16 October 2007 Lincoln University launches major new dryland farming research project

Lincoln University research that will “push the boundaries” of productivity and profitability in dryland farming will be launched with a public field day at Silverwood Farm, Hororata, on Wednesday 24 October.

The research, funded by the MAF’s Sustainable Farming Fund with support from Ravensdown Ltd and Agriseeds Ltd, is responding to a recent survey in which sheep farmers identified improvement in flock productivity and profitability as their greatest need.

Lincoln University agricultural scientists and farm management experts believe it is possible to increase flock productivity on dryland sheep farms through a combination of:

• More efficient ewes, producing more kilograms per weaned lamb against kilograms of mated ewe;
• Increased animal and flock performance through improved pasture quality and feeding value;
• Greater flexibility in farm policies to deal with climate variability.

Two trial units of 87 and 85 hectares, each of 16 paddocks, have been established at Silverwood and stocked with small framed, high fecundity ewes at high stocking rates. One unit is based on high intake/high quality pasture species including lucerne, perennial clovers oversown with annual grasses – the ‘switch system' – winter forage and permanent pastures; the other unit is based on intensively managed perennial grass:clover pasture with one paddock of winter forage and one paddock of lucerne.

Silverwood is a 418-hectare light land farm at Hororata. It is operated under a charitable trust and has been leased by Lincoln University since 1999.

Lincoln University established a farmer reference group to help define research priorities for the farm and the dryland sheep system project is the first big enterprise.

“Farmers in the Silverwood reference group made it clear they wanted to see research that would ‘push the boundaries’ of productivity and profitability in dryland farming,” says the project leader Professor Tony Bywater.

“In discussion with Lincoln University staff the farmers identified ewe efficiency (that is, kilogram per lamb weaned against kilogram per ewe mated); management of high fecundity ewes; maximising lamb numbers; alternative lambing times; and feeder lambs versus finishing lambs, as high priorities for investigation on the animal side.

“On the pasture side, areas regarded as important for research were feed quality and pasture mixes to achieve high performance levels; annual grasses plus nitrogen versus annual legumes versus perennial clovers; winter feeding options; and maintaining high clover pastures.

“Other issues the reference group was keen to see investigated included risk management options with respect to climate and markets; integration with irrigated farms; ICT applications in monitoring and decision-making support; and independent comparisons of competing husbandries and technologies.

“Above all, farmers wanted detailed monitoring to provide a strong benchmark on productivity and profit.”

There are around 3560 dryland farms on the east coast of New Zealand, covering some 1.64 million hectares and carrying 12.2 million stock units.

“The main constraint to increased productivity on these farms is the risk inherent in the highly variable growing environment of a dryland farm,” says Professor Bywater.

“Most farmers adopt a conservative policy, keeping costs down and maintaining a relatively low stocking rate to reduce the risk of running out of feed.

“In the Silverwood trials we will be looking at greater flexibility in farm policies to deal with climate variability. We will stock for better than average seasons and build in as many flexibilities as possible to reduce feed demand when pasture production is less than expected.”

The field day at Silverwood Farm on Wednesday 24 October starts at 1.30pm. Silverwood is on Leeches Road, 5.75 km west of the Selwyn sawmill on the road from Hororata to Windwhistle. All interested farmers, industry representatives and members of the public are welcome. No prior registration is necessary.

Ian Collins, Communications Group, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand