THE PALATABLE,
PERSISTENT HERB
Puna II
chicory
- High dry matter production
- A true perennial chicory that lasts more than one year
- Multi-graze option, recovers quickly after grazing
- Semi-erect for better crop utilisation by grazing animals
- Better winter activity than Puna chicory
- Thick, deep taproot offering drought tolerance
- Strong persistence
- Tolerant to sclerotinia
- Excellent first year production
Grasslands Puna II chicory is a high yielding forage with good nutritional value for grazing animals. It is a high quality feed for spring to late autumn. Puna II is a New Zealand bred, broad-leaved, perennial forage herb with a true perennial chicory parentage. Extensive animal data has been generated on chicory. Grazing evaluations and trials have confirmed Puna II delivers high dry matter production, improved post-grazing regrowth and greater persistence.
Sowing and establishment
Chicory should be sown no deeper than 10 mm. Seed may be broadcast or direct drilled under favourable conditions. Soil temperatures of 12 °C for spring sowings are recommended; however, early autumn sowing is possible, as long as the chicory has established before going dormant in the cool season. Superstrike® seed treatment is recommended to improve seedling establishment.
Grazing management
Puna II chicory is cool season dormant, but with high growth rates over spring, summer and autumn. Chicory should be rotationally grazed to optimise performance and persistence. Hard grazing, particularly in wet conditions, may cause damage to the crown and can affect post-grazing regrowth and dry matter production.
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Dairy cows grazing Puna II chicory in Waikato region.
SOWING RATE
A chicory pure stand can be established at 5-7 kg/ha (Superstrike® treated seed). Chicory combines well with most grasses and clovers; incorporate Puna II chicory into a pasture mix at 0.5-2 kg/ha. As a dominant component of a pasture mix with Superstrike® treated white clover and/or red clover, Puna II chicory can be sown at 4-6 kg/ha.
Pure stand: 5-7 kg/ha
Standard pasture mix: 0.5-2 kg/ha
Clover pasture mix: 4-6 kg/ha (Superstrike treated white clover and/or red clover)
A lamb grazing Puna II chicory in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.
“Puna II has added huge value to the farm now for four years. The lambs finished on Puna II have had a 2 kg/head increase over the lambs finished on grass. It has been a great tool to prevent facial eczema in my lambs.”
