Providing science-based information to support decision making about what to plant and how to manage it is key to supporting a resilient hill country farming future.
Legumes: The powerhouse of pastoral farming
Legumes can transform farm productivity while protecting fragile hill country landscapes. With the right management, they play a vital role in sustainable farming.
Explore these resources
An introduction to some key considerations when using legumes in your farm system.
- Legumes 101 (PDF, 3.4MB)
- Animal production from legumes (PDF, 3.4MB)
- Hill Country Futures – legumes (podcast)
Lucerne at Willesden
Watch this practical video series showcasing lucerne management techniques, seasonal challenges, and livestock grazing strategies to boost farm productivity in hill country environments.
- Lambing hoggets
- The effect of altitude on seasonal production; renewing old stands
- Successful establishment of new stands
- Productivity compared with grass-based pastures
- Autumn and winter management
- Grazing management post-weaning with lambed hoggets
- Rotationally grazing ewe hoggets with lambs at foot
Optimising hill country pastures
See our collection of practical guides and factsheets to support effective pasture management, weed control, and livestock production in hill country farming systems.
- Broadleaf weed control in emerging subterranean clover (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Subterranean clover tolerance to waterlogging (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Animal production from lucerne based pastures (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- Animal production from annual clover/plantain based pastures (PDF, 1.5 MB)
- Using subterranean clover (PDF, 349 KB)
- Lucerne establishment (spring) weed control options (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Lucerne winter weed control options (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Production and persistence of dryland pastures (PDF, 1.5 MB)
- Explaining pasture water use (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Pasture mixes for dryland farming systems (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Live weight production of sheep grazing dryland pastures (PDF, 1.3 MB)
AgYields: Supporting pasture planning decisions
AgYields is a powerful tool for pasture growth prediction and farm decision-making.
Learn more about AgYields:
- AgYields 101 (PDF, 3.4 MB)
- Hill Country Futures – AgYields National Database (podcast)
- Hill Country Futures: AgYields National Database (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- AgYields website
- AgYields tutorials (videos)
- AgYields publication (NZ Grassland Association journal)
Modelling lucerne: Understanding growth patterns
Explore how different models simulate lucerne growth to help improve pasture management and productivity.
- Modelling lucerne yields across New Zealand (PDF, 3.4 MB)
- Hill Country Futures – The TGM model (podcast)
- Hill Country Futures – The APSIM Model (podcast)
Latest research insights
Explore the science publications below for research-backed insights to help you select and manage pastures more effectively.
- Simplified methods for on-farm prediction of yield potential of grazed lucerne crops in New Zealand
- Legumes are the key to increasing productivity at ‘Inverary’, a summer moist hill/high country farm in mid-Canterbury
- A review of legume research and extension in New Zealand (1990–2022)
- Evaluating the benefits of mixed plantain/chicory/clover pastures in a Hawke’s Bay sheep breeding and finishing farm
- Resident hill country pasture production in response to temperature and soil moisture over 20 years in Central Hawke’s Bay
- What are the best pasture improvement options for different South Island hill and high-country environments?