Farm Tech

PasturePlan

‘Kinnin Farm’, Rob and Tina Macnab's

Location: Waimai Valley, Te Akau, near Ngaruawahia.

Farm size: 142 ha.

Topography: Rolling to medium steep country.

Rainfall: 1,200 mm/yr.

Climate: Summer dry with warm winter.

Soil type: Mostly ash tops and sedimentary soils in gullies and sidelings.

Fertiliser regime: Regular yearly fertiliser application rates of 30 to 35 kg/ha of phosphate, 35 kg/ha of sulphur and 20 to 50 kg/ha of nitrogen.

Stock numbers: 60 per cent cattle and 40 per cent sheep

Carrying capacity: n/a.

Plot descriptions: (a) Old, easy pasture on ash tops, (b) Old, rolling, sedimentary soils.

Detailed description: n/a.

Farmer's comments: "It's important to know how much grass you have – you wouldn't own a car without a fuel gauge would you? Usually farmers work backwards for feed budgets. They see the animals have been in a paddock for so many days and they eat a certain amount each day, so it means there was this much DM in the paddock. That's not as good as what this project is going to do." (Rob Macnab)

Results published: Coast and Country, middle of each month.

Local Meat & Wool Innovation contact: Sally Hobson, Cambridge, tel 07-827 3818, cell 025-924 751, sally.hobson@mwi.co.nz