North Island Farmers Recover from Devastating Storms
NEW ZEALAND – Dairy farmers should stock take feed and boost pasture growth following the July floods, says DairyNZ after widespread weather events have left pasture plans in ruins and ruined many feed stores.
19 August 2014
1 minute read
Deals from merchants and banks should be shopped around for to help with the recovery process, advises DairyNZ regional leader Tafi Manjala.
"We're advising farmers to work out how much feed they have compared to how much they will need and take early action if required. This includes contracting some feed to ensure continuous supply,” said Mr Manjala.
He added that reseeding pastures will have to be discussed with seed specialists and fertiliser options can help pastures to recover.
Applications of sulphate of ammonia at 150 kg/ha should be followed by 80 kg/ha of urea as cows graze paddocks in the next rotation with the DairyNZ message being that ‘fertiliser will not grow pasture sitting in the shed’.
After grazing, DairyNZ advises that giberrellic acid can stimulate pasture growth within five days. Three to four weeks should follow an application before re-grazing.
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