DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results.
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New data from DairyNZ’s plantain programme provides farmers with a practical, science-backed tool to meet their environmental goals.
The latest results confirm that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching.
Dr David Burger, DairyNZ’s Chief Science and Innovation Officer, said this wasgood news for farmers and the environment.
“This research has been all about providing farmers with low-cost options to reduce their nitrogen footprint and stay profitable,” he told The Country’s Jamie Mackay.
With three years now complete, preliminary findings from the Lincoln University farmlet trial indicate a 26% reduction in nitrate (N) leaching, accompanied by an average of 17% Ecotain plantain in the pasture.
Results from the Massey farmlet trial show that over four years, N leaching was reduced on average by 26% where Ecotain plantain made up an average 25% in the pasture.
Burger was impressed with the numbers so far.
“We are seeing really good results in terms of those nitrogen reductions.”
The important part of the programme was to keep up the good work, he said, especially “how we can maintain those plantain levels across the sward”.
Burger cited results from four mid-Canterbury farms, which are part of the programme.
“Certainly, in the Canterbury farms study at the moment, it’s showing that 10 to 15% of plantain across the whole farm is quite achievable.”
This resulted from including plantain as part of the seed mix at pasture renewal and by broadcasting seed across the whole farm with fertiliser.
On these farms, the highest levels (20-40% plantain) were achieved in new swards 1-2 years after establishment.
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Burger said the programme continued to show plantain as a low-cost option to achieve significant reductions in N leaching without impacting the farm system.
“A big part of this programme is not only about the science for reducing nitrogen, it’s also about the farm systems implications and how we can manage that best and support the use of this technology across the farm system.”
Mackay wondered if plantain affected a cow’s diet and whether it could reduce methane emissions.
“Those aspects are also being looked at as part of the programme,” Burger said.
“But the real focus is on that nitrogen reduction potential - that has shown up really good results so far.”
More about the programme
The latest results confirm that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching.
The Plantain Potency Programme is a seven-year research initiative led by DairyNZ and using Agricom’s Ecotain environmental plantain.
The funding partners are MPI, DairyNZ, PGG Wrightson Seeds Ltd., and Fonterra.
The final year of data collection is underway at the Lincoln site, while at Massey, data collection is complete and final analysis is underway.
The programme now turns its focus to the adoption of plantain in targeted N-sensitive catchments.
