Winter Management of Pastures

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 90, Issue 4, 15 April 1955, Page 375

Winter Management of Pastures

Seasonal Notes by the Extension Division

SHEEP FARMS

£"\N dairy farms, fat lamb farms, and hill country farms much can be done by the intelligent manipulation

of stock in relation to the pastures during winter to provide more and better grass when it is most needed in late winter and early spring.

DAIRY FARMS

WINTER pasture management on the dairy farm can have a marked effect on the butterfat production of the new season. Autumn-saved grass gives the milkers a good start, but such grass will last only a few weeks and too often the milkers are on short rations until spring growth begins in earnest. Winter pasture management should aim therefore at having good grass coming along in a succession of paddocks, the first to be ready for grazing as the last of the autumn-saved grass is finished. The best and surest way of achieving this aim is to rotate the dry stock through the winter round the rest of the farm, feeding adequate quantities of silage and hay in each paddock in turn to supplement the low grass production at this time of the year. Each paddock thus gets a heavy dressing of dung and urine and when harrowed and closed will make surprisingly good fresh growth. With experience a rotation to suit the farm can be worked out so that the first paddocks required to follow on after the autumn-saved grass will have a sufficient spell to make the necessary growth. Nitrogenous fertilisers can often be used with advantage to get more and better grass on these winter-spelled pastures.

SHEEP FARMS

On both fat lamb farms and on hill country good grass is wanted in late winter and early spring for condition-

ing the ewes for lambing and in early spring for the lambing itself. Here again much can be done by intelligent grazing management to have the grass when it is most required. Where crops such as swedes or chou moellier can be grown there should be no problem; the crop provides the conditioning feed for the ewes and the pastures can be spelled to save feed for lambing. In planning the crop acreage in relation to the stock to be wintered it is as well to remember, however, that winter pasture growth is slow and with a spell of up to 2 months sheep pastures will not get away.

It is where crops are not or cannot be grown that pasture management on the sheep farm can do /much to provide better-feed for the ewes coming up to lambing and for the lambing itself. This is where, too, autumn mob stocking of the sheep can be made to pay dividends. To provide extra feed before lambing the autumn growth can .be saved in several paddocks by leaving them out of the rotation. In another group of paddocks intended for the early lambers the rotation is speeded up so that these paddocks are never hard grazed in Winter. Then when the ewes are Concentrated on the autumn-saved grass before lambing .these lightly grazed paddocks are spelled. They should come away quickly and be carrying good feed for the early lambers. Experience will help to develop a sound system of late autumn and winter pasture management on the sheep farm to provide good grass for conditioning the ewes for lambing and for the lambing itself, based on the fact that pastures must be spelled to make good growth, -especially in winter.

—C. J. HAMBLYN

PASTURES FOR SEED

THE most critical period in the life of a pasture is in the early stages when' it is in the process of establishing and anything

that can be done in the way of management to assist the establishment of the pasture should be

employed. Winter grazing, will depend largely on circumstances, but where seed production is planned grazing of all new ryegrass stands should be light. Heavy winter grazing of a young stand is undesirable, especially when conditions are wet. Relatively concentrated stocking over a short period should be employed rather than a light stocking over a long period, and grazing should never be so severe as to defoliate the plants entirely. On large areas it is preferable to feed off in breaks. This applies even more to the slower-establishing plants such as Phalaris tuberosa and timothy; cocksfoot is better left ungrazed. On second-year or older ryegrass-white clover stands where clover , seed production is intended fairly hard winter grazing can be carried out. The closeness of the grazing will depend on the vigour of the stand and the soil type. On the heavier soils grazing can be fairly severe. This management favours the clover and checks the ryegrass. Most other species require reasonable winter grazing,, but it is better not to graze cocksfoot, except in those older stands where it is desired to clean out the bottom. Cattle are best suited for this purpose.

—R. JOLLY

CULTIVATION FOR FORAGE CROPS

VARIATIONS in soil types and seasonal conditions make it impossible to lay down hard-and-fast rules regarding cultural practices and therefore a careful study of these factors

is necessary when planning to work land for spring crops. However, irrespective of soil and climate there is no disputing the value of a winter fallow. Sometimes the land is skimmed or hustled before deep ploughing in winter, but spring crops in Canterbury are generally sown on one ploughing, which should be carried out in early winter. This facilitates thorough weathering and improves soil structure to a degree that could not be accomplished by any amount of hasty cultivation. The choice of implements and the cultivation necessary will be governed by local conditions, but whether the disc or grubber is the choice in early spring, the first cultivation should be shallow, with later work designed to develop a good tilth to the bottom of the furrow. Only practical experience can teach the correct times to use cultivating implements. If the soil is worked while it is too wet, it becomes harsh; if it is left in the furrow for too long, later working becomes difficult. The aim should be to begin cultivation as soon as the land is sufficiently dry to carry the tractor. For forage crops such as rape or turnips frequent working with roller and tine harrows is advisable during the later stages of preparation of the fine, firm seed-bed demanded for rapid germination of these small seeds. In dry seasons rolling 10 days before drilling assists in . keeping moisture right to the surface, but after sowing only light harrows should be used, for once moisture is brought to the surface it is soon lost unless the topsoil is left loose. The ideal seed-bed for spring-sown cereals and pulse crops is a deep tilth that is firm and fine underneath but still has some rubble on the surface, and grubber, roller, and harrows will generally be the most useful implements. If these cash crops are to be sown after rape, preparation of the seed-bed should be comparatively simple if the land is ploughed as soon as feeding off is finished. If, on the other hand, the spring sowing is to follow a crop such as turnips or chou moellier, timely cultivation will be of the utmost importance. After winter tramping by stock the soil is frequently harsh and either skimming or hustling followed by thorough cultivation before deep ploughing will usually be well worth while.- If these operations are carried out, cultivation after deep ploughing should present few difficulties.

E. G. SMITH