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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
Outstanding Performance of Extreme AR37
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
Progress made by the farming partnership was recognised when it won the 2009 Ahuwhenua Trophy - Maori Excellence in Farming Award for sheep and beef. Pakarae Whangara B5 general manager Richard Scholefield says the regrassing programme involves up to 200ha being resown each year following summer lamb finishing crops. Annual, biennial and perennial grass species are used to provide a balance of quality pasture throughout the year. "We are looking to lift the stocking rate and production so need to have horsepower in our grasses." All grass types are used for finishing with the short-term grasses also used to provide a bulk of feed through winter.
Richard says that the outstanding performance of Extreme AR37 perennial ryegrass means he is using it more and more. "I have been comparing it with a few other varieties and it's now our perennial of choice. It seems to withstand the dry and has very good winter-spring production." "Its persistence has been good. We can get rust here, but have encountered no rust with Extreme. "It has to withstand a lot of intensive rotational grazing by big mobs of sheep and cattle. Also intensive finishing, so I am pretty tough on it. "We are prone to drought here, so it has to be able to withstand the climate extremes of a dry summer and wet winter. It's a good all-round perennial grass.
" Using Extreme with the AR37 AgResearch endophyte to provide persistence and resistance against insect attack was a big plus, he says. "The only grasses I use now are AR37". The property carries 25,000 ewes and 1200 beef cows with the balance made up of replacements and finishing cattle including steers, heifers and bulls. It aims to finish all its own stock, but will sell stores in poorer growing years. It also buys in extra lambs depending on the season. Sheep breeding is being moved away from the traditional Romney, with the addition of Finn and Coopworth FE tolerant genetics to address low fertility and facial eczema. Production goals are to increase stock units to 60,000, improve lambing to 140% from 132% now and to achieve an economic farm surplus (EFS) of $400/ha (currently $330/ha).