Nick Russell, Pleasant Point, South Canterbury

John Smith, Wendonside, northern Southland

Nick Scott, East Otago

 

Derek Chamberlain and brother Terry, Westrange Station, Western Southland

"I put our smallest store lambs on Pasja - usually under 26kg - because its very high ME allows them to catch up with the others," says Peter, who farms an East Chatton sheep, beef and arable property in partnership with his parents Graeme and Elspeth.

James and Marita Lundy farm at Okuku, just north of Christchurch. As well as running an agricultural contracting business, providing hay and baleage making and cultivation, the couple also graze dairy stock on an additional lease block at nearby Loburn.

Major Plus is the automatic first choice for a first-crop swede on the property of dairy farmers Tony and Susan McDonnell, at Clarendon, near Milton. The McDonnells milk 560 cows on 200ha, as well as having two run-off blocks.

Barkant turnips provide a useful summer production boost and are a good safety net if conditions turn dry, says Allan, a 50-50 sharemilker.

A competition, run by PGG Wrightson Seeds for New Zealand farmers to go into the draw to win a new car, recently came to a close.

PGG Wrightson Seeds are the leaders in the field of novel endophyte technology and in conjunction with Agresearch and Grasslanz Technology bring you Science on Farm, a comprehensive story detailing:

 

Feast II tetraploid Italian ryegrass's impressive ability to quickly get going in spring and grow well all year round has made it an automatic choice since it became commercially available, says Alex, who leases his family's sheep and beef property at Glentunnel.

 

Hill country sheep and beef farmers, Andrew and Fiona Ross, Albury, say they have used Maverick GII short rotation ryegrass for the last six years for its reliable ability to "just keep growing" in tough conditions.

Paul Franklin, who farms two dairy units as Springhill Dairies, has moved away from using Italian ryegrass to sowing Delish tetraploid short rotation ryegrass with AR1 because of its performance and persistence.

 

Completely resowing a new Southland dairy conversion with Banquet II tetraploid long rotation ryegrass has enabled it to immediately reap top milksolids production on a largely grass-based system.

 

Brian and Julie Pirie milk 840 cows on 234 hectares on the western Hauraki Plains near Thames.

For around 15 years Grasslands Pacific perennial ryegrass has been a reliable performer, especially on harder country, says Murray, who farms near the shores of Lake Waihola, between Outram and Milton

Grasslands Kamo perennial ryegrass with AR37 has been used for the last four years by brothers Mike and Bernie Kearins on their sheep, beef and bull finishing property near Te Kuiti. The hill country property runs 1000 bulls and steers, 2000 ewes and 600 hoggets.

 

"Expo AR1 is always the first paddock we go back to. Once you've grazed it, its strong, vigorous growth means it is always well ahead of other paddocks,"

Having ryegrass pastures wiped out by porina in less than six months prompted Marlborough dairy farmer Tony Sorenson to sow Extreme perennial ryegrass with AR37. Tony farms two neighbouring dairy units milking a total of 650 cows at Okaramio Valley, near Havelock.

 

Stonehenge Station in the Maniototo basin, farmed by the Hore family for 100 years experiences extremes in temperatures, with an annual average rainfall of just 290mm to 360mm. Covering 7600 hectares, Stonehenge carries a Merino stud of 800 ewes, commercial Merino flock of 9600 ewes and 300 Hereford cows.

Malcolm Pratt runs a mixed livestock finishing and cropping operation near Palmerston North, as well as running an agricultural and earthmoving contracting business.

 

Development of a 1000 hectare block by topdressing and oversowing with Tahora II small leaf white clover is enabling Greenvale Station, a 10,000 hectare hill country property near Garston, to offset an anticipated loss of land through tenure review.

 

Dairy Farmer Aaron Silcock, who milks 340 cows at Reefton, says Kopu II large leaf white clover and Delish tetraploid short rotation ryegrass are a winning combination, providing plenty of grazings.

 

Syd and Janet Judd who farm at Tapora, on the edge of Kaipara Harbour, grew Winter Star II tetraploid annual ryegrass between maize silage crops for the first time in 2010.

Can you see yourself driving round in a brand new Ford XR6 ute?

Bill, who farms the family farm 'Blink Bonnie' at Fordell near Wanganui had heard good things about chicory for finishing lambs, so set up a programme in 2007 to sow Puna II in 2008. Bill had phenominal growth following sowing, with lambs grazing in 48 days.

 

Mark farms at Elsthorpe in Hawkes Bay. The inclusion of summer crop in the farm plan is an important component, both for lamb finishing and for the ongoing pasture improvement programme.

PGG Wrightson Seeds are now on the Country Channel (Sky Tv), if you missed our 'Seed Bytes' segments then view the videos on this website.

To view the videos click on the links below or view on the relevant pages throughout this site:

• Endophytes
  
• Expo Perennial Ryegrass with AR1 Endophyte
  
• Extreme Perennial Ryegrass with AR37 Endophyte
  
• Tetraploids
  
• Pasture Renewal
  
• White Clover
  
• Lucerne
  
• Forage Rape                                  
   

The 2010 Pasture Options Brochure is now available online, this fantastic resource highlights the strong research and development background of PGG Wrightson Seeds and this is reflected in the endophyte options, grass, legume and herb culitivars to suit your farming situation.

Adopting the latest innovative grasses is just one of the projects being tackled in a major development programme on the property of an award-winning Maori farming partnership north of Gisborne.

Pakarae Whangara B5 Partnership is midway through a $2 million, five-year development including fencing, fertiliser, regrassing and reticulated water systems for stock. The extensive 5600 hectare hill property has 11 full-time staff and carries 50,000 stock units following the joining of two neighbouring Maori incorporations of Ngati Konohi in 2006 to provide economies of scale.

Richard Scholefield with Joanne Amyes