Future Farm Systems Trial Update 20 Feb 2025
This project compares the productivity, profitability and impact on people and the environment on three farms, being:
- Baseline (Current) Farm – Kikuyu & ryegrass based pastures with up to 190 kg N/ha/annum, 3.1 cows/ha
- Alternative Pastures Farm – Tall fescue & cocksfoot based pastures, up to 190 kg N/ha, 3.1 cows/ha
- Low Emissions Farm – Kikuyu & ryegrass based pastures, designed to reduce methane emissions by 25% and nitrous oxide by 50%, no nitrogen applied, 2.3 cows/ha
This project is funded by DairyNZ, MPI (Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures) and Hine Rangi Trust.
| Update 19th February 2025 | Baseline Farm | Alternative Pastures Farm | Low Emissions Farm |
| Average Pasture Cover (kg DM/ha) | 1,947 | 1,912 | 1,969 |
| Pasture Growth (kg DM/ha/d, last 2 weeks) * | 34 | 29 | 34 |
| Rotation Length (days, last 10 days) | 27 | 27 | 32 |
| Cows in Milk/Total Cows | 81/82 | 81/81 | 58/59
|
| Production/cow/day (kg MS/cow) | 1.56 | 1.63 | 1.46 |
| Production/ha/day (kg MS/ha) | 4.63 | 4.61 | 3.09 |
| Production/cow season to date (kg MS/cow) | 358 | 359 | 360 |
| Production/ha season to date (kg MS/ha) | 1,074 | 1,072 | 800 |
| SCC (000’s) | 50 | 73 | 53 |
| Supplement Offered (kg DM/cow/day) | 3.3 PKE
7.1 Home Silage |
3.3 PKE
7.2 Home Silage |
2.3 PKE
5.4 Home Sil |
| Purchased Supplement Fed season to date
(kg DM/cow) |
PKE 463
Baleage 62 |
PKE 447
Baleage 138 |
PKE 173 |
| Homegrown Silage Fed to date (kg DM/cow) | 340 | 239 | 254 |
| Homegrown Silage on hand (kg DM/cow) | 0 | 0 | 188 |
| Average Body Condition Score (Milkers) | 4.13 | 3.94 | 4.21 |
| Nitrogen to date – 2024/25 Season (kg N/ha) | 161 | 145 | 0 |
| Managers Worry Score (1 = Low, 10 = High) | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Rainfall (last two weeks) | 2 | ||
*Pasture growth rates are calculated using uncalibrated platemeter readings
CURRENT MANAGEMENT
- With only 2 mm rain in the last fortnight and none in the forecast we are starting to reduce cow numbers on the two higher stocked farms. All culls will go in the Baseline and Alternative Pastures herds to reduce any weight loss and allow us to ration supplement further.
- The Low Emissions farm is maintaining BCS and milk production so we will leave culls milking on this farm.
- We limit imported feed on all farms to 800kgDM/cow (approximately 15% of total) so that the differences in pasture systems are not masked by high supplement use. At current feeding rates we may need to dry some cows off in March if significant rain has not fallen, so we are reducing stocking rates now to extend remaining supplement allowance.
- Our cricket baiting appears to have been successful with clover recovering around the soil cracks.