Act now to avoid feed shortage

Richard Doney says using a high performance hybrid ryegrass means farmers can restore pasture productivity. Photo / Supplied

Farmers could face a feed shortage this season if they don't act fast to fix up widespread pasture damage caused by poor weather last winter and spring.

The extent of the damage has now become clear. Many paddocks are thin in ryegrass, and growing much less feed than normal with weeds taking the place of grass and clover.

Luckily, recent rain has set up ideal conditions for undersowing, one of the quickest and most effective ways to get pastures growing properly again before winter.

Well-known Waikato pasture specialist Richard Doney, Agriseeds, says a good undersowing programme can make the difference between having enough grass on the farm next spring, and spending extra money on supplements.

"A lot of farmers have already sorted out a renewal plan for paddocks severely damaged during all that wet weather last winter and spring, and that's great. But many of them also have an unusually high number of other paddocks which really need to be patched up before they get any worse."

Using a high performance hybrid ryegrass for this job means farmers can restore pasture productivity for two to three years before having to either top up with more undersowing or fully renew into new perennial pasture, Richard says.

"Shogun is an absolute belter in this scenario. It establishes as fast as an Italian ryegrass, so you get paddocks back to full production - or better - before spring, but it lasts longer. And it grows a phenomenal amount of feed."

New Zealand's top selling hybrid ryegrass, Shogun is also extremely palatable because it is a tetraploid. For best results, Richard recommends farmers sow Shogun at 25kg/ha, always use AGRICOTE treated seed and monitor for slugs.

Cutting back the sowing rate is not recommended, he says. "Shogun is a tetraploid, which means it has a larger seed and they always require a higher sowing rate than diploids to achieve the same plant population.

"If possible, adding 100-150kg/ha DAP down the spout at drilling will enhance establishment," he adds.

Common mistakes with undersowing include drilling too deep, drilling too fast, sowing bare speed and sowing at too light a rate.

"Drilling too deep, deeper than 10mm, is very common - contractors often go flat out to get the job done quickly but they really need to go no faster than 7-8km/h."

Once undersown pasture is established the paddock can be grazed normally but Richard advises farmers to take care not to overgraze Shogun in dry summer periods.

To find out more visit the website agriseeds.co.nz or talk to your seed retailer.