Producer driven research

Managed as a commercial dairy farm, the Outeniqua Research Farm is in the unique position that it has the infrastructure, pasture area and animal numbers to ensure research is aligned with industry needs and scientifically robust. A small beef herd, also based on Outeniqua, aims to serve a growing pasture based beef industry in the region. The research programme, managed by the Directorates Animal and Plant Sciences, uses an integrated approach in which management of soil, plants and animals are considered a continuum, rather than separate components.

Small plot cutting trials
Sigrun Ammann, a researcher from the Directorate Plant Sciences, manages the small plot evaluation trials that form the foundation of the pasture research programme.

Invaluable information is gathered on the production of novel pasture species, commercially available varieties and a wide array of pasture mixtures. Data which is made available to producers from this research includes seasonal dry matter production and growth rates; persistence over time; resistance to local pests and diseases; flowering incidence; growth habit and forage quality. This ensures producers can make informed decisions on which species and variety are best fit for purpose in their system.

Species currently under evaluation include:Annual, perennial and hybrid ryegrass

• Forage herbs (Chicory and Plantain)
• Tall Fescue
• Cocksfoot
• Red clover
• Forage cereals

Systems research
The next phase in the pasture research programme is undertaken by Janke van der Colf, also of the Directorate Plant Sciences, and focuses on the evaluating the “best” species and mixtures identified in the above phase, but under grazing. At this point research also aims to develop best management practices relating to aspects like pasture measurement, minimum till establishment methods and management of pasture composition over years. When undertaking a system trial, different pasture systems are evaluated using a multi-disciplinary approach and characterised in terms of pasture yield, changes in pasture composition over years, milk yield per animal, grazing capacity and milk yield per ha.

Animal Sciences
Concentrates are often fed on pasture based dairy farms in the region to boost milk yield and stocking rates, contributing as much as 60 to 70% of total feed costs. For this reason, the Directorate Animal Sciences has a strong focus on research that aims to ensure concentrate feeding is managed in a manner that remains efficient and profitable. Past research has looked at  replacing maize in concentrates with various byproducts, different supplements and boosting pasture intake through the integration of plantain into the system.