Seasonal distribution of pasture production in New Zealand

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Abstract
Pasture growth rates are presented for three valley floor sites in Central Otago: at Arrowtown and Cromwell on irrigated pasture, and at Poolburn in the Ida Valley on both dryland and irrigated pasture. Yields were obtained from grazing trials cut by a standardised method 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. On dryland pasture at Poolburn, peak growth generally occurred in spring, although spring-summer growth was very variable. However, on irrigated pastures at Poolburn, Cromwell, and Arrowtown, growth rates rose steeply in September-October to reach a spring-summer peak At all sites growth declined through autumn until May and there was little or no winter growth. The patterns of pasture growth were similar on irrigated brown-grey earth soils at Poolburn and Cromwell. On all three irrigated sites, about 35% of the annual yield was produced in the spring months of September, October, and November; 45% in summer; and 20% in autumn. General climatological data, rainfall, and temperature during the pasture measurement period are given for each site.

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