Pasture and forage options for store lamb and beef production from South Island hill and high country.

Abstract

In 2005 the Lees Valley Farmers Group applied for a MAF Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) Grant to investigate pasture and forage options for the intensification of South Island Hill and High Country. At the beginning of the project the site was low producing browntop with matagori and sorrel. Over the three years the project looked at a wide range of topics. Questions were answered by Lincoln University dryland research and technical staff who set up, and measured, a range of experiments which covered >10 ha area in the driest, stoniest part of the valley bottom. These experiments looked at: • methods of establishment and their cost, • the effect of lime on the establishment and growth of the introduced pasture species, • forage production, • identification of grass and legumes suited to the environment • which mixtures performed best and when • nitrogen response of grasses • quality of pasture/forage produced. This booklet reports the research results presented at the 2007 field day.