Reliable data on the rate of cadmium (Cd) accumulation in soils that receive phosphorus (P) fertiliser is vital to help manage the impact of Cd in agricultural systems in New Zealand. Studies of the long-term P fertiliser trial at Winchmore, where soils have received 0, 17, or 34 kg P ha−1 yr−1 for > 60 years, have reported that soil Cd concentrations over the last 15 years have either plateaued or

High-quality RNA from soil is essential for investigating the functionality of soil microbial communities. The affordability the RNA-Seq method enables innovative studies of whole ecosystems but relies on a high quality and quantity of RNA. Different types of soils have different physicochemical properties, and therefore RNA extraction methods are usually investigated for each soil type separately

Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an important legume in dryland hill pastures in New Zealand. In this environment plants adapt to low temperatures (<10°C) through a series of physiological mechanisms, such as the foliar biosynthesis of pigments, to protect vulnerable tissues. The biosynthesis of anthocyanins is one of the most important physiological responses for cold acclimation

In New Zealand cows are usually milked twice a day (TAD), however milking cows once-a-day (OAD) for the entire lactation is steadily increasing. This study aimed to estimate genetic correlations (rg) for milk production traits across TAD and OAD milking frequency (MF) environments from first lactation cows. Lactation yields of milk (MY), fat (FY) and protein (PY), and somatic cell score (SCS) of progeny

The increased milk production of pastured-based mixed dairy systems has involved higher use of concentrates and inputs, which led to increased environmental impacts. Usually these impacts are expressed per unit of product, which does not reflect the local impact per unit of land. The objective of this paper was to estimate global and local environmental impacts per kg of milk and per hectare. Fossil

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma amino acid (AA) concentration and urinary nitrogen (N) concentration of dairy heifers offered cut plantain or perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture indoors. Twelve Jersey-Friesian heifers aged 9–10 months were equally assigned to two dietary treatments (plantain vs. perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture) in a completely

Composite ewes (244 single, 258 twin and 255 triplet born) lambed first either as a one or two-year-old. One-year-old lambing resulted in lighter ewes at both 2nd and 3rd mating. Twin and triplet born ewes were lighter than single born ewes throughout their life. Ewe losses due to lambing as a one-year-old meant fewer ewes left to lamb in later years. This meant that after the two-year-old lambing

This paper reviews the effects of irrigation on soil physical properties, particularly soil water movement and storage, under predominantly pastoral systems. Few studies address how irrigation impacts these in temperate climates, with very few studies under modern spray irrigation and intensive pastoral farming. Irrigation generally means intensive land use will occur. It is difficult to uncouple factors

Concentrations of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se) and iodine (I) were measured in chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) plants previously selected for either high or low foliar cadmium (Cd), and progeny lines from crossings within the high and low Cd populations. Micronutrient levels were lower and more variable, with the exception of Se, in the low Cd progeny

The objective of the study was to estimate genetic parameters of efficiency of crude protein utilisation (ECPU) and its genetic correlation (rG) with other production traits across lactation in grazing dairy cows. Data were originated from 467 (2016–17 season) and 460 cows (2017–18 season) representing Holstein-Friesian (F), Jersey (J) and their crosses (F×J), from two New Zealand farms. The ratio

When pasture supply becomes limiting during the summer dry period in the southern North Island of New Zealand, dairy cows often receive silage and forage crop dietary supplements. The present study investigated the effect of dietary change in late summer-autumn on cow’s urinary N excretion. Fifty-four dairy cows balanced for milk production, age, liveweight, body condition score and days in milk were

A hydrological framework encompassing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and microbial (E. coli) transfer from land to water was developed to provide a consistent and rapid approach for assessing the potential impacts of land activity on water quality in New Zealand. A flow partition approach was used to route precipitation via surface and subsurface pathways from land to water. The framework included a

Currently, comparisons of lamb output from either ewe lambs or mature ewes are confounded, as the age groups are bred to different sires, and lamb at different times. The aim of this experiment was to compare the reproductive performance of ewe lambs and mature ewes, bred at the same time to the same sires, and lambed in the same climatic conditions. The experiment included 1082 mature ewes and 1014

Herbicide-resistant weeds are serious threats to agricultural production. Since a review published in 1996, the number of different examples of weed biotypes developing resistance to one or more herbicides in New Zealand has almost quadrupled. By 1996, six weed species had been shown to have developed resistant biotypes, mostly to either triazine or auxinic herbicides. Most of the herbicide-resistant

This paper presents the results of the latest calibrations of the CLUES model for each of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and Escherichia coli. The model provides estimates of in-stream annual loads of these contaminants for every river reach in the New Zealand River Environments Classification and has been used in New Zealand for catchment planning and policy development. CLUES has been calibrated

Field trials conducted in the Waikato region over three summer seasons (2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10) evaluated whether soil nitrogen (N) reserves at sites previously under long-term pasture and with a history of regular farm dairy effluent application were sufficient for maize production with either minimal or no additional N fertiliser inputs. Crop productivity was assessed in the first (six trials)

Two fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars (‘Rivage’ and SF Brigadier™) were evaluated in a field experiment to quantify the effect of cultivar and sowing date on growth physiology. The crops were sown on 19 September, 17 October, 17 November and 15 December in 2014. Crops were sequentially harvested and separated into storage root, leaf blade and petiole for analysis. Fodder beet growth was sigmoidal;

Improved process understanding of temporal change in soil hydraulic, water retention, and soil physical properties is required to improve modelling of soil-water dynamics. This study reports on temporal trends in soil physical properties for intensive till and no till irrigated wheat, from autumn sowing to summer harvest. There were significant temporal trends for bulk density, readily available water

New Zealand pastoral productivity relies heavily on biological nitrogen (N) fixation from rhizobia bacteria. Cadmium (Cd), present in pasture soils as an impurity in phosphate fertilisers, may have toxic effects on both plant growth and rhizobia activity. Effects of Cd on growth of seedlings of a white clover cultivar ‘Grasslands Tribute’, in the absence and presence of the N2-fixing Rhizobium leguminosarum

Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf, butterprint), a problematic weed of crops in some temperate countries, was introduced into New Zealand in 1948 as a potential fibre crop. It has naturalised in the North Island in the Waikato and Auckland regions but its status at the many sites where it was inadvertently sown in 2015 as a contaminant of Beta vulgaris seed lines remains unknown. To determine the potential

The importance of pasture soils to the New Zealand economy and global food security cannot be understated. Additionally, the importance of soil biodiversity to soil ecosystem functioning and, consequently, food production is becoming apparent. Despite this, our understanding of soil biodiversity is still developing. Here, we review the literature on soil microbial communities inhabiting pasture soils

This study examined the role of earthworms in the stabilisation of soil organic carbon from livestock dung in a long-term mesocosm study, including its incorporation in deeper soil layers and association with particle size fractions. Two earthworm treatments were established, with the abundant and diverse treatment having 390 m−2 less epigeic Lumbricus rubellus, 2400 m−2 more endogeic Aporrectodea

Liveweight production, dry matter yield and botanical composition of three lucerne based pastures (lucerne monoculture, lucerne/brome, lucerne/cocksfoot) were quantified for five years from a grazed, dryland experiment at Ashley Dene, Canterbury. The objective was to determine if liveweight production by sheep was enhanced by inclusion of a companion grass species with lucerne. Over five growth seasons

Herbicide resistance has repeatedly developed under intensive herbicidal weed management regimes globally with 255 species having resistant biotypes. In New Zealand, since 1979, resistance was found in 13 taxa, with >25 herbicides in 8 chemical classes showing reduced effectiveness (i.e. HRAC groups A, B, C, D, F, G, H, N and O). Cases included weeds in turf, pastures, orchards, vineyards, forage and

In New Zealand, a commonly sown pasture combination is perennial ryegrass with white clover. The hydrothermal time model (HTT) was used to quantify germination under different temperature (T) and water potential (WP) conditions for white clover ‘Nomad’ and perennial ryegrass ‘Stellar AR1’. Seeds were germinated in vitro under a range of T × WP combinations, and HTT models were fitted to germination

We tested whether selection of ryegrass for reduced root hair length and density would reduce root competition on white clover for phosphate (P). A Rhizosheath Selection Tool was used to select two ryegrass populations with contrasting root hair traits. These were grown at five soil P levels in a glasshouse experiment and rhizosheath trait selection had no effect on growth or shoot P concentrations

To determine the methane (CH4) emission factors for beef cows in Argentina, we carried out two experiments to test the effect of different diets on methane emission from grazing conditions. In experiment 1, diet consisted of native grass-based pasture vs. sorghum-based pasture (63.1% and 63.5% of dry matter digestibility (DMD) respectively), and in experiment 2, it consisted of native grass-based pasture

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors such as haloxyfop, pinoxaden and clethodim selectively control grass weed species in many types of crop. Here, we characterised two populations of Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass), R and RV, from South Canterbury and Central Otago respectively, that were suspected to be resistant to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides. Based on 50% reduction in biomass

In vitro germination tests were performed at 11 constant temperatures (range 2.5–35°C) to quantify the maximum germination percentage and germination rate of four subterranean clover cultivars (‘Antas’, ‘Denmark’, ‘Monti’ and ‘Narrikup’). These were used to estimate their cardinal temperatures, base (Tb), optimum (Topt) and maximum (Tmax) and the thermal time requirements for seed germination. Germination

The aim of this study was to compare conformation, age at puberty and subsequent milk production of Holstein–Friesian–Jersey crossbred heifers grown in a linear trajectory (Target; n = 55) between 6- and 15-month target liveweights (LWT), with heifers grown in a seasonal manner (Seasonal; n = 55) of slow over first winter and fast over spring. Heifers that grew to Target attained puberty 38 days earlier

A quick test to enable early detection of flumetsulam and MCPA resistance in Ranunculus acris L. subsp. acris was developed in a series of Petri dish assays and pot trials. Initial experiments used seeds (Experiment 1) or cotyledonary seedlings (Experiment 2) from two R. acris populations of known past herbicide exposure, in Petri dishes containing broad ranges of herbicide concentrations. A further

Hexaploid Caucasian clover was grown in soil sampled at three New Zealand South Island high country sites to which specific rhizobium inoculum had been added with sowing of the legume in 1975, 1992 and 1997; two sites on the Lincoln University farm sown with inoculated Caucasian clover in 2012 and 2013; and six sites not sown with the crop. Caucasian clover nodulated in soil from all sites sown with

An amino acid substitution (K232A) in the enzyme diacylglycerol acyl-CoA acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) has been reported to explain variation in milk traits and milk fatty acid (FA) profile. In this study, associations between K232A, and milk traits including milk FA composition, were studied in wholly pasture-fed New Zealand Holstein-Friesian × Jersey cross-bred (KiwicrossTM) dairy cows. With a high frequency

The use of microbial insect pathogens as biocontrol agents is a well-established practice, with several bacteria and fungi available in commercial products. However, lack of efficacy, persistence and restricted host ranges are limiting the widespread uptake of insect pathogens. Combining multiple agents into a single product may overcome some limitations, if they are compatible and could provide synergy

This study examined the earthworm community in permanent pastures at three self-contained farmlets that make up the long-term P fertiliser and sheep grazing study located at Ballantrae Hill Country Research Station. Thirty five years after the study was established, earthworm abundance was lower at the farmlet receiving no fertiliser since 1979 (LFNF, 219 m−2), compared to that receiving 125 kg SSP/ha/year

A lysimeter experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of applying readily available carbon (12 or 24 t sucrose ha−1) to soil on nitrogen (N) losses from cattle urine patches. The carbon (C) was readily available to microbes and was applied onto intact soil monolith lysimeters, containing stony silt loam soil, beneath either ryegrass (Lolium perenne)/white clover (Trifolium repens) pasture

The aim of the study was to determine if existing technologies could reduce nitrate leaching by 50%; while maintaining high levels of milk production and profitability. One farmlet, typical of the Waikato (‘CURRENT’) was stocked at 3.2 cows/ha and compared with a farmlet stocked at 2.6 cows/ha (‘FUTURE’), focusing on higher cow production through the use of higher genetic merit cows, lower N fertiliser

The objective of this study was to compare breed proportions, genetic merit, milk production and survival of carryover and non-carryover dairy cows in New Zealand. Calving interval was used as a tool to identify cows that had an extended non-lactating period and then returned to a milking herd. A greater proportion of Holstein-Friesian was observed in the breed composition of the carryover cows. Estimated

Eight paddocks under perennial pasture were sampled on six commercial dairy farms in Tasmania, Australia on a grid with 32 to 40 topsoil samples taken from each paddock at 0–100 mm depth. The samples were analysed for soil pH and the plant available nutrients of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. Soil nutrient levels were highly variable within paddocks due to livestock concentration and fodder management

Higher stocking rates of lambing ewes have been associated with poorer ewe-lamb behaviour and lamb survival. This study tested the hypothesis that increasing the mob size and stocking rate of lambing ewes on commercial farms will reduce the survival of their lambs. Data were collected from 66 producers in Australia for Experiment one and 22 producers in New Zealand for Experiment two. Survival of single-

Seedlings of kale cultivars in New Zealand are highly susceptible to direct feeding by the wheat bug Nysius huttoni (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), an endemic insect pest. Two assays (choice and no-choice) were conducted to compare the relative susceptibility of seedlings of the six most popular kale cultivars in New Zealand (Kestrel, Gruner, Sovereign, Regal, Corka and Coleor). The earliest occurrence of

Ryegrass is the primary pasture crop in New Zealand; however, despite this importance, gains in yield through conventional breeding have been marginal. Other significant crops, particularly maize and rice, have benefited from hybrid breeding programmes whereby heterosis has been exploited. Ryegrass presents many challenges to breeders wishing to produce F1 hybrid progeny on a large scale such as self-incompatibility

I summarised cadmium concentrations from soil samples collected by the fertiliser industry between 2006 and 2015, and from soil samples collected by regional councils. Using these data, a statistical model was used to estimate soil cadmium concentrations on agricultural land within each territorial authority. Across New Zealand, most territorial authorities (56 of 66), including all the South Island

The use of alternative herbage types such as herb-clover mixes and lucerne can improve the weaning weight of twin and triplet lambs born to mature ewes and single lambs born to ewe hoggets. The aim of this study was to compare the live weights of twin bearing ewe hoggets and their progeny grazed on either ad libitum permanent pasture (ryegrass white clover), lucerne or plantain-clover during lactation

This experiment investigated the feasibility of using herb-clover mixes to enable early weaning of lambs at ∼60 days of age. Over two years, twin lambs weighing more than 16 kg were allocated to three treatments: ryegrass pastures until 90 days-of-age, herb-clover mix until 90 days-of-age or weaned at ∼60 days of age onto herb-clover mix. In 2014, lambs offered the herb-clover mix, weaned at 60 or

Liveweight targets in the New Zealand dairy industry aim to increase subsequent productionof heifers. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of the percentage of individual liveweight target achieved at 6, 9, 12 and 15 months of age, on heifers’ reproductive performance and on milk production in first lactation, using retrospective analysis of a cohort of replacement heifers within

The effects of elevated aluminium (Al) concentrations on parameters indicating Al toxicity and Al detoxification were evaluated in two alfalfa populations from different acidic soil environment. Plants were grown in nutrient solutions at pH 4.5, 5.5 and 6.0, with different levels of Al contamination for 30 days. Shoot heights and root activity were significantly decreased in the Al treatment while

Lime application to New Zealand pastures is required to correct inherent soil acidity and also remedy soil acidification caused by plant growth and farming practices. Combining the results of many individual trials carried out under mown pasture showed that the optimum soil pH for plant growth in the top 75 mm for mineral soils is 5.8–6.1 and 5.0 for organic soils. A smaller number of grazing trials

Breeding cows for improved production and production efficiency may have led to indirect selection for behavioural traits including grazing and urination behavioural patterns. This study investigated the relationship between genetic merit (breeding worth; BW) and grazing and urination behaviour in Holstein-Friesian × Jersey lactating dairy cows. Two groups of 12 cows were assigned into high BW (HBW;

The effects of rice bran and corn on ensiling characteristics of potato vines were investigated. Ruminal fermentation of potato vine silage was measured using a rumen simulation technique (Rusitec). Potato vines were treated (fresh weight basis) for ensiling without additives (control), with 15% rice bran and with 15% rice bran plus 3% corn, 5% corn, or 7% corn, respectively. Silage with 5% corn was

Illthrift, defined as low body condition score (BCS), is a problem in adult ewes on many farms in New Zealand, and nematode parasites are often considered a significant contributing factor. Here we test the hypothesis that, over the lambing-lactation period, parasites are a significant causal factor in ewe illthrift, and that anthelmintic administration to low BCS ewes results in a greater improvement