VI. Wairakei, pasture and lucerne production

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Abstract
Pasture growth rates are presented for a hill and flatland site on pumice soils at Wairakei for a 7-year period. They were obtained from grazing trials cut 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. The growth pattern at each site had a spring and early summer peak, a summer depression, and a smaller but more variable peak in autumn. On the flatland site spring growth and the early autumn flush were delayed compared with the hill site. The hill site had substantially higher growth rates than the flatland site. At both sites about 8% of the annual yield was produced in winter (June, July, and August), 38% in spring, 37% in summer, and 17% in autumn. Spring, summer, and autumn growth rates were more variable on the flatland site than on the hill site, but this was reversed in winter. Seasonal growth rates and annual yields of lucerne over 5 years from a flatland site 200 m from the pasture flatland site are also presented. Cuts were taken at the hay stage throughout the year without grazing of the area. About 36% of the annual yield was produced in spring, 49% in summer, and 15% in autumn. Winter growth was negligible. Lucerne production was most reliable in summer and least reliable in autumn, but normally it was much more consistent than pasture production. General climatological data and rainfall and temperature data during the measurement periods are given.

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