Hi Greg,
I could not resist a few queries on the validity of the fescue data.
I am certainly not questioning the success of the fescue, but it does
concern me that the paddock being used for comparison may not be very
similar in some regards.
The first point I would like to clarify is the paddock size, has
this been taken into account in calculating the grazings? 2.44 ha (fescue)
compared to 2.06 ha.
The next point would be the soil test variation's, the soil test's
done prior (below) to cultivation on these paddock's showed large
variations, have soil tests been done since and are the paddock's now
reasonably similar?
Fescue 14 Rye 23
P-Olsen 29 24
P-colwell 100 73
K-colwell 260 130
sulfur 39 17
conductivity .17 .67
carbon 2.9 2.8
ph cal/clor 4.9 4.5
ph water 5.7 5.3
aluminium .17 .67
cations
calcium 5.3 4.3
magnesium 3.08 1.75
sodium .6 .21
potassium .58 .29
sum of cations 3.76 7.24
Also do you think that the summer nitrogen use may have more benefit
to either pasture, did the high pasture cover on the farm this season
benefit either, was the rotation length optimised for both types of pasture,
and did this affect the ME assumption? Sunday I stopped for a look at 23 and
nut grass seemed more of a problem, distichum was mainly restricted to the
area at the top of the paddock around the bay outlet's.
It should also be remembered that the fescue paddock had a crop of
turnips prior to development which certainly helped the soil structure.
All in all I think it would be safe to say that the difference is
probably not quite so great, there are certainly problems in paddock (23),
is it your best performing ryegrass paddock?
I would also like to query paddocks 13, 15 and 16 next to paddock 23,
has the MRF farm map changed again, on my map they are either side of 14 and
are lacking topsoil,drainage and have poor soil structure?
PS: What is this mentor thing you mentioned? Something like a minataur with
a different quantity of "BULL"? :-)
regards, Peter.
Peter Gault.
Dairyfarmer.
Macalister Irrigation Area.
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