Owl Farm

Farmwatch

Region: Waikato

Preparation for summer forage crops should be well underway. A common reason for crop failures can be slugs and springtails eating newly emerging plants. Slugs are plentiful this year. Include slug bait in crop sowing programmes. Insecticide for springtails can be added in the pre-sowing period. Plan and inform your contractors of your requirements. Consider summer crops as part of the pasture renewal programme as well as a summer feed option. This means thinking about the re-grassing window at the end of the crop. Will it be long enough to allow the required development in the paddock, and establish new permanent pasture on time? On time means first grazing by the end of May 2019. If delays are likely for re-grassing then perhaps another crop should follow this one to allow more time for thorough development of a paddock?