While the wet summer in some areas has been good for grass growth, some kale winter forage crops have been affected by rainfall, with some crops rotting in the ground.
Canterbury-based agronomist Caleb Pomare – Edwards from Luisetti Seeds says this has been a problem in areas throughout Canterbury, and he recommends farmers assess their crops and talk to their agronomists about their options if significant parts of the crop have been affected.
He says it is not too late to stitch a fast-growing crop, such as rape into rain-damaged kale crops or start again and grow an annual grass maybe in combination with a forage oat and legume.
This mix will come away and be used for grazing over winter and spring and or shut up and cut for silage later in the year.
He says there are options, but he encourages farmers to act now rather than hope rain-damaged crops will recover.
Farmers should also measure their crops and assess their feed requirements with a feed budget to make sure they are on track to have enough feed for winter.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is encouraging farmers to start putting together a Winter Grazing Plan, thinking about how they will manage their winter forage crops to protect both animal welfare and their natural resources.
Tom Orchiston, B+LNZ’s Environment Project Lead, says forage crops play an important role in keeping animals well-fed and healthy throughout the winter months, but farmers do need to assess and mitigate any risks associated with the practice.
“I strongly recommend farmers put together a Winter Grazing Plan which includes stock and crop management for each paddock. Ideally it should include factors such as direction of grazing, the placement of fences, troughs, supplementary feed, critical source areas, proximity to waterways, shelter, loafing areas and adverse weather contingency plans.”
“There is a lot of information and support for farmers who are grazing winter forage crops, and we encourage farmers to tap into these resources or ring their regional council to get regional-specific information about their winter grazing practices.”