Tall fescues having an impact in New Zealand

摘要

TALL FESCUES are taking over from perennial ryegrass on an increasing number of New Zealand cattle farming operations. At the recent New Zealand Grasslands Society conference field day, Himitangi dairy farmers, Grant and Kat-rina Barber, described howtheir pasture improvement program was based on tall fescue varieties. Further north near Taupo, Peter and Anna Davies, are heading in the same direction. Even in the New Zealand North Island environment where rainfall provides a 10 to 12 month growing season, these farmers are finding tall fescue is outpersisting perennial ryegrass by two or three years under intensive grazing practiced. "We are finding tall fescue paddocks are maintaining plant density for eight years compared with five for ryegrass.We get another two years from these paddocks by direct drilling with tetraploid ryegrasses before having to renovate and replant," Peter Davies says.