Open AccessEXPERIENCE WITH LUCERNE-GRASS SYSTEMS FOR SHEEP PRODUCTION
Author(s) -
T. J. Fraser,
E. W. Vartha
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
proceedings of the new zealand grassland association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1179-4577
pISSN - 0369-3902
DOI - 10.33584/jnzg.1979.41.1535
Subject(s) - domestic sheep reproduction , agronomy , perennial plant , hay , irrigation , context (archaeology) , stocking rate , stocking , biology , grazing , zoology , paleontology
Limitations that were experienced with Jucerne/Tama are discussed chiefly in a dryland context. With irrigation, the addition of Matua prairie grass, 'Grasslands G14' phalaris, and Nui ryegrass with white clover to the lucerne/Tama system enabled less reliance to be placed on hay feeding in winter. End-of-September lambing in an attempt to achieve better matching of feed supply and demand has proven to be unsatisfactory for lamb finishing in dominantly lucerne systems. Change to greater content of perennial grass should enable earlier lambing at beginning of September, even at a high stocking rate (22 ewes/ha), and this is currently being researched. Improved lamb performance is also desired.