Hi Neil and others,
Finally got to look at the paddocks that were grazed 3 weeks ago to follow
up on your question.
Some grazed tillers were 1/2 leaf and others 2 leaves with most in between.
This was a surprise to me. Don't see this variability at the top end of
the rotation and/or at most other times of the year. The tillers are fairly
small (~10 cm or so). Assume it is variability due to heat/moisture
stress (some delayed putting up a leaf) or perhaps leaves emerging at
grazing but escaping the cow hence having a head start.
Not sure what current LAR I would give this paddock.
Also of interest is the number of small tillers with 4 leaves. I assume
these missed grazing last time. They have remained green and healthy. The
recent rains and over cast conditions have been very kind to our pastures.
Often only able to have 2 healthy leaves in Feb due to heat and moisture
stress.
Having said all this, hope we all get some rain soon.
Greg
|---------+---------------------------->
| | nlane@dcsi.net.au|
| | |
| | 17/02/2006 08:17 |
| | PM |
| | Please respond to|
| | vicdairy-l |
| | |
|---------+---------------------------->
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| To: vicdairy-l@unimelb.edu.au |
| cc: |
| Subject: RE: LAR in gippsland areas |
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Greg, it sounds like the judgment call you've made (and one that I can't
argue with from afar) is that pasture cover from the recent growth spike
can
be carried forward without significant losses. No doubt that the 50 day
round has gone very close to maximizing the amount of pasture available if
leaf emergence has averaged 15-17 days for the past 50 days.
Greg, I would be interested to know where your leaf stage is at for
paddocks
that were grazed 20 days ago - my guess would be similar to what you're
grazing today. I too would hold a 40-50 day round if I thought this would
continue to see pastures grazed close to 3 leaves with the strong proviso
being that pasture consumption was not going to be impacted by the likes of
rust or pastures shriveling away to nothing in a late summer heat wave.
This
is the basis of my pessimistic weather prediction in that we have had a
spike of growth that is rapidly coming to an end and there is minimal
growth
potential left without further rain but significant potential downside
(particularly pasture quality). To put my optimists hat on and in (what now
looks like) the unlikely event that we get sufficient rain to keep
continuing what would be a very early "autumn" break, then leaf emergence
will stay at 6-8 days and 20-25 days would be required to be grazing too
far
beyond 3 leaves.
On a slightly separate topic, I think it's important to distinguish b/w
average LAR rates since the last grazing and what LAR has been for the
latest leaf to emerge. Walk backwards into your rotation and when you find
the paddock where 1 leaf has emerged, the interval b/w today and this day
is
your latest leaves LAR. To decide on what your rotation should be you then
need to make a judgment call as to what LAR's are doing today,
tomorrow......
Cheers, Neil.
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg.O'Brien@dpi.vic.gov.au [mailto:Greg.O'Brien@dpi.vic.gov.au]
Sent: Friday, 17 February 2006 2:51 PM
To: vicdairy-l@unimelb.edu.au
Subject: Re: LAR in gippsland areas
Extended Lactation herds at Ellinbank are on a 50 day rotation with tillers
containing just under 3 new leaves above residual in the paddock they are
currently grazing.
Some tillers have 4 leaves but they don't have a residual leaf (indicating
they were below grazing height at last grazing, so 4th leaf was presumably
present at last grazing rather than 4 leaves growing in the last 50 days).
All leaves healthy. Wilting today (red soil). 50 days seems ideal for us
at this stage.
Greg O'Brien,
Dairy Extension Officer
DPI, Victoria
RMB 2460 Hazeldean Road,
Ellinbank, Victoria, Australia
3821
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