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.
Sugar in the ruminant diet
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for rumen microorganisms and consequently, are also indirectly the main source of energy for the host ruminant animal. Rumen microorganisms utilise carbohydrates and produce volatile fatty acids, which are then absorbed by the ruminant animal as a form of energy.
Sugar is one of the three types of carbohydrates. Sugar is classed as a “non-structural” carbohydrate and is the most soluble and readily fermentable of the carbohydrates. When comparing sugar to starch
(which is another readily fermentable carbohydrate), sugar is used up much faster by microorganisms and hence disappears from the rumen at a much faster rate. About 90 percent of the dry matter in molasses (which is high in sugar) will be fermented in the first hour following consumption, compared to about 20 percent of the dry matter of wheat in the same timeframe.
Adding sugar to a diet that is low in sugar can be beneficial, as if the rumen microorganisms do not have an adequate source of rapidly fermentable energy they may be functioning suboptimally, slowing digestion down. Adding sugar, for example from molasses (65 percent of dry matter is sugar) or carrots (30 percent of dry matter is sugar) to a silage based total mixed ration can help to increase dry matter intake. Anything we can do to improve the functionality of rumen microorganisms will be beneficial in terms of production responses, due to improved efficiency of digestion.
Sugar is present in pasture but in varying levels depending on the forage type and even the time of the day or season. Sugar levels rise in grass over the course of a day, due to increased photosynthetic activity of the plant during daylight hours. Similarly, grass tends to have a higher sugar content in spring compared to winter due to increased daylight hours and warmer weather increasing rates of photosynthesis. In a cold, wet spring or extended overcast periods, supplementing with sugar at that time will complement the low sugar grass
and may improve milk production and milk protein percentage, which could also have repercussions on fertility. Conserved feeds such as silage tend to have low sugar content, as the sugar that was in the forage at the time of harvesting has been used up by microorganisms during the ensiling process. Feeds such as molasses are high in sugar and can be useful to add to a ruminant’s diet if sugar is lacking, however they must be used with caution, as too much sugar entering the rumen at once can cause a decrease in rumen pH due to the rapidly fermenting nature of the sugar and acidosis can be a risk. Slug feeding of high sugar feeds is therefore not recommended and it is better to spread out supplementation of sugars over the course of a day to provide rumen microorganisms with a more levelled out supply of readily fermentable material. This is where starch can become important, as starchy feeds such as grain are naturally slower degrading feeds, so will provide fermentable energy to microorganisms in a more slow release way compared to sugar. Animals like sugar and they tend to select feeds higher in sugar if given the chance, due to the inherent drive to consume feeds that are higher in energy. By adding molasses to feeds, we can make them more appealing to animals.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.
My lifestyle block – Cheryl Ford and Geoff Chapman
A productive 8 hectare block in Canterbury is allowing a couple of dairy cow enthusiasts to keep doing what they enjoy and generate some income.
New Zealand Ayrshire show judge Cheryl Ford and her partner Geoff Chapman currently milk eight Ayrshire cows, including four first-time calvers but they still averaged 33 litres per cow at their peak in November last year. The Leeston herd is fully milk recorded with LIC – heifers are shown and sold at stud sales to farmers who value the breed’s milk production, temperament and ability to hold condition through the winter. Based on the milk recording, last season five cows averaged 7,025 litres each over 278 day lactations at 4.97 percent butterfat and 3.45 percent protein.
This year their milk has helped raise 80 Friesian calves and 10 crossbred beefies. The cows are milked in the farm’s original 4-aside milking shed and calves are reared in what was a wintering barn with cow stalls, which was built before the farm was subdivided and carried a larger
| Milking by machine is a gentle process that allows Cheryl time to spend with her cows.
town-supply herd. Calves are kept in individual pens for the first 2-3 weeks, initially fed milk through teats but later directly from buckets, which makes it very easy to spot if a calf is not thriving and assures individual attention. Most are sold at 100kg but 10 are taken through to killing weights within 18 months.
The farm grows a lot of grass but is not irrigated, Cheryl and Geoff will have silage made when there is a surplus and buy silage in to see them through the summer and winter. Cheryl feeds a high quality compound feed produced by Reliance Feeds but was also encouraged by Farmlands to use straights – especially soy hulls and soya bean meal. Soy hulls are very low in protein but high in digestible fibre and are useful to supplement high protein spring grass, whereas soya bean meal comes into its own when pasture protein levels fall in the summer.
Having two very different feeds available allows Cheryl to respond to changing pasture quality and individual cow performance very quickly. Both soya bean meal and soy hulls contain low levels of starch, so levels can be adjusted rapidly when required without fear of acidosis. Pre-calving pellets have helped the cows through calving and helped them to go straight onto the milking ration.
Cheryl and Geoff have made calf rearing work around their building and paddocks and are not afraid to do things differently to the norm. The Ayrshires continue to milk well into the autumn, which allows autumn born calves to be reared in addition to the main spring group. Calves are given hard feed through the winter – last winter they had soy hulls every day –to keep them growing on, so that beefies can be finished before their second winter and replacements are well grown.
Cheryl is convinced that there is no money in just maintaining animals and prefers to feed for growth.
Increasing muscle and topline in performance horses
Topline is a common term among most performance horse owners and riders – it refers to the degree of muscle definition along the horse’s neck, back and hind end. Depending on the discipline, the amount of topline holds varying degrees of importance, however achieving topline in all competing horses is one of the main goals. Nutrition and work are the two most important contributing factors to building topline and the numerous aspects of feeding and exercise management need to be considered carefully in order to achieve improvements in muscle definition in this area.
Often poor muscle definition can simply mean the horse is lacking in overall condition and requires more calories to gain weight. Increasing forage through additional hay or fibre products can help and lucerne hays or chaff products generally contain higher energy levels than grass or meadow forage types. Increasing hard feed and grain, or selecting a higher energy feed type can also assist in providing the additional calories required for weight gain. Fat in the form of oil or stabilised rice bran such as NRM Equi-Jewel plays an important role in conditioning and are great options for horses that have low tolerances to grains and can become hyperactive or experience muscle problems when excess grain is consumed. Arguably the most important nutrient for muscle development is protein. Amino acids, which make up proteins, are the basic building blocks of muscle. Horses must consume at least nine
essential amino acids in their diets and the remainder they can make on their own. Deficiencies in protein and certain amino acids can lead to a dull coat, brittle hooves and a rapid decline in muscle definition. The National Research Council recommends that minimum protein requirements for an average 500kg horse in moderate work are 768g per day, which can generally be met easily through feeding a diet of high quality forage and the correct amount of a balanced feed formulated for the work the horse is doing. Additional protein can be included in the diet through feeding a more concentrated feed if extra calories are needed as well, or topping up levels with a high-protein supplement like a balancer pellet, which is fed in small amounts and adds very little calories to the diet. While it is essential to meet protein requirements on a daily basis, it is important to consider that excess protein will not be utilised in the production of more muscle. Any protein not utilised is excreted through urine and providing protein in excess of requirements for an extended time period can increase water consumption and cause a smell of ammonia in the horse’s urine as the protein is excreted. When attempting to build topline, it is important to be cautious of the various nutritional supplements making claims regarding muscle building properties. Many will contain high levels of protein, which may not be necessary if the horse’s current diet contains sufficient amounts.
High fat supplements such as NRM Equi-Jewel are often more successful in improving condition and topline, especially when combined with work. For further assistance and advice on designing a diet for your individual horse to improve muscle and condition, consult a reputable Equine Nutrition Advisor.
Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutrition Technical Advisor, Farmlands Nutrition.
Balanced nutrient intakes support animal health and welfare
Although there are some differences in the ingredients humans and animals consume, ensuring nutrient intake is balanced is just as important for animals as it is for humans. And in the same way that the nutrient requirements of an adult woman differ from those of a teenage boy or an energetic toddler, the nutrient requirements of poultry vary depending on their age, breed, sex and stage of their productive cycle.
Like children, who should be given treats in moderation, it is particularly important that young growing poultry consume a balanced diet that provides sufficient protein, energy, vitamins and minerals to support rapid early growth.
A specially designed Chick Starter Crumble is ideal for this purpose. In the same way a pregnant woman requires a balanced diet with good quality protein to support the growth of her baby, a laying hen requires good quality protein to support egg production. When properly balanced, vegetable protein sources such as soybean and canola meal provide an excellent source of high quality protein, which can be used for egg production. One of the key differences between laying hens, pregnant women and most other poultry is their high requirement for calcium, which is used in the production of egg shells. Grains, oilseed meals and other plant material is generally too low in calcium to meet the demands of a
laying hen and so a source of calcium must be included in the feed she is offered. To maintain optimum bone health and shell quality, sufficient phosphorus and trace minerals must also be included in the diet.
Designed to provide the energy, protein and minerals required by a laying hen, FarmGate Chook Tucker also provides a rich blend of steam flaked grains and kibbled maize, meaning that you don’t have to worry about supplementing your hens with whole grains or other treats. Added molasses helps to limit dustiness and can help to improve feed intake. Providing ad lib access to feed will help to ensure that a laying hen can consume enough of the feed to meet her requirements and there are now many different feeders available on the market that allow you to offer your hens free access to feed without the risk of
the feed getting wet or eaten by wild birds. Some feeders are less well suited to textured feeds, so check with the Farmlands team if you are unsure about the suitability of your feeder. Always remember to make sure that your hens have access to clean, fresh water. When fed a balanced diet, well cared for laying hens will reward you with plenty of fresh eggs, a tasty and great source of protein for you and your family.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by FarmGate.
Weed control options to increase productivity of autumn sown pasture
In today’s farming environment, the short timeframe between pasture spray-out and drilling gives weeds the maximum opportunity to germinate and compete in new pasture. If this weed burden is not managed early, the time to first grazing can be delayed, compromising quality and quantity, along with the potential longevity of pasture.
New pasture often presents a wide spectrum of weeds, so more than one herbicide may offer the best results. With a proven track record over many years, Dow AgroSciences’ herbicides play an important role in successful new pasture establishment. Preside™ herbicide controls many of the common weeds encountered in newly sown young pasture, including spurrey, shepherd’s purse, black nightshade, amaranthus, fathen, buttercup, sorrel, oxeye daisy, stinking mayweed and field chickweed (a smothering weed that can quickly choke clovers and grasses in autumn). If thistles are present, Select™ herbicide can be added to Preside to broaden the spectrum of weeds controlled. Preside and Select herbicides are equally safe to both grass and clovers, so there is no check to rapid pasture establishment, even when they are used in combination. Uptake™ crop oil must always be added to Preside applications, even when tank-mixing with Select. Timing with both of the above herbicides is critical to achieve maximum results. Monitor newly sown
paddocks regularly. Application should be considered as soon as clovers are at the two true leaf stage and there is 50 percent ground cover (from foliage of pasture plants and weeds together). By this time seedling weeds will be readily identifiable, enabling you to choose the best herbicide or herbicide combination to use. As young seedlings, weeds will be at the ideal stage for maximum control and will be controlled before they compete with the new pasture. Preside is available in two pack options – the 256g pack of Preside contains 16 convenient water soluble sachets that are easy to mix and measure into the spray tank. A 256g pack will treat between 4 and 8.5 hectares, depending on rates required. A larger 500g pack is also available for contractors and larger users, which is loose packed and comes with a convenient measuring cylinder. Select is available in convenient 20L packs, which will treat 5 hectares.
Don’t leave your weed control measures to chance – when you weigh up the total cost of pasture renewal, early effective weed control is cheap and effective insurance.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Dow AgroSciences.
™ Preside, Select and Uptake are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences. Always refer to the product label before use.
Insect pest control in forage brassicas
Seed treatment insecticides can provide some early protection from insect pest damage and assist with forage brassica establishment. However, foliar insecticides may be required as soon as 2 to 3 weeks after sowing in some seasons if pest pressure is high.
Pest pressure can vary significantly from year to year, either because of cultural and environmental factors in the preceding season, or weather patterns in the current season. Insect damage can reduce forage brassica yields by over 3,000kg/ha of dry matter, costing growers over $500 per hectare in lost feed.
Nysius, leaf miner, cutworm and springtails are usually more of a problem in the spring, causing damage to young seedlings and impacting crop establishment. The caterpillars of diamondback moth, white butterfly and aphids tend to occur later in the season as temperatures begin to rise.
Agronomic practices that maintain good plant health can help compensate for minor crop damage caused by chewing insects. The decision to use insecticides will depend on pest pressure, yield potential and economics. It’s always easier to control insect pest early, when caterpillars are small and before aphid populations begin to explode, so regular crop monitoring is important.
Ampligo® insecticide is a good option where mixed pest populations are present. Ampligo is approved for the control of nysius, leaf miner, cutworm, soybean looper, aphids and the caterpillars of diamondback moth and white butterfly. It has a low use rate of just 100ml/ha and a relatively short 14 day withholding period when used in forage brassicas.
Ampligo controls insects via contact and ingestion activity, as well as having ovi-larvicidal, anti-feeding and repellent activity, which helps to prevent crop damage.
Key recommendations:
• Plant seed treated with an insecticide (such as Superstrike®).
• Assess the incidence of insect pests both before and after crop emergence.
• Monitor crops daily if seed is not treated, otherwise monitor weekly.
• Ampligo should be applied when insects or damage first appear, with a maximum of three applications per season.
• Apply in sufficient water to achieve thorough coverage and always add a non-ionic wetting agent.
• If both aphids and caterpillars are present, use Ampligo with the addition of Pirimor ® if aphid pressure is high and the crop is tall or dense.
• Drought stressed crops are more susceptible to insect pest damage and should be monitored at least weekly.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Syngenta.
| Aphid populations can explode if sprayed too late.
Proven, productive and persistent ryegrass
Fit for purpose and value are all important parameters for pastures in today’s modern farming environment. Together, they are key considerations when it comes to growing grass and feeding animals.
In today’s farming system we expect a lot from our pastures. With increased stocking rates, improved genetic merit in the national dairy herd and an increasing reliance on home grown feed, it’s no surprise that our pastures need to be robust feeding platforms. The ryegrass/white clover relationship needs to be carefully integrated and advice from your local Farmlands Technical Field Officer about endophyte and genetic choice is paramount.
Logan Quinn, who contract milks 215 cows on a spring calving platform not far from Paeroa on the Hauraki Plains, has been fast to adopt new technology and a large part of his 78 hectare platform is now made up of ONE50 perennial ryegrass. Over the years Logan has had very good success using ryegrasses with the AR37 endophyte, previously re-grassing with
Commando AR37 and over the last four seasons switching to ONE50 AR37 along with Mainstay and Tribute white clovers. Logan has been impressed by ONE50 AR37, which was recommended by his Farmlands Technical Field Officer Greg Willetts, as it stays green, persists and holds on well in a drought.
“The environment here is tough and we tend to struggle with pasture persistence. ONE50 has performed better than anything else I have tried,” Logan says. “I like that it bounces back quickly following grazing and the cows consistently milk well on it.”
ONE50 with AR37 combines an outstanding late-heading cultivar with the best novel endophyte available for perennial ryegrass insect protection. For this reason, Greg recommends it to a large number of his customers.
It’s not just Logan who is having success with ONE50 AR37 – it has been extensively trialled with multiple endophytes throughout New Zealand as part of the National Forage Variety Trials (NFVT). Since its first evaluation in the NFVT, it has
been in 19 trials with AR1 endophyte and 22 trials with AR37 endophyte, with each trial run for 3 years.
The dry matter production information generated through the NFVT system contributes to the Dairy NZ Forage Value Index (FVI) and through this, the yield differences between ONE50 AR37 and ONE50 AR1 can be converted into economic values.
ONE50 AR37 has a five star rating compared to the same cultivar with AR1, which has a three star rating. This difference in star rating reflects a predicted economic difference. That financial advantage between ONE50 with AR1 or AR37 could be as much as $402.00/hectare (Upper North Island).
ONE50 is a diploid cultivar made up of a cross of elite genetics including north-west Spanish material and plants screened in Northland and has very good persistence and tolerance to dry and hot summers. With a late heading date (+20 days), ONE50 AR37 is ideal for farm systems where high production and improved late spring feed quality are important, providing excellent spring production and summer leafiness. It also has a high tolerance to rust, which is important in regions prone to ryegrass rust. ONE50 AR37 is the late-heading ryegrass and endophyte of choice for many farmers.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agricom.
| Farmlands Technical Field Officer Greg Willetts and farmer Logan Quinn.
Being savvy on the milking platform
Andrew and Rebecca Parker of Atiamuri Farm near Rotorua have embarked on a transformational journey over the last few years. Milking 960 cows through a rotary shed, they know the importance of home grown feed and do all they can to maximise it.
Since the drought of 2008, Andrew and Rebecca have done a lot of pasture renewal and have used a number of different species and ryegrass options. When they were planting perennial ryegrass alone on lighter soils, the plants just struggled in the dry and never produced enough dry matter when they needed the feed. Over the last 5 years, the Parkers have taken their business from strength to strength by significantly reducing the amount of brought-in feed and having a strong emphasis on growing as much home grown feed as possible, along with increasing the total tonnage of dry matter grown per hectare.
Following advice from their Farmlands Technical Field Officer Bruce Hemingway, they decided to use Savvy cocksfoot in their pasture mixes. Savvy cocksfoot is a new generation cocksfoot bred for softer leaves, higher palatability and improved disease tolerance. As a species it is very drought tolerant and responsive to nitrogen, consistently out-yielding perennial ryegrass in many northern environments.
“For the last three seasons we have been mixing Savvy cocksfoot with ONE50 AR37 + white clovers. I’ve
been really impressed with the grass combination – the Savvy goes well in dry and it’s really responsive to nitrogen,” Andrew says.
Recent droughts and more frequent dry summers have made many farmers question whether ryegrass is the best grass species for their region. Whether it is dairy farms in the Waikato, sheep farms in the King Country or beef finishers in Northland, recent seasons have raised issues about the persistence and production of ryegrass alone.
The end result is that we import less feed and grow more at home. “
“We haven’t had to change our farm system to benefit from using Savvy, which has made adding it really
easy,” Andrew says. “The end result is that we import less feed and grow more at home.”
There are several ways of incorporating Savvy into a farm system. As a sole species mixed with legumes, Savvy will provide valuable dry matter – this use is particularly suited to dryland dairy or intensive beef finishing. In pasture mixes Savvy will improve the robustness and persistence of the mix, particularly in dry conditions – and under irrigation Savvy has outstanding yield potential.
The use of Savvy could reduce pasture renewal costs (less area) if it is used in pasture mixes. This is because the plants persist very well and may extend the life of an otherwise pure ryegrass/ white clover pasture.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agricom.
Andrew and Rebecca Parker with Bailey and Mia (front) along with Farmlands Technical Field Officer Bruce Hemingway (back centre).
Effective removal of persistent weeds in the pasture renewal cycle
Annual ryegrass in the pasture renewal cycle creates a great opportunity for farmers to clean up dirty paddocks where deep rooted perennial weeds have become seemingly impossible to control.
A proven strategy for astute farmers is to build a cropping programme around pasture renewal. The decision to renew a pasture is triggered when pasture production drops significantly, usually as a result of heavy infestations of deep rooted perennial weeds that have been unsuccessfully controlled by “clover friendly” herbicides. The economic benefit of spraying out underperforming pastures and replacing them with new, high performing varieties is usually far greater than the decision to persist with an old, underperforming pasture. The cropping phase of a pasture renewal programme creates a rare opportunity to achieve long-term control of hard to kill weeds such as Californian thistle, dock and in more recent years, oxeye daisy – which are often not well controlled by “clover safe” pasture herbicides, so it’s a great opportunity to get on top of them. However, until recently there have been limited options to gain reliable control of these deep rooted perennial weeds
that most “clover friendly” herbicides leave behind.
While glyphosate is very effective against grasses, broadleaf weeds are not so well controlled by glyphosate alone. Various broadleaf herbicides and adjuvants are often added to glyphosate to improve broadleaf weed control but deep rooted perennial broadleaf weeds such as docks, Californian thistle and oxeye daisy often re-grow because their root systems are not totally killed. As a consequence while control might look good 2 or 3 weeks after a spray application, a short time later these weeds re-emerge having re-grown from live root remnants. If these deep rooted perennial broadleaf weeds are not well controlled in the cropping phase of the pasture renewal cycle they quickly become an issue and very little is gained. Due to its ability to readily move through the sap stream and completely kill the root system, aminopyralid, a unique active ingredient in T-Max, has proven to be highly effective in controlling deep rooted perennial broadleaf weeds. A new registration for T-Max allows tank mixing with glyphosate at sprayout, prior to sowing annual ryegrass.
T-Max is proven to destroy the entire root system and prevent re-growth and is therefore a useful tool in the pasture renewal cycle.
If sowing a straight annual ryegrass this autumn, T-Max herbicide mixed with glyphosate at spray-out is the most effective way to break the perennial broadleaf weed cycle and get high level control of these hard to kill weeds prior to sowing. While ryegrass can be sown straight after T-Max in a spray-out application, it is recommended to wait at least 6 months before re-establishing clover. Tank mixing T-Max with glyphosate prior to sowing annual grass in autumn provides a perfect buffer to ensure good clover establishment the following season. Effective control of deep rooted perennial weeds at spray-out means no residual live root chips in the ground to regenerate when you return to permanent pasture the following season.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Dow AgroSciences.
Two ways to improve your autumn spray-out
The stage is set for autumn pasture sowing but many farmers still don’t get the best results and you might be one of them. The good news? It’s easy to fix this situation by adopting some agronomically sound principles.
That’s the advice from veteran pastoral farming specialist Graeme Dale, who says preventing two mistakes commonly made on-farm at this time of year can quickly pay off.
“The first thing is to check if you need a companion herbicide with your glyphosate for spraying out prior to sowing. The second is to use the right rates of glyphosate. If you tick those boxes, you will have avoided two very typical pitfalls in autumn sowing.”
Graeme, the Waikato, King Country and Taranaki Territory Manager for Nufarm, says tank mixing companion herbicides like Nail® EC with WeedMaster® TS540 provides control of more weeds before sowing new pasture than if they use glyphosate alone.
“There are some weeds that the glyphosate molecule does not control, which you definitely do not want in your new grass. They’re not always present but if you miss them now, you miss your last chance to get rid of them.”
This is more important where farmers don’t cultivate before sowing.
“Cultivation will hide a multitude of sins!
In no-till situations there isn’t a set of discs or a plough to hide behind. You’re totally reliant on the spray programme to get rid of all the weeds. Whatever is green in that paddock after sprayout is a weed and it will compete with whatever you plant, so the spray-out has to be 100 percent effective.”
Graeme says ex-summer crop paddocks need special attention. Sometimes when these are established in spring, there has been a less than ideal spray-out because of plant back and soil residue considerations.
“These paddocks are usually full of weeds in the first place, which is why they were cropped and they may have come through summer with many of those weeds still present, because a lot of them weren’t actively growing when they were sprayed out in the spring.
“In autumn, however, you can use a number of companion herbicide options that you can’t use in spring and you can deal with those weeds in a big way.”
Graeme says farmers should make no assumptions about paddocks that are going into autumn planted perennial pasture until they’ve checked to identify different weed species. Then it’s a case of selecting the right companion herbicide, if required. Nail EC, for example, provides control of some broadleaf weed species for which glyphosate alone is not always
enough, particularly creeping mallow, seedling storksbill and nettles. Sero™ WG is also useful.
In all cases, using the right rate of WeedMaster TS540 is critical, Graeme says. “If the label rate is 3-4L/ha, in a no-till situation always use the maximum rate. Pulse Penetrant is also a must.”
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Nufarm.
WeedMaster and Nail are registered trademarks of Nufarm Ltd. Pulse is a registered trademark of Nufarm Technologies Ltd. Sero is a trademark of Nufarm Ltd.
Super clover offers multiple benefits to farmers
A one of a kind white clover offering multiple benefits to farmers is spreading across New Zealand. White clover plays an essential role in New Zealand agriculture, producing plant-available nitrogen and driving the competitive advantage for a range of the country’s farming systems. Sarah Bennett, Product Development Agronomist for Aber, says that it is the most widely used pasture legume in New Zealand.
The unique super clover, called AberLasting, is a successful hybrid of white and Caucasian clover and was developed by the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University in Wales.
“Aber is bringing a whole new twist to the white clover game, with AberLasting providing farmers with the benefits of both white clover and Caucasian clover.”
While AberLasting has the above ground appearance of a small to medium leaf white clover, it has a much more developed rooting capability than traditional white clover.
The combination of white clover growth attributes with the Caucasian clover root system gives AberLasting increased drought tolerance, allowing the plant to maintain leaf water content for much longer. Other benefits include greater persistence, thanks to the root system. While Caucasian clover typically takes 3 years to become fully established, AberLasting inherits the fast establishment of its white clover parentage.
AberLasting also offers excellent cold tolerance, faster recovery from grazing, nitrogen fixation comparable with white clover and tolerance to clover root weevil.
“AberLasting really is a unique, one of a kind product, which every farmer in New Zealand should have in their paddocks,” Sarah says.
Other products in the Aber clover range that complement AberLasting include AberDance and AberNormous.
AberDance is a medium leaf white clover that provides flexibility across farming systems and delivers versatility for a variety of grazing managements. AberNormous is a large leaf white clover which, with its upright nature and increased leaf area, provides more clover per bite for cattle and increased clover yield for silage production. Aber clovers are bred in a programme that matches real agricultural systems and are tested under those conditions. They have been well-established with the Aber High Sugar Grass varieties, increasing the clovers’ tolerance to more densely tillered grasses.
Farmlands Agronomist, Dave Schrader, has been impressed with the AberLasting clover. The attributes of clover root weevil tolerance, dry season tolerance and extended plant life appear to be backed up in the field. “Since recommending that Farmlands shareholders include at least some AberLasting with the white clover component of their pasture mix, we have seen this hybrid clover establish and maintain populations under clover root weevil pressure and through the last two summers, which have been very dry in the South Canterbury region,” Dave says. “The plants look strong and capable of surviving longer than the traditional 1.5 to 2.5 years that a white clover plant normally achieves. I have had no negative feedback regarding AberLasting through the last few years during the highest levels of clover root weevil we will experience.”
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Aber.
Remove tough broadleaf weeds before you sow this autumn
Good weed control before you sow your autumn pasture is essential to maximise yield and persistency. Unfortunately many opportunities are missed when spraying out old paddocks, as the common thought is “glyphosate will control all the weeds in that paddock”. This is not always true – and the last thing you want to see coming through in your new grass is unwanted weeds.
It is important to take the opportunity to remove these difficult weeds before sowing new pasture, as the extra investment is negligible compared to the cost of controlling difficult weeds post-emergence and the subsequent loss of production.
So this autumn before establishing new pastures, ensure you add DuPont Granstar® 75DF or Harmony® 50SG to your glyphosate (and penetrant) to
improve the control of unwanted weeds such as old man docks, buttercup, yarrow, thistles, clover and many other broadleaf weeds.
To improve broadleaf weed control, it is important to note the following:
• Let the paddock freshen up after grazing and ensure there is good leaf area and actively growing plants to maximise uptake.
• Leave the paddock for 3 (Granstar) to 7 (Harmony) days after spraying before grazing or cultivation.
• Ensure you leave a plant back period of 14 days between spraying out and sowing your new pasture.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by DuPont.
The above photo is a farmer assessment comparing Granstar and glyphosate (right) versus glyphosate only (left), 26 days after spray-out. The weeds still present in the glyphosate only treatment were fathen, thistles, shepherd’s purse and clover.
Lose less heat, gain more feed energy
Maize silage contains a high concentration of starch and sugars. This makes it more prone to heating when the stack or bunker is opened at feed-out time. When silage heats it loses valuable nutrients, which could have been used by the cow to produce milk. A paper presented at the New Zealand Grasslands Association conference1, compared the aerobic stability of eight different maize silages inoculated with three commercially available silage inoculants.
Pioneer® brand 11C33 inoculated silage stayed cooler 55.5 hours longer than the untreated control. There was no significant difference between silage treated with other products and the untreated control.
When you apply Pioneer brand inoculant, millions of the right bacteria are distributed through the crop. They control the fermentation, which results in decreased dry matter and energy losses in the silage stack, reduced heating at feed-out time, maintaining valuable feed energy, more milk or
more meat per tonne of silage fed and higher returns from your silage.
This season, Pioneer brand 1132 gives more than $8.00 return for every dollar invested2 There are not too many farm inputs that deliver that level of financial return.
Farmlands Technical Field Officer, Peter Smart, recognises the time and effort his farmers needed to produce a high yielding maize crop. He doesn’t want this undone by completing the process, so advises his clients to use inoculants but also highlights the importance of the correct inoculant for their feeding programme to avoid poor quality silage.
tested according to scientific protocols and extensive local technical back-up.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
When considering inoculants, it’s important to use an inoculant that has been tested and proven to be effective. Pioneer brand inoculants offer New Zealand farmers a complete package of key benefits including guaranteed bacterial levels on the label of every bottle, trials where the product has been
Article supplied by Pioneer brand products. 1 Kleinmans et al, 2011. Using silage inoculants to improve the quality of pasture and maize silage in New Zealand. Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association 73: 75-80.
2 Returns calculated using dry matter recovery data from Pioneer trials, Washington State University dairy trial milk production results and a milksolids pay-out of $6.00 per kgMS.
Manage velvetleaf before it becomes a serious problem
Farmers are reminded to be vigilant and deal to velvetleaf this summer before it takes a hold.
Velvetleaf is an aggressive weed that, within a few years, can completely overrun an area if left uncontrolled.
The pest weed entered New Zealand in contaminated fodder beet seed in 2015 and since plants were found in early 2016, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), regional councils and primary sector industry partners, including Farmlands, have been working to help farmers control it. Velvetleaf is a serious cropping weed, potentially affecting many arable crops by competing for nutrients, space and water.
MPI’s Response Incident
Controller David Yard says the concerning thing about the weed is its potential for spread.
“What can be a small problem of a few plants in the first season quickly becomes a much bigger problem in subsequent seasons.
“We encourage farmers, especially those who have planted fodder beet, to search their property for velvetleaf.
“If you find plants, remove them and safely destroy them by deep burial, for example in the farm offal pit,” David says.
He says ideally, pull out plants before they flower and especially before they set seed.
“Where plants are flowering or seeding, tie a plastic bag over flowers/ seedheads, bend in half (so seed
is contained inside the bag), pull out and safely dispose of by deep burial.”
David says any finds, even if they’ve been reported before, should be reported to MPI’s freephone 0800 809 966. Through this line, help and advice will be given for managing the situation.
MPI also encourages farmers and rural contractors to clean equipment before it’s moved between properties to contain spread of the weed. The weed can be spread in soil on equipment and also by stock movements.
Full information to help identify plants
and contain spread is available at www.mpi.govt.nz/alerts
The Ministry has funded regional councils to help farmers develop farm management plans for those properties where velvetleaf has been found and also for those high-risk properties that are known to have planted potentially contaminated fodder beet seed.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Don’t take chances with autumn pasture establishment
Farmlands Senior Technical Field Officer, Bruce Hemingway, has a simple philosophy about seed treatment – “I wouldn’t sell any seed without it”.
Based in South Waikato and looking after clients from Tirau down to Taupo, the seasoned Technical Field Officer says no matter what the situation, he never sells bare pasture seed. “I might get one guy a year who says do I really need it? But when you explain it to them, there’s no argument. They don’t want to take a risk they can avoid and enough of them have been stung by insects or other problems in the past to know it can happen.” Bruce says that the cost of seed treatment is minor in the overall scheme of things.
“For a start, you’ve got to look at the price of a kg of grass seed over the lifetime of the pasture. It’s pretty cheap for what you get. Seed treatment is just a small percentage of that price. And it costs just the same in paddock
preparation and inputs to sow treated vs untreated seed, so you might as well do it properly.”
Bruce says there’s another good reason to use seed treatment – “the more you can do to help the plant, the better for pasture persistence and that includes from underground to emergence to above ground.”
Agricote Grass seed treatment includes fungicide and insecticide to protect grass seedlings during the critical phase of early establishment.
It is particularly critical in four situations – where pasture renewal is being undertaken via grass to grass sowing, when new pasture seed is being undersown into a run-out pasture, where there is a known history of insect pressure or fungal disease and where conditions can become dry postsowing, because this means seedlings are slow to grow and thus are small and susceptible to attack for a long period. On farms where black beetle and
Argentine stem weevil are known to be a problem, Agricote Grass is an essential precaution.
Even if ryegrass seed contains endophyte, such as NEA2, this does not offer full protection until spring, when the grass plants are more mature.
“
Grass seedlings containing endophyte can still be attacked and killed by pests at establishment.
Grass seedlings containing endophyte can still be attacked and killed by pests at establishment and Agriseeds, the company behind Agricote, says its field staff sees instances of this every season when seed treatment is not used.
Agricote Clover is also recommended for autumn sown pastures. This contains insecticide and fungicide to help protect seedling clover plants, as well as essential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and molybdenum) and lime.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agriseeds.
Severe adult Argentine stem weevil damage in a newly sown novel endophyte perennial ryegrass pasture
good clover establishment but nearly all ryegrass has been killed.
Shearing shed safety
With safety currently at the forefront of all farm activity, there is no better time than now to assess the safety in your shearing shed. Due to the busy nature of activity undertaken in and around shearing sheds, the opportunity for an accident to happen is high.
You can minimise the risk of accidents in your shearing shed by reviewing the current safety options your shearing machinery offers:
• Does my shearing plant offer safety cut out in case of lock-up?
• Is my shearing plant isolated from electric shock?
• Does my woolpress have a safety guard?
• Is my woolpress operator safe?
Injuries that are preventable cost farmers, contractors and the wool and shearing industries money. The safety features and advantages of Heiniger’s shearing machinery technology are invaluable. The extra expense is a small price to pay for offering superior quality and safety in your workplace. Heiniger offers innovative, safer solutions for your shearing shed.
The Heiniger Evo Shearing Plant has fast become the number one shearing plant demanded by shearers, contractors and farmers in the industry. It was the first shearing plant in the world to be manufactured with an electronic safety switch stopping
the machine in case of dangerous handpiece lock-ups. In the past when there has been a lock-up, the hand piece can spin around at approximately 3,500rpm – making it an incredibly dangerous and life threatening weapon – leading to the possibility of serious injuries. Not only is the Evo Shearing Plant safe but is also very light, at 7.8kg (machine only) and also has the added advantage of the downtube being isolated from all electrified components, reducing any risk of electric shock.
The TPW Xpress Woolpress is widely used by farmers, shearing contractors and many woolstores where a safe, fast, efficient woolpress is demanded. Fully fitted with an approved mechanical safety screen and mechanical safety device means operator safety is to the highest standard. The TPW Xpress Woolpress, as the market leader, has long been renowned for its speed, toughness and durability, as well as the inexpensive servicing requirement.
Proven as the fastest and most popular press on the market, the TPW Xpress has a cycle time of 12-16 seconds in high yielding wools when pressing bales up to 200kg. Added features include low filling height avoiding stress and strain on the operator’s back, together with a fully automatic bale ejection system.
With the Evo Shearing Plant and TPW Xpress Woolpress on the market, there are now few excuses for farmers not to be able to better protect themselves and their staff.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Heiniger.
Getting more prime lambs out the gate faster
With the forecast returns for lamb being lower than last year and the schedule dropping rapidly, it is more important than ever to ensure you get as many of your prime lambs out of the gate as fast as possible and at good weights.
How do you achieve this?
Survival:
In order for lambs to be sold, they have to survive to slaughter weight. Clostridial disease is a common killer of lambs, especially those growing fast. For most lambs, the antibody protection they received from the ewe has declined by weaning, leaving them unprotected if they aren’t vaccinated. All lambs should receive their first Lifeguard® 5 in 1 vaccination at either docking or pre-weaning, followed by a second vaccination 4-6 weeks later.
Worm control:
Use a fully effective drench. Trial work has demonstrated that using a drench that is not fully effective can cost you 1014 percent of your carcass value.[1,2] A drench that keeps killing parasite larvae, such as Cydectin® Oral Drench for Sheep, can potentially increase growth rates in lambs by 60 percent compared to short acting drenches.[3] Many longer acting drenches have longer withholdings, making them unsuitable for finishing lambs, Cydectin Oral Drench only has a 10 day meat withholding. Using the right drench is important to maximise lamb growth rates and minimise dags and pasture contamination.
Nutrition:
There is nothing more important than good quality lamb feed. Ensure lambs are on the best quality feed available and are leaving good residues.
Pasture and stock management:
Stock integration is an essential component of pasture and parasite management. Use older cattle to decrease the worm burdens that lambs must deal with while controlling pasture length and quality.
Genetics:
Maximise the lamb’s potential for growth and meat through the selection of improved genetics and hybrid vigour. Select maternal rams with high dual purpose survival and growth breeding indexes. Use as many terminal sire rams as possible.
Drench resistance:
Slow down the development of drench resistance by creating a refuge of parasites that have not been exposed
to drench. This can be achieved by either running undrenched, good conditioned ewes behind the lambs or undrenched cull ewes with the lambs. Drench resistance to your main lamb drench can also be delayed by using a new active drench such as Zolvix® Plus or Startect® as part of your drench programme.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Zoetis.
1 Sutherland, I. A., J. Bailey, and R. J. Shaw. The production costs of anthelmintic resistance in sheep managed within a monthly preventive drench program. Vet Parasitol, 2010. 171(3-4), p. 300-304.
2 Miller, C. M. et al. The production cost of anthelmintic resistance in lambs. Vet Parasitol, 2012. 186(3-4), p. 376-381.
3 Murphy, A. W., R. McDonald, and M. Ramsey. A comparison of production responses in lambs drenched with moxidectin or ivermectin. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1994. p. 221-224.
Zoetis New Zealand Ltd. Cydectin, Lifeguard and Startect are registered trademarks of Zoetis Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Maximising returns on G3 gold kiwifruit
As G3 is still a relatively new variety, there are ongoing learnings on manipulating dry matter. The structure of Zespri payments has altered crop management. Up to 70 percent of tray returns are now attributed to taste and dry matter.
As crops near harvest, it may be useful to consider how management practices might have influenced crops and what post-harvest practices should be considered.
High water content and excessive nitrate levels are the enemy of fruit dry matter. The challenge is to find the balance between crop loading (tray production), canopy vigour and nutrition to maximise returns. Growers should aim for a medium to low vigour canopy with well selected medium sized cane. The canopy should be even and open, allowing good sunlight penetration.
Weather and geographical location also play an important part. Fruit dry matter seems to be maximised in seasons with warm springs, moderate rainfall and summers with long sunshine hours.
A large leaf area facilitates carbohydrate production. If excessive vegetative growth is minimised, and vines are cropped moderately, fruit taste and dry matter can be maximised.
The following is a recently updated summary of management practices related to optimising dry matter in G3 crops:
Heavily cropped vines should receive post-harvest foliars, as maintaining leaf quality will support next season’s buds. Post-harvest Psa protection sprays should take precedence, as it’s critical
to keep vines clean at this stage.
Soil tests and fertiliser recommendations from your Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor are important. Ground spread fertiliser applications should be completed by fruit set.
Natural leaf drop is preferential for plant nutrient retention. The energy for new emerging shoots initially comes from reserves stored in winter buds (until leaves develop and commence photosynthesis).
Winter canopy pruning should focus on selecting medium sized, evenly spaced cane. Wood selection is very important. An optimum bud count is 25-30 per square metre. Excessive cane tying should be avoided, otherwise later vine management and spring fruit thinning will be required. Ideal cane spacing is 40-45 cm.
While growers have the ability to drive high yields, caution is required if yields surpass 15-18,000te/ha, as this may result in higher proportions of small fruit. Conversely, under-cropping may result in lower numbers of large fruit, a limiting of returns and excessive vegetative canopy growth.
Hydrogen cyanimide should be applied approximately 20 to 30 days before natural bud break. This provides more uniform bud break, flowering and crop maturity. The timing of hydrogen cyanimide application is important and is influenced by winter chilling hours. Farmlands’ recent introduction of the BreakNSure test kit will better enable determination of winter chill hours and therefore the optimum timing of
application for any particular crop. It is important to monitor bud break and flower bud density. High densities should be thinned before and again after pollination. Pollination is obviously critical to fruit production, so adequate bee numbers and sufficient male flowers are essential. Insufficient male flowers makes artificial pollination essential. Generally, large fruit will have higher dry matter, small fruit will have lower dry matter. A reasonable target is 60 fruit per square metre.
Most canopy management should be conducted early to minimise fruit marking and excessive vegetative growth. Significant fruit dry matter can be lost to unnecessary vegetative growth. Three to four rounds of early crush tipping will assist growth containment.
It is essential that leaves are kept healthy – they are the carbon collectors. Once again, ensure that canopies aren’t too dense and ensure that light is getting through the canopy. Grass growth in the sward is a good visual indicator of light penetration.
Vine growth can be regulated to achieve good dry matter production in several other ways. Nitrogen can be applied in spring, however excessive fertiliser applications should be avoided. Leaf testing should be employed to monitor nutrient status. Foliar products will be of particular assistance in cooler temperatures, or if smaller leaf sizes
are prevalent. A Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor can advise on appropriate options. Good levels of leaf calcium are important through pollination, and monitoring through leaf sampling is essential. Healthy calcium levels assist in developing strong cell walls in the fruit.
Girdling will generally increase dry matter by approximately 1 percent per girdle. Girdling should occur approximately 28 days after mid bloom, with a second girdling around mid-February (no later than end of February). Stressed or young cropping
vines should not be girdled. Girdled vines require monitoring to ensure that they are healing in the centre (from top and bottom) of the wound. If healing occurs on only one side, further girdling shouldn’t be undertaken.
Good vine health is required to achieve high dry matter. Psa, diseases and stress will have a negative effect. Foliar potassium products assist in feeding leaves, fruit and vines. However applications should be stopped 6-8 weeks before harvest, to avoid negative effects on dry matter. If vines are stressed then particular management
practices and products will be required.
Robust Psa protective programmes are essential throughout the season and careful consideration of the products and timing of applications is essential. Some products may be detrimental to maintaining valuable leaf quality, particularly during the spring period. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Mark Loeffen, Technical Advisor, Farmlands Horticulture.
Choosing the right rain water tank
There are a few points to consider when choosing the right water tank for collecting rain water from your roof, not only the colour or the shape but also, for peace of mind, the quality and size.
While you can never have too much water stored, you can certainly have not enough – especially to last through a dry season.
To calculate the capacity you require or the size and/or number of tanks, follow through the simple questions and calculation below.
• What will be my daily water consumption?
• How long is the dry period with little rain for the area I live in?
For example, a four person home with a 50 day dry period means the household needs to have stored at least 32,500 litres of fresh water to last them through when there is no substantial rain to
Home water consumption table
ACTIVITYLITRES (DAILY)
Toilet – full flush10
– half flush5
Bath100 - 140
Shower15 - 20/minute
Dishwasher per load35 - 50
Washing machine per load150
Brushing teeth with tap running5
Drinking, cooking, cleaning10
Handbasin5
OUTDOORS – GARDEN
Sprinkler or Handheld Hose14/minute
replenish their tanks. This means that with an adequate buffer, the owner should be installing at least two 25,000 litre tanks.
If you are required to store water for fire purposes, this will also need to be added.
To calculate the amount of rain water your roof can collect, the formulae is –1mm of rain falling onto 1 square metre gives you 1 litre of rain water.
After finding the amount of storage you require, you will need to choose the right tank. Not all polyethylene tanks are the same but can be differentiated by design and manufacturing processes used – for example, a tank with vertical parting lines will split open easily. Ensure the tank complies with New Zealand Potable (Drinking) Water and Food Contact Standards, is fully UV stabilised and has a suitable manhole entry and ventilated lid.
Wall thickness is important, especially in the base side wall area, which must withstand the greatest weight pressure of anywhere on the tank. The best manufacturing process is what is termed as a one-piece construction, which means the lid or dome is not added on separately.
If your water tank needs to be situated on a hillside or lowered into the ground due to height restriction and/or for aesthetic reasons, choose a corrugated style tank that remains fully warranted when buried and especially so with no unsafe cavities left around the tank. When you are required to install a Fire Service Outlet Coupling Kit, ensure the tank wall is strong enough and also that the tank warranty will not be made void with a larger penetration made into the wall.
Some manufacturers offer up to 14 different colours, smooth wall and corrugated wall styles all made from polyethylene, which allows you to select the best colour to suit your surroundings and surprisingly the visual variation of the corrugation design really helps your water tank to fit into natural surroundings.
GardenGarden & Lawn
Small garden area135355
Medium garden area150495
Large garden area1651125
Quality when you need it
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Promax.
Eliminate overflowing or empty troughs
Garry Beckett, owner of Farm Water Services in Waipawa, primarily installs water systems for sheep and beef farms. In the past he has had trouble with valves not operating properly because they couldn’t handle the pressure, which caused either overflowing or empty troughs – a disaster for any farmer.
Garry needed a trough valve he could trust to ensure his customers’ troughs were supplied with the right amount of water at the right time. Thirsty cows and overflowing troughs were not an option. Getting the right balance of pressure and flow was important to Garry and his customers alike, so he was pleased when he came across the Hansen Fastflo trough valve, which could guarantee the balance he was looking for.
The Fastflo completely solved the “stuck valve syndrome” problem. “I am very happy with Hansen Fastflo. It’s an excellent ‘go-to’ valve because of its combined ability to adapt to such a wide range of applications in either high or low pressure, long or short arm, top or side entry and with a large range of long or short thread inlet adaptor options to boot,” Garry says.
Hansen Fastflo trough valves are used to automatically fill and maintain the water levels in your animal drinking troughs. Common on-farm applications include:
• Portable troughs – extended either from a current trough valve with a pipe connected to the valve’s included threaded outlet, or from a dedicated break in the waterline for portable trough connections.
• Dry stock troughs – the valve is robust and ideal for this type of application in both functionality and flow rates. It also has the added benefit of reducing pressure at the outlet for a more controlled flow, reduced turbulence and easy shut off.
Additional applications include water storage tanks and water cisterns, larger bowls using short brass arm valves and various feeders. The compact Hansen
Fastflo valves are perfect for small, confined spaces that traditional trough valves won’t fit into, because they are suitable for top or side entry into the trough and fit multiple thread and connection combinations from 15mm to 50mm. Furthermore, the unique patented Ezi Bend brass arm makes water level adjustment a breeze. The Fastflo short arm valve has one of the highest flows of any valve of its size, at 500kPa (73 psi) it will deliver 56L/min. The strong, non-corrosive, UV resistant, long life materials are drinking water approved and each valve is hand tested at the Hansen factory.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Hansen.
Troughs – how big, how many?
Unrestricted stock access to the correct volumes of clean drinking water is essential in maximising production outcomes. There are a number of factors involved in getting the right volume of water to your stock. These include:
• Being able to supply the daily water demand for the farm – is tank storage required?
• Delivering the peak flow demand to the troughs – outcome of a welldesigned reticulation system.
• Size, shape and number of troughs per paddock.
Just as considerable thought and expertise is brought to bear in regard to providing enough stock water, so should the selection of the correct trough/s. Round troughs provide the greatest circumference, enabling the most stock to drink at the trough at any one time. Oblong troughs are suitable for lower peak water demands, i.e. sheep, calves/weaners and can be positioned to suit the paddock’s shape or through a fenceline to supply two paddocks. Troughs shouldn’t be selected upon
the volume of water they can contain. Think of a trough as being a drinking utensil, not a storage device. It’s the job of the well-designed water reticulation system to provide enough water to meet peak demand, not the size of the trough. Using troughs for water storage can adversely affect water quality and palatability, with issues including warm water, algae growth, soil, faecal and fertiliser contamination. Stock will respond better to fresh, clean water every time.
Stock do not drink evenly over a 24 hour period, so reticulation systems are designed around peak demand. For example – a lactating dairy cow requires 70 litres of water per day, in a herd size of 200 plus, a fifth of them drink at any one time, which is 14 litres per hour, per cow.
Dairy and beef cattle require a minimum 450mm of physical space at a trough to drink. It is recommended
TroughTypeDimensionsApplicaon
RB300 Oblong 650mm x 1,900mm Sheep, calves/weaners
CB500 Round 1,484mm diameter
CB1500 Round 2,000mm diameter
CB2500 Round 2,500mm diameter
Sheep, ca le and small herd (<200) dairy cows
Large herd (200+) dairy cows
Large herd (500+) dairy cows
that 5 to 10 percent of a dairy herd will drink at any one time. So to provide enough troughs to meet peak demand for a 500 cow dairy herd, the following calculation would be used:
• Trough: CB2500
• Diameter: 2,500mm
• Circumference: 2,500mm x π = 7,850mm
• Number of stock per trough: 7,850mm/450mm = 17.5 cows
• Herd size: 500
• 10 percent drinking at any one time: 500/10 = 50
• Number of troughs per paddock: 50/17.5 = 3
Limiting distance between troughs is also important. Cattle are social animals, if they are required to walk more than 300 metres to a trough, it becomes a social event and the whole herd will tend to go together. This behaviour somewhat negates the benefit of having multiple troughs in a paddock, as they will then compete for water at that one trough they have just moved to.
Just as delivering adequate volumes of water to a paddock is vital to maximise production, so is ensuring there is enough troughs, strategically located to allow unfettered access to this water.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Humes.