Improving pasture persistence

Benefits of diverse pasture mixtures – Improving pasture persistence

Diverse pasture mixes can improve pasture persistence and profitability, while benefitting the environment, by reducing pasture weeds and pests and increasing the ability of pastures to withstand climatic extremes. We propose to validate, demonstrate and disseminate reported benefits of diverse pastures through demonstration sites, field days and fact sheets.

The information we collect from a DairyNZ Waikato field-trial and from 2 commercial dairy farms in Waikato will be disseminated to dairy farmers in Waikato and other regions using the DairyNZ network.

Expected outcomes of this project

Benefit

Validate under commercial farming conditions the proposition that sowing more diverse forage mixtures leads to more persistent pastures.

Increase farmers’ understanding of associations between weeds, pests, beneficial invertebrates and farm management, leading to better pasture management for improved resilience and persistence. Improving persistence will lessen the need for costly resowing (up to $1500/ha), and more resilient pastures will reduce weed control costs, estimated at NZ$1.2 billion p.a. for New Zealand.

Raise farmers’ awareness of benefits, as well as any downsides, of sowing more diverse pasture species, and equip farmers with practical methods to improve pasture persistence and profitability.

Enable dairy farmers to see first-hand the differences between pastures sown with mixtures of varying diversity, particularly with respect to their impact on weeds and pests.