The 2018 season in South West Vic last winter produced cold conditions and late rain which often reduces pasture growth significantly and is often referred to as a ‘Green Drought’, as feed in these conditions is often green but lacks bulk.
In the Timboon area, local agronomist Clinton Worden has worked with a number of dairy farms on adding a foliar spray to keep up pasture growth and improve density during this period of slow feed.
These applications produced an instant growth response with Landmark’s Loveland Maximum N-Pact, combined with natural growth hormones (gibberellic acid) and the other essential growth nutrients (nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus) that were delivered with NutriMAX Growth. The NutriMAX Growth also incorporated calcium and trace elements to strengthen plant cells and feed the pasture with essential nutrition to create bulk and density in the growth.The spray was combined with other herbicide and/or insecticides that were being applied.
Clint commented “It worked really well bulking up the pastures, that farmers were following the cows with a spray after every graze.”
Later in the season during late spring the spray was modified slightly dropping out the hormone component. With the objective to extend the growing season once things had started to dry off.
“We noticed that the spray caused a delay in pasture running to head or ‘haying off’, which meant there was a longer growing season for feed.
The combination of instant hit nitrogen and the nutrient balance in NutriMAX Growth resulted in an increase in feed bulk and extended the season for pasture feed last year.”
“It is good to have these options to bring into the fertiliser program when you are working with different seasonal conditions, essentially it’s important to keep feed up to the cows.”
