Trials completed in Canterbury, Waikato and Southland have found that:
- cereals were more effective than grass species following winter grazing
- the earlier the crop is planted, the greater the opportunity to reduce nitrate leaching
- catch crops can increase total annual yield of a paddock.
Bare ground continues to be a risk for overland flow of nutrients and soil from the paddocks after grazing has finished.
- Minimise the time that the land is fallow. The establishment of new pasture or a catch crop will reduce overland flow risk.
- Consider planting a catch crop to take up some of the urinary nitrogen left from the previous winter grazing.
- Maintain the grass buffers to ensure sediment is not lost from the paddock.
| Sowing date | Southland | Canterbury | Hawke's Bay | Waikato |
| June | 22% | 41% | 20% | 34% |
| July | 17% | 33% | 7% | 27% |
| August | 8% | 26% | 4% | 19% |
| September | 0% | 11% | 2% | 6% |
See the Catch crops page for more information.
