Yields of 25 species and cultivars were compared under irrigated and dryland management on a soil of the Grampians set. Species were grown as pure standards at 3 fertiliser levels (0, 250, or 800 kg per ha per a superphosphate for legumes plus 0, 115, or 345 kg per ha per a of nitrogen for grasses) with basal sulphur and molybdenum added for all species. Depending on species, herbage was cut and removed under either a 6-week or 4-week cutting interval for 2 or 3 years. Yields from 5 legume treatments exceeded 15 tDM per ha per a under irrigation and 9 exceeded 5 tDM per ha per a under dryland conditions. The legumes were generally the highest yielding, grasses only equalling legume production at high N levels. The productivity rating of the legumes was in the following approximate order: Wairau lucerne (best), Hamua, Pawera and Turoa red clover, alsike clover, Huia and Pitau white clover, and then hybrid, Maku, and G4703 lotus. The yield of a Huia white clover/Ruanui ryegrass mixture was similar to that of white clover alone. Within the grasses, with both superphosphate and N fertiliser added, the ranking was: Kahu timothy (under 6-week cutting cycle as compared with 4-weeks for others), Apanui cocksfoot, Roa tall fescue, Matua and Butts prairie grasses, Ariki ryegrass, Nui, Ruanui, and Manawa ryegrasses, Massey Basyn Yorkshire fog, phalaris, dogstail browntop, and Poa pratensis. The yield ratio of irrigated:dryland averaged 3.4 for legumes,and 2.0 for grasses. In a subsequent experiment several species showed up to 50% increase in annual yield under 6 weeks as compared with a 4 week cutting

The South Island hill and high country is defined as those areas which were in natural grassland at the time of early European settlement. This includes the major geographical regions of dry hill and high country of Marlborough, Canterbury and North Otago, and the wet acid tussock grasslands of Otago and Southland. To define the most appropriate pasture species for farming in these areas, it is first necessary to define the appropriate environmental factors since they largely determine the types of farming systems possible. Once this has been done, it will be found that there are only one or two pasture species which are the best option in each environment or farming system.

No abstract

Half-bred ewe hoggets, aged 7 months, grazing developed tussock grassland blocks in the Lake Ohau area were supplemented with Se, Cu, Co, and I either alone or in various com-I-inations. Live-weight changes were observed over 13 months. The largest response was a 9% greater gain in weight of the sheep receiving Se, the differential being established during the major weight-gain period of spring and summer.A minor response to I (4% increase) and a small Se X Co interaction during the winter i'nd autumn were shown.

Plant species present on a developed and undeveloped tussock block were assessed at 2-monthly intervals by a method which ranked the 10 most abundant species at sample points along set transects.The Vegetation on areas with abundant sheep faeces differed only in the proportions of the common species, the relative importance of N. clavata and A. millefolium being higher on the developed block.Seasonal availability maxima were: T. repens and D. glomerata, spring; A. odoratum and F. rubra, spring and summer; and A. tenuis, autumn, winter, and early spring.