Future Farm Systems Update 18 Sept 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 16th September 2025 | Baseline Farm | Alternative Pastures Farm | Low Emissions Farm |
| Average Pasture Cover (kg DM/ha) | 2,216 | 2,227 | 1,979 |
| Pasture Growth (kg DM/ha/d, last 2 weeks) * | 63 | 55 | 38 |
| Rotation Length (days, last 10 days) | 30 | 28 | 32 |
| Cows in Milk/Total Cows | 81/83 | 82/83 | 64/65 |
| Production/cow/day (kg MS/cow) | 2.16 | 1.95 | 1.95 |
| Production/ha/day (kg MS/ha) | 6.03 | 5.45 | 4.20 |
| Production/cow season to date (kg MS/cow) | 83 | 76 | 79 |
| Production/ha season to date (kg MS/ha) | 248 | 227 | 184 |
| Supplement Offered Milkers (kg DM/cow/day) | PKE 4.5 | PKE 4.5 | PKE 5.0 |
| Purchased Supp Fed season to date (kg DM/c) | PKE 427
Purch bale 24 |
PKE 367 | PKE 169 |
| Homegrown Silage Fed to date (kg DM/cow) | 0 | 0 | 128 |
| Average Body Condition Score (Milkers) | 4.07 | 4.05 | 4.07 |
| % cows below BCS 4.0 | 25% | 13% | 14% |
| Nitrogen to date – 2025/26 Season (kg N/ha) | 88 | 80 | 0 |
| Managers Worry Score (1 = Low, 10 = High) | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Rainfall (last two weeks) | 68 | ||
*Pasture growth rates are calculated using uncalibrated platemeter readings
CURRENT MANAGEMENT
- What a relief to get a relatively warm dry week. It has been a difficult two months at NARF with below average pasture growth and wet conditions.
- Pasture growth rates lifted last week, we are expecting they will be higher again this week. Pasture growth on the no-N Low Emissions Farm is significantly behind the other farms that have been receiving nitrogen.
- We will cut back the PKE fed on all farms, from 5 kg/cow to 3 kg/cow. We expect we will be able to cut out all supplement by late next week, but with mating coming up we will reduce supplement gradually as pasture intakes rise.
- We continue to target a 30 day rotation.
- Next week we will switch from Ammo 36 back to Sustain. This will be applied at 70 kg/ha behind the cows on the Baseline and Alternative Pastures Farms to help create a surplus for silage.