Farm trials test pasture mixes that last past two years
Longer rotations in the first year are being tested to see if they help new pastures establish.
|October 28, 2026Listen to the full interview:
A seven-year research programme is testing pasture mixes that stand up to upper North Island weather extremes.
DairyNZ senior scientist Dr Elena Minnee says the programme began a year ago after farmers called for action on pastures declining about two years after establishment.
“We’re trying to evaluate under different soils, different topography, different sub-climates to understand what performs well and where and why,” she says.
She says about 15 Northland farmers are evaluating tall fescue, cocksfoot and ryegrass and white clover mixes at paddock scale, with less common species trialled in smaller plots.
A trial at Scott Farm tests how to manage tall fescue for persistence and productivity.
“The cultivars we have today are quite different.”
To learn more, visit dairynz.co.nz
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