Dear all,
I have four ryegrass plots, watered reasonably well but not perfectly. I
have a tensiometer in one, so I don't let them get too dry, about the same
as a typically irrigated paddock. They are at Inverloch which I am sure is
a bit cooler than say Maffra.
1: Dys since grazed: 60 Leaf stage: 4.1 Avge leaf
appearance: 14.6
2: Dys since grazed: 49 Leaf stage: 3.6 Avge leaf
appearance: 13.6
3: Dys since grazed: 32 Leaf stage: 2.2 Avge leaf
appearance: 14.5
4: Dys since grazed: 22 Leaf stage: 1.5 Avge leaf
appearance: 14.7
Yesterday I checked leaves on a irrigated paddock at Newry (near Maffra):
2.3 leaves, 27 days since grazing: average LAR 12 days.
I reckon trying to pick one leaf after grazing is tricky. How much are you
allocating to the remnant leaf? What about the bit of variation you find
in the one clump? After 10 days it is a bit tricky to say you have 0.7 of
a leaf (i.e. 14.3 day leaf appearance) or 1.3 leaves (i.e. 7.7 day leaf
appearance)? And remember not to count tillers that are seeding, or
counting poa. At one leaf I think it is pretty easy to find whatever you
want to find. And it is the leaf stage when the cows actually arrive at a
paddock to be grazed that matters. I doubt there would be a paddock in
irrigated Gippsland that is sitting at three leaves right now that was
grazed less than 30 days ago, and for dryland 40 days plus.
Some 30 day rotation paddocks I have seen recently were great: huge amount
of feed and quality still ok. Others had a bit too much decay underneath
and some with too much paspalum to warrant going to 30 days.
Danny, what is the go with summer rain on dryland? You get green growth
again but hot dry weather is still likely. Is it best to hold some sort of
rotation (it will go dry) or eat it all off as quick as possible while
still green?
Recently there has been some good discussion about the profitability of
dairyfarming. Mostly external factors were mentioned. I think grazing
rotation is a very important profit driver that a farmer has total control
over. It drives pasture consumption which drives the cost of feed.
Happy rotation length setting
Frank Tyndall
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