Green but not much grass!
Dairy farmers in the lower North Island are working on protecting next season, according to Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre, who farms just north of the Horowhenua township of Levin.
The purpose of a catch crop is to increase annual dry matter production, to take up soil mineral and urine nitrogen and to reduce the risk of leaching or runoff.
The key attributes of catch crops when following autumn or winter grazed crops are that they: are cold tolerant, winter active and have fibrous deep root systems capable of removing nitrogen at depth.
Catch crop benefits vary depending on weather conditions, particularly during establishment, with direct-drilling or light pre-drilling cultivation being recommended methods where possible to minimise nitrogen mineralisation.
The gross margins (revenue minus costs) and cents/kgDM of catch crops can be used to compare different crops.
The numbers will vary depending on the yield and how the crop fits into an individual farm system, which is influenced by catch crop sowing date, the timing of feed requirements and the sowing date of the following crop or pasture.
The Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) research trials gross margin and c/kg DM varied from $173/ha to $1263/ha and 8.1 c/kg DM to 15.3 c/kg DM respectively.
FRNL ran trials of different crops comparing crop nitrogen uptake and residual soil nitrogen as indicators of the risk of nitrate leaching.
A variety of species or combinations can be used as catch crops. Consider the below when selecting species or combinations thereof:
Establishment opportunities of the catch crop; what is the usual soil temperature at the time of planting and can heavy machinery normally access the paddock at that time of year?
Main crop/regrassing planting date; consider effect on potential yield of the following crop or pasture.
Ability to fit into the farm system, e.g. planned crop rotation, harvesting or grazing dates, end use of land planted (permanent pasture or crop), use of catch crop:
Examples of Catch Crops
Visit www.dairynz.co.nz
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The low unemployment environment is one of the key factors driving on-farm salaries higher over the past 24 months, says Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
A seminar on rural dispute resolution has been organised at Lincoln University, Christchurch this month.
The legacy of Dr Peter Snow continues to inspire as the recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Peter Snow Memorial Awards were announced at the recent National Rural Health Conference.
One of Fonterra’s global customers, Mars is launching an ambitious sustainable dairy plan to work with dairy farmers and cut emissions by 50%.