Legumes are the key to increasing productivity at ‘Inverary’, a summer moist hill/high country farm in mid-Canterbury

Abstract

About half the 4250 ha of Inverary is undeveloped mountain land above 750 m a.s.l. There are 300 ha of river flats, where lucerne and winter feed crops are grown, and 300 ha conventional grass/clover pastures. Limited areas of clover/plantain and winter feed crops have been established at ~700 m a.s.l. on easy rolling country. The 1600 ha of steep country, dominated by browntop, gives low spring and high summer production that is difficult to manage. In 2009, there were no lucerne or legume rich pastures. The legume emphasis increased animal productivity through improved lambing and lamb weight sold per ewe. Total lamb meat production lifted from 230,113 kg in 2009 to 245,039 kg in 2020, despite 1000 fewer ewes. The current sheep to cattle ratio is 60:40 with 13,000 stock units being wintered. Pre-development, a major shortage of nutritious forage in early spring was compounded by difficulty controlling reproductive grass in summer and autumn. In 2016, total production of legume dominant pastures was 40% more than sown grass/clover pastures with limited nitrogen fertiliser (15 vs. 11 t DM/ha/year). In early spring, legumes had higher growth rates of conventional grass/clover pastures (90 vs. 44 kg DM/ha/day), whereas browntop dominant hill pastures grew 10 kg DM/ha/d and 5 t DM/ha/yr.