Grassroots September 2016, Vol. 16, No. 3 | Page 43

Congress Mid-Congress Tour: Pasture innovation in the Southern Cape Sigrun Ammann and Janke van der Colf Outeniqua Research Farm, Western Cape Department of Agriculture: Research and Technology Development Services, Directorate Plant Sciences [email protected] / [email protected] T From pure pastures to integrated pasturecropping systems he mid-congress tour looking at pastures in the southern Cape was a full day tour enthusiastically attended by some 50 delegates. The first stop on the tour was at the Outeniqua Research Farm, one of seven research farms in the southern Cape funded and managed by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. The group was welcomed by Prof Robin Meeske, who also gave an overview of the farm and the research that is being conducted. The research programme on Outeniqua is aimed at improving the profitability of sustainability of dairy and beef production from pastures, with both pasture and animal research components. Aside from its research function, Outeniqua also successfully manages a commercial dairy herd on a pasture platform, competing with local producers on an economic level. During the tour, delegates were taken on a farm walk, looking at the various pastures trials from the extensive evaluation and characterization of pasture varieties (Sigrun Ammann) to pasture systems trials including nitrogen fertilization trials focusing on strategic nitrogen application of minimum-till pastures. The pasture systems that are researched and also used on the farm for the production fields for the commercial dairy herd are based on the no-till concept (Janke van der Colf). The whole research team was involved which includes the two technicians, Dalena Lombard and Lethu Zulu as well as the two post graduate students Charne Augustyn and Bernhard Jordaan. In terms of the animal science research, Josef van Wyngaard discussed research being undertaken on Outeniqua that is aimed at characterising and quantifying methane emission from pasture based systems, with the eventual goal of reducing such emissions. Delegates were also shown the apparatus used to measure these emissions – a cleverly designed device that can be attached to the cows with a harness. This allows measurements to be taken while cows continue with their normal grazing behaviour in an uninhibited way as part of the herd. Grassroots The tour then continued to the farms of Van GreunenBoerdery, where we were welcomed by Nelius van Greunen. The Van GreunenBoerdery is an excellent example of enterprise diversification within agriculture. The farming business is based on an interesting combination of farming enterprises including pasture based dairy production, potatoes, maize silage and berries. The dairy pastures, cropping for the potatoes and the maize silage fields are in a large rotation across their various farms. This rotational system is considered a very important component of maintaining the productivity of their system. The dairy pastures, consisting of perennial ryegrassclover, lucern and kikuyu depending on the characteristics of the field, are grown for a number of years followed by a break crop such as rape mixed with oats. The break crop is then followed with potatoes or maize silage. After the potatoes, the break crop is planted again and then followed with a new pasture establishment phase. The break crop contributes to soil health in terms of parasite control, specifically for the cultivation of potatoes. Nelius van Greunen explained that the tillage associated with the potato production allows them to incorporate lime and other soil amendments deep into the soil profile. They consider this to contribute markedly to the success of maintaining clover throughout the pasture phase, which lasts for a number of years. In addition, pastures are oversown annually to maintain productivity over years. It was pointed out that in order to have good winter production they always aim to over-sow in late summer/ early autumn, with delayed establishment during late autumn generally avoided. This does result in a grazing shortage during the over-sowing period, but the shortfall is overcome with the rape fields and silage. Another important aspect for van GreunenBoerdery is the maintenance of organic matter content of the soil and soil health, for which they have found the addition of chicken litter beneficial. The marginal areas are planted to more perennial pasture species with deeper root systems that require less irrigation. These areas are used as fodder reserve areas when needed. Excess pasture is made into silage and maize silage is also produced for use in the winter months when pasture growth is slow or during the over-sowing period. September 2016 Vol 16 No.3