Monday, 18 May 2020 09:36

Farm therapy lifts pasture cover

Written by  Staff Reporters
More clover means less N use on the Law farm in Whakatane. More clover means less N use on the Law farm in Whakatane.

Six months after implementing a groundbreaking new farming system, Alan Law’s Whakatane dairy farm is an oasis of green among drought-stricken neighbouring farms.

The Bay of Plenty farm has comfortable pasture cover, good milk production and an abundance of clover when most farmers are drying off.

The Law family, who currently milk 850 cows on a 260ha milking platform, historically farmed conventionally using 150-180kg synthetic nitrogen annually. 

However, over the past few years Alan, wife Wendy and sharemilking sons Brandon and Cameron have started making changes that will allow them to farm more sustainably. 

They implemented the total replacement therapy programme in October 2019, with phase one targeting an improvement of soil health to establish a strong clover presence. Clover fixes nitrogen naturally so synthetic nitrogen can be reduced dramatically without sacrificing pasture production.

Wyndlea, the 89ha home farm, was given its first whole-farm round of total replacement therapy on October last year, with second and third treatments applied in December 2019 and March 2020. Ten hectares of the 120ha Oriini Farm was also added to the trial area.

Positive results snowballed with each application, particularly when summer drought took hold.

“The home farm has hung on far better than it has in previous drought years; our pasture cover is comfortable, and we haven’t needed to feed any additional PKE,” Alan says.

Milk production reflects the substantial feed available: in early summer 2019 the farm was producing 100kgMS/day more than last season, and in April 2020 the herd was still producing 1.5kgMS/cow/day. 

The amount of clover observed in the paddock has also increased exponentially, to around 70%, and the family has been able to reduce their synthetic nitrogen use from 180units/N to 80 units/N in the transition year. 

They also felt confident enough to add another 50ha to the treatment area at the Oriini Farm.

With phase one complete the team will now steer the farm toward phase two, which will consider the concept of having the pasture rotation extended to around 50 days.

To prepare for this, they have over-sowed 5kg/ha of a three-clover mix and chicory into the soil to increase diversity in all paddocks, rather than planting individual specialty paddocks.

“We have never seen the farm look like this,” Alan says. “Our farm consultant said our farm has the most cover of all her clients.

“I think a huge potential exists with this exciting programme; the future has new potential for all of us.”

The total replacement therapy team intends to hold a virtual field day at the Law farm to showcase the results of the programme. 

More like this

Contract milkers hit hard by drought crisis

Many contract milkers in badly drought affected regions around the country are coming under severe financial stress and farm owners are being urged to help them through a bad patch until the start of the new season.

Rain misses Taranaki region

The 'atmospheric river' of rain that swept down the country last week almost completely avoided one of the worst drought-affected regions in the country – coastal Taranaki.

Featured

Horticulture exports hit $8.4B, surge toward $10B by 2029

A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter