Balance euphoria with vigilance – DairyNZ

Nutrients locked up in the soil by the drought will feed strong pasture growth if managed well, he says.

“Euphoria might be too strong a word, but people are obviously a lot more positive now the rain has come,” McBeth told Dairy News. But he warned against complacency and urged planning ahead.

“The response of the grass has been surprisingly positive. Good moisture levels have built up quickly and coupled with warm soil temperatures, it has allowed the grass to grow strongly. 

“There’s latent ability in the soil because the grass hasn’t been growing; it is been short of moisture therefore nutrients in the soil haven’t been taken up as much as usual.  That’s there sitting ready to go. So strategic management, nitrogen fertiliser and maintaining your cows on a long round to give the plants a chance to get some new shoots up, photosynthesise and rebuild their stores, will lead to a very strong and excellent growth rate.”

But he warns farmers to stay vigilant. “There’s good rain falling and fairly widely but a few locations are waiting for more rain.”  Kaipara in Northland had been particularly dry but he understood it got good rain last weekend.

“What is going to get farmers out of the feed deficit is the pasture growth. So we are advising farmers to stay on that long round with their cows to make sure the grass has a chance to grow …  and make sure the pasture is not being damaged with the wet weather. And to use nitrogen fertiliser and other supplements to maintain that long round for the herd.”

DairyNZ held its last conference call for the drought series last week. The need to plan ahead for spring was emphasised.

“Do your planning about what pasture cover you have, what body condition score your cows are in, how long you have got to go until calving, what the growth rates are going to be and what supplements you have on hand.”