Future Farm Systems Trial Update 21 August 2025
This project compares the impact on productivity, profitability, people and the environment on three farms:
- 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 21st August 2025 | Baseline Farm | Alternative Pastures Farm | Low Emissions Farm |
| Average Pasture Cover (kg DM/ha) | 1,999 | 2,139 | 2,017 |
| Pasture Growth (kg DM/ha/d, last 2 weeks) * | 33 | 36 | 23 |
| Rotation Length (days, last 10 days) | 37 | 38 | 42 |
| Cows in Milk/Total Cows | 73/83 | 69/83 | 53/66 |
| Production/cow/day (kg MS/cow) | 1.85 | 2.08 | 2.04 |
| Production/ha/day (kg MS/ha) | 4.19 | 4.23 | 3.21 |
| Production/cow season to date (kg MS/cow) | 32 | 30 | 30 |
| Production/ha season to date (kg MS/ha) | 97 | 89 | 71 |
| Supplement Offered Milkers (kg DM/cow/day) | PKE 4.5 | PKE 2.7 | PKE 2.7 |
| Purchased Supp Fed season to date (kg DM/c) | PKE 247 | PKE 251 | PKE 73 |
| Homegrown Silage Fed to date (kg DM/cow) | 0 | 0 | 128 |
| Homegrown Silage on hand (kg DM/cow) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Average Body Condition Score (Milkers) | 4.20 | 4.36 | 4.22 |
| % cows below BCS 4.0 | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Nitrogen to date – 2025/26 Season (kg N/ha) | 48 | 48 | 0 |
| Managers Worry Score (1 = Low, 10 = High) | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Rainfall (last two weeks) | 58 | ||
*Pasture growth rates are calculated using uncalibrated platemeter readings
CURRENT MANAGEMENT
- Pasture covers have continued to drop due to the cold wet weather. A drier spell this week will help firm up soil conditions.
- Pasture growth at NARF has averaged 26 kg DM/ha/day over the last 4 weeks while the long-term average for the same period is 37 kg/day. The platemeter does overestimate pasture cover this time of year, especially on our Italian ryegrass pastures, so these numbers are a bit exaggerated.
- Our grazing rotation has continued to be slightly shorter than planned, targeting 38-40 days now.
- With declining pre-graze pasture covers, we will increase the PKE fed on the Baseline and Alternative Pastures Farms to 5-6kg/c/d to adequately feed the milkers. Milkers on the lower stocked Low Emissions Farm are ok on 3kg/c/d.
- Nitrogen at 100 kg/ha of Ammo36 continues behind the cows on the Baseline and Alternative Pastures Farms. Paddocks on the Low Emissions Farm are not looking too nitrogen hungry, maybe a reflection of very good clover levels throughout the previous season.