Diverse pastures – farmer experience and examples

When looking for species mixes and establishment techniques that suit your context, it can be hard to know where to start, or what’s possible. So farmers from around New Zealand have generously shared their most successful mixes, approaches and results to both inspire and inform what might best work for you…

Please explore the examples below!

And if you’d like to contribute your own example, please email sam@quorumsense.org.nz

Ross Johnson
Wairarapa

Paddock details

Goals: To improve soil health, to provide nutritious feed for cattle, to be more resilient to climate extremes (drought).

Location: Wairarapa

Soil type: Very stony silt loam

Soil Condition: Average (some compaction, little biological activity)

Soil Fertility: Moderate

Stock grazing the pasture: R2 bulls

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Photo is after the first grazing – the annuals have done their job and perennials are taking over.

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Pasture establishment

Objectives: To provide a mix of annuals (to be utilised as a summer crop) and perennials (to carry sward through and transition into permanent pasture). A diverse range of rooting depths, flowering dates, summer/winter dominant. Species proven to be resilient in summer dry climates.

Seed cost ($/ha): $255/ha (2019)

Timing: Spring

Reason for re-sowing at this time: Ryegrass ex-kale paddock

Method of establishment: Glyphosate and direct drill

Fertiliser/biologicals:
DAP 100kg/ha
BioAg Soil and Seed 8L/ha
Fish hydrolysate 20L/ha

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Seed mix and rates (kg/ha)

Legumes:
Balensa 0.5
Persian 0.5
Strawberry 1.0
White 1.5
Red Clover 1.5
Vetch 3.0
Phacelia 0.5
Lucerne 1.5

Herbs:
Chicory 0.5
Plantain 0.5
Sheeps Burnett 0.5

Brassica:
Pasja 1.0

Cereals:
Black oats 3.0
White oats 3.0

Grasses:
Cocksfoot 1.0
Annual ryegrass 3.0
Perennial ryegrass 7.0
Prairie grass 3.0
Brome 3.0
Timothy 0.5
Fescue 5.0
Festulolium 1.0

Broadleaf:
Buckwheat 2.0

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Outcomes and results

Observations:
Different outcomes every year.... This example (our first) rocketed out of the ground and performed well; the following year only the large seed struck in the summer. All paddocks seem to get there eventually, just a matter of time, patience and grazing management.

Livestock performance:
First summer with annuals 2kg/per head per day. Subsequent grazings range between 0.4kg/day (winter), and 2.5kg/day (late spring/early summer. Very settled and content bulls.

Pasture productivity and resilience:
Four seasons later paddock is still performing well. All perennial species are still present after two droughts and two wet La Ninas. Plants are allowed to go to seed every summer to maintain sward density. Grazed with high stock intensity, full recovery times. Seems to need to be shut up every year to maintain sward density.

“Four seasons later paddock is still performing well. All perennial species are still present after two droughts and two wet La Ninas.”

Ross Johnson, Waiararapa beef farmer

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Dylan Ditchfield
Southland

Paddock details

Goals: To give variety and choice to livestock serving them with nutrient dense feed. To help heal the soil while maintaining quality with regen grazing management.

Location: Southland

Soil Type: Matarua silt loam

Soil Condition: Compacted below 20-30 cm, no smell, blocky

Soil Fertility: Moderate

Stock grazing the pasture: Dairy cows

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Dylan and Sheree Ditchfield, Southland dairy farmers

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Pasture establishment

Objectives: Initially, it was a mix from our seed merchant, and we have just started adjusting the mixes as we observe what is coming through and understand the purpose of each species. We are trying to get a range of legumes, forbes, and grass. There is a couple of annual species to get some volume going initially however we want to wind them back and focus on permanent species going forward.

Seed cost ($/ha): $397

Timing: Spring, late spring, summer, autumn

Reason for re-sowing at this time: We sow anytime we see a surplus appearing about 10-12% of the farm per annum.

Method of establishment: We mostly regrass, grass to grass. Spraying out with glyphosate and direct drill. We have been trialing reducing the glyphosate rate (2.5 L) adding fish (10 L) and fulvic acid (2 L) with 100 L of water and appears to be getting reasonable. establishments.

Fertiliser/biologicals: None

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Seed mix and rates (kg/ha)

Legumes:
Persian clover 1.0
Quest white clover 2.0
Red clover 4.0
Aberlasting white clover 2.0

Herbs:
Punter chicory 1.0
Plantain 2.0

Cereals:
White oats 4.0

Grasses:
Timothy 1.0
Prospect AR37 ryegrass 4.0
Mate Phalaris 1.0
Tabu Italian ryegrass 5.0
Nouga tall fescue 4.0
Atom prairie grass 3.0
Greenly II cocksfoot 3.0
Bareno pasture brome 3.0

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Outcomes and results

Observations: Each establishment appears slightly different with a similar seed mix. We don't mind so much as it gives even more variety of weighted species.

Pasture productivity and resilience: Our oldest multi-species paddocks (3-4 years) are our best performers. They appear to improve with age. They don't appear to have any insect or disease issues. With good trampling, we achieve dense swards.

Livestock performance: Because of the higher volume in the MS pastures the cows are normally well fed and seem to perform better. We'd assume the variety in species has an influence on this also.

“Our oldest multi-species paddocks (3-4 years) are our best performers. They appear to improve with age.”

Dylan Ditchfield, Southland dairy farmer

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Rachel Short
Taranaki

Paddock details

Goals: Adding pasture diversity to the farm to improve both animal nutrition and soil health.

Location: Taranaki

Soil type: Sandy loam, volcanic ash

Soil condition: Compacted

Soil fertility: Moderate

Stock grazing the pasture: Dairy cows, dairy youngstock

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Photo shows the established diverse pasture before grazing.

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Pasture establishment

Objectives: Working with Pastoral Improvements to find a seed mix that fits with our goals. This mix includes all 5 plant families required for the synergistic interaction that occurs between high diversity crops and soil. It is a resilient mix that can thrive in tough conditions, producing feed through dry spells and the depths of winter. It has a strong focus on bulk DM an high levels of ME.

Seed cost ($/ha): $417

Timing: Spring

Reason for re-sowing at this time: Have sowed paddocks at different times, this one was sown to remedy a paddock that has compacted soils and to add pasture diversity which in turn will increase pasture quality and quantity.

Method of establishment: Have stock chew the paddock down, then aerate paddock and direct drill into existing pasture.

Fertiliser/biologicals:
AgriSea Soil Nutrition
AgriSea Pasture Nutrition

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Seed mix and rates (kg/ha)

Legumes:
Rascal red clover
White clover
Persian clover
Balasana clover
Vetch
Phacelia
Grazing lucerne

Herbs:
Hercules plantain
Herbivore chicory
Chard

Brassica:
Radish

Cereals:
Cereal
Buckwheat

Grasses:
Cocksfoot
Timothy
Prairie grass
Perennial Tactic

Other:
Linseed
Sunflower

Total mix sowed at 50kg/ha

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Results and outcomes

Observations:
By under sowing into existing pastures the paddock can look like a bit of a shaggy dog as the existing ryegrass gives it that look, however once eaten and remaining shagginess mulches down into the soil the pasture becomes like a high quality rocket fuel.

Pasture productivity and resilience:
As we have been sewing multi species for a few years, we are seeing so much resilience. Different species perform better at different times of the years. Our growth rates are outperforming local growth rate data without the use of any synthetic fertilisers. Very healthy looking pastures.

Livestock performance:
Very easy to grow healthy young stock of diverse pasture. Youngstock are weighed and data inputed into MINDA weights, and also exceeding what weight gain should be. Cows in general are very content and healthy. Our main issue we are having is high crude protein which is causing some bloat in our cows, however could be somewhat related to this season as bloat has been bad around the district. We are adding more fibre to the diet in the way of hay, but would be great to have more fibre in the pasture.

“Our growth rates are outperforming local growth rate data without the use of any synthetic fertilisers. Very healthy looking pastures.”

Rachel Short, Taranaki dairy farmer

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