storms also exacerbate the risk of Psa-V infection post-harvest.

Psa-V infection that occurs postharvest may not be expressed visually until the following spring.

Why use Actigard post-harvest?

• In offshore trials, foliar application of

Actigard® to Hayward post-harvest (prior to leaf-fall) has been shown to reduce the level of Psa-V symptoms in the subsequent spring. New Zealand trials conducted on Gold3 vines have demonstrated a similar effect.

• Actigard® is a plant activator with a unique mode of action, which stimulates the natural self-defense system of plants via a response known as Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR).

• Foliar application of Actigard® is now fully approved for kiwifruit (pre-flower and post-harvest) to help growers manage Psa-V.

Post-harvest Psa-V programme

• Following harvest, the application of protectant sprays is recommended

to ensure fruit stalk scars, leaves and leaf scars are protected from Psa-V.

• Actigard® and copper may be applied together to provide a dual mode of action.

• Because it takes 4 to 7 days for Actigard® to fully activate the plant, the addition of copper is recommended if high risk weather is forecast within 7 days.

• Leaves need to be actively photosynthesising for Actigard® to be effective. Applications are likely to be less effective when leaf-fall or senescence has commenced.

• Apply 200g/ha of Actigard® as a dilute spray in conjunction with copper as soon as practical after harvest. Good coverage of leaves and fruit stalk/leaf scars is required to optimise efficacy.

• A second application of Actigard® (plus copper) can be made 21 days later if remaining leaves are still green.

• A maximum of four applications of Actigard® can be made per season (harvest to harvest).

For more information on the use of Actigard ® post-harvest, contact your Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor.

Article supplied by Actigard.

Farmlands Horticulture now offering wine production supplies

Ensuring shareholders have all they need to run a successful business is at the core of everything Farmlands does. That is why viticulturists and winemakers will be delighted at Farmlands’ entry into winery inputs.

Farmlands has answered a call from shareholders in the wine making industry and winemakers to bring competition to the winery production sector. This has created an opportunity to bring the carefully selected range from well-known Australian winery supply specialists, Vin Cru to the New Zealand market.

The range covers all the common inputs for wine production and an extensive range of incidental products, hand-

selected to make the winemakers’ hectic vintage just a little easier.

Farmlands National Horticulture Manager, Luke Hansen says for too long, choices have been limited in this area. With that in mind, Farmlands found someone with the expertise required to provide the technical advice that complements the new supplies in stock.

Mike Eaton joined Farmlands in May 2014, following 33 years in the wine industry. He is tasked with leading the establishment of a winery supplies segment within the Farmlands business. Mike says the aim is to provide proven, quality products shareholders can rely on, while also introducing genuine competition to the market.

“My aim personally is to imagine I am the winemaker in every transaction and ensure our service is as good as our product selection. What Farmlands will offer is quality, choice and value,” he says.

This “choice” is true to the roots of Farmlands Co-operative – providing competition, which in turn lowers the costs of everyday supplies needed to improve business. With the inclusion of cutting edge vineyard and winery supplies, sourced from international supply partners, Farmlands Horticulture ensures competition will continue, for the betterment of shareholders.

Article supplied by Farmlands Horticulture.

Farm Dairy Effluent systems –compliance and maintenance

As dairy farmers are starting to think about drying-off, now is the ideal time to check and maintain the Farm Dairy Effluent (FDE) system, to ensure it is compliant and ready for the next milking season. Things to consider include system operation, yard wash down and collection, effluent ponds and spreading systems.

The keys to a good maintenance programme include having a plan, setting a routine and ensure staff buyin. Post a “to do list’” and get sign off after task completion. Schedule regular professional servicing of equipment and list important contact numbers in the dairy, so these people can be contacted quickly, if machinery breaks down.

In the dairy, check for no run off of milk or effluent from tanker pad, or overflow of effluent from containment areas. Ensure effluent is not entering the dairy shed stormwater systems or ditches and no stormwater is entering the FDE system. All effluent is on sealed ground and no rubbish, e.g. tails, ear tags, syringes, etc. is entering FDE system.

Empty stone trap regularly and ensure efficient use of water for wash down.

Signs that you may have FDE storage pond leakage are wet, boggy spots and/or excessive pasture growth. Wet weather pond overflow may indicate the need to enlarge the pond to cope with extreme conditions or emergencies.

Regular pond checks include visual inspecting of pond walls and assessing the need for de-sludging. Control of weeds and woody vegetation around ponds is important for pond wall integrity. Surrounding fencing maintenance keeps the pond child-proof and prevents stock damage. Upkeep of adjacent drains prevents storm-water entering the pond. Ensure pumps, stirrers and pontoons and associated guide wires are maintained, serviced and correctly positioned, to maximise performance and avoid causing damage to the pond lining. Managing effluent applicant rates is paramount to the successful performance of an effluent travelling irrigator. The major compliance requirements for this type of effluent application include irrigate within a permitted area, no ponding or run-off to of effluent into waterways and no application onto wet soils.

Regular irrigator system checks and maintenance assists in meeting these requirements. Check irrigator for correct tyre pressure and general

signs of wear and tear. Regularly clean, grease moving parts and inspect nozzles for signs of stretching, splits or blockages. Check the delivery lines for cracks, leaks and regularly flush to clean pipes and nozzles. Assess the operating system – check set-up, travelling speed, auto stop is correct distance from waterways and cut-off system is working when the run is finished.

Operate during daylight hours for better monitoring and proactively check for ponding and run-off into drains. Use trough covers to prevent stock water contamination. Monitor application rates, nutrient analysis versus fertiliser plan and keep application records. Create a Compliance Checklist, train staff and manage to these requirements.

To find out more, talk to your friendly Farmlands team today. Article supplied by Iplex Pipelines.