Providing for Stock in Winter

At the time of writing most areas have received substantial rain during the last month and the lighter ash soils in the Whakatane, Rotorua, and Taupo regions are now sufficiently moist for strong grass growth.

A recently assessed heavier silt soil although having received over 80ml was still quite dry below the top 4cm. These soils have much higher moisture holding capacity and slower to dry in summer but conversely take longer to reach ideal wetness in autumn.

Although dry soils will remain warmer, frosts have now occurred and dropping soil temperatures means there may not be as much compensatory growth as hoped for prior to the winter months of June, July, and August.

With low soil temperatures largely dictating pasture growth over winter the temptation is to apply fertiliser nitrogen.

After a dry spell soil nitrogen levels will be higher than normal as decaying dung and dead grass releases nutrient including nitrogen for plant uptake and applying more nitrogen will not necessarily provide more useful feed.

Animals grazing short lush nitrogen fed grass are likely to scour unless there is sufficient energy and fibre for good rumen function.

The ideal compliment is high quality hay, either grass or lucerne. Hay provides both fibre and energy and the length of the fibre is important. 20cm or longer is best. The energy contained comes from leaf exposed to strong sunlight during summer and the resultant seed.

This winter there is a shortage of both hay and baylage as much has been fed over the last two months. This means either other supplements are required or winter management needs to focus on promoting as much energy and fibre in pasture as possible.

Rotation length is therefore important, and longer is better. More leaf surface area means that plants are able to generate more carbohydrate or sugars and hence more energy is available to maintain or increase animal weight.

DoloZest a proven magnesium fertiliser based on dolomite provides a range of benefits.

Applied at the rate required for magnesium DoloZest ensures calcium/magnesium related metabolic disorders in stock throughout winter and spring are minimised.

DoloZest contains a wide range of soil friendly fungi and bacteria that help speed the decomposition of dead grass and other organic matter increasing the amount of nutrient available for plant growth.

By improving physical soil structures plant roots develop further into the soil tapping into nutrient before it leaches.

Pastures will contain more carbohydrate, which is measurable with a hand held refractometer, and as magnesium is a carrier for phosphorus the efficiency of applied phosphate is also increased.

For more information on how we can improve the productivity of your farm phone 0800 843 809.

Read the next article - Improving Fertiliser Efficiency