LAUSR

Spring cultivation of soil under long-term pasture to grow summer forage followed by autumn pasture renewal is a common practice on New Zealand dairy farms. Although this practice is widely used, there is limited research available on the impact that it has on nutrient losses to water. This three-year field study was conducted to quantify the effects of summer forage cropping and autumn re-grassing on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses in mole and pipe drainage from a Pallic Soil in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. The two treatments compared were a continuation of long-term grazed pasture, and long-term pasture that was cultivated in spring, sown into turnips as a summer forage for dairy cows, followed by autumn re-grassing. Both treatments where located on artificially drained field plots.