IV. Westport and Motueka

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Pasture growth rates are presented for two sites in northern South Island, one near Westport on a gley podzol soil, the other near Motueka on a yellow-brown earth. Growth rates were obtained from grazed pastures assessed by a standardised cutting method at regular intervals using a movable cage technique. The mean yield and standard error of individual samples over all years of measurement are given for standard dates at 14-day intervals. Pasture at the Westport site reached maximum growth in November, December, and January, with little growth from May to September. On average, 11% of the annual yield was produced during winter (Tune, July, August), 27% in spring, 44% in summer, and 18% in autumn. White clover had a similar growth pattern, but perennial ryegrass had peak growth rates in late summer and 40% of its annual yield was produced during summer. In contrast, pasture growth rates at Motueka reached a peak in spring, dropped sharply in January–February, then rose in March–April, and decreased in winter. On average about 13% of the annual yield was produced during winter, 46% in spring, 20% in summer, and 21% in autumn, growth from the last two seasons being most variable. The growth pattern of perennial ryegrass closely followed that of the entire sward, but white clover had peak growth rates in spring and summer, each of these seasons contributing 37% of the annual yield. General climatological data, rainfall, and temperature during the pasture measurement periods are given for each site.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: