Noel,
I have checked leaf stage a lot over the past few months, all over
Gippsland. In the last week or so, paddocks rested about 60 to 65 days
were on three full leaves.
Maybe you are counting them a little bit differently. Next time I see you,
we can compare notes.
Maybe, because you are in the lower part of a valley you are a bit colder
than other places; that could make a bit of difference.
Growth is a very different thing to leaf appearance, and does vary
enormously. I have recently seen three leaf ryegrass over a whole paddock
that was no more 5 cm high and conversely, three leaf ryegrass 3/4 of a
gumboot high (I had better make that clearer, because of the diff sized
gumboots: 25 cm) over the whole paddock, both grazed about 60 days
ago. And one of the main causes for the difference was grazing management,
plus a bit of N ;-).
Regards
Frank.
At 04:50 PM 6/08/2006, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>I am puzzled as to why the ryegrass in my district is so much slower to
>reach 3 leaves than elsewhere.
>I was at a seminar last week having the usual discussion before the meeting
>started i.e. weather, calving, rotation length.
>I was surprised to hear that in the MID 55 -60 day rotation has been the
>average, as my pastures were taking 75 days to reach the same leaf stage
>that was 2.5 leaves I am wondering why the difference ? I checked with a
>neighbour and looked at one of his paddocks today which had been out for 85
>days and we estimated it to be at 2.7 leaves which gives a winter rotation
>of approx. 90 days.
>I have at times said that the ryegrass here does not grow at the same rate
>as elsewhere only to be told that I was wrong and to check it again. well
>they are wrong! It does grow at different rates at different locations on
>the same day of the year..
>So the question is WHY?
>What are the limiting factors to plant growth rate in order of priority?
>Sunlight...temperature...?
>What if I have 2 hours per day less sunlight than the MID or that as soon as
>the sun drops below a hill the temperature drops 4 degrees in 15 minutes
>then continued down do 0-2 degrees C. every night, could this have any
>effect?
>
>Noel Pattinson
>Greenacres
>Willung
>Gippsland
>Victoria
Frank Tyndall
Consultant
VicDairy-L manager
Box 1011
Sale Vic 3850
ftyndall@ozemail.com.au
0409 940 782
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