West Coast Monitor Farm

Westland has some unique challenges such as high rainfall and seasonal dry peroids which are variable across the region. Westland has now been collecting data for 10 years and continues to building on the information currently available.

This project funded by Westland Milk Products, DairyNZ, CRV Ambreed, ARL-Ravensdown and Rabobank aims to generate reliable pasture growth and quality, and soil temperature information, over the next 12 months, on two commercial dairy farms in Westland.

Farm walks schedule for this season are weekly from August to May, and monthly over the winter period.

Each week we will provide a Weekly Summary of information from the following regions:

Buller: Mawheraiti (Stu and Deb Bland), Westland: Kowhitirangi (Anna and Jeremy Hart).

Weekly Update as at week ending Wednesday 2 June 2021 

 CO Comment

With many having dried off or in the process of, now is the time to start reflecting on the season that has been. This will allow the focus to shift to planning for next season. Determining what worked well and planning to implement those things into next season will set the stage for a more efficient workplace. Also looking at what didn’t go so well can allow a plan to be made to avoid some of the pitfalls that may have been encountered this season.

Some elements are out of your control, but by focusing on what you can control, a plan can be made which will impact your business in a positive way.

Grazing management during winter is about transferring autumn and winter grown pasture into early spring to achieve target average pasture cover (APC) at calving and meet the feed requirements of the milking herd. Use the Spring Rotation Planner (SRP) to manage the transition from winter to spring and ensure appropriate covers are reached.

Moist, cool conditions mean tiller death is low. Winter is the time of year where grazing below 1500 kg DM/ha does not appear to damage ryegrass growth but grazing at high stock density on wet soils can reduce subsequent pasture production by up to 45% the following year.

Protect your soils and pasture over the winter/spring period by implementing your Winter Grazing Plan which will put you in the best place not only through spring but for the subsequent grazing rotations throughout next season.

 Farm Summary

NB: pasture quality data are for 1 sample collected from each farm.

Click here for the full weekly summary - 2 June 2021

 Previous Weekly Summaries

2021

 2020

2019

2018

2017

2016