SHEEP PRODUCTION ON DRYLAND LUCERNE

Abstract

On dryland at Winchmore Irrigation Research Station in Mid Canterbury high levels of lamb production were obtained during 12 years in a self-contained lucerne/supplementary forage farmlet. The system established lucerne under a barley crop and used turnips with Italian ryegrass and Tama ryegrass in the lucerne renewal rotation. Lucerne hay and barley grain and straw were conserved for supplementary feed. Stocked at 15 ewes/ha, lamb meat production varied from 210-300 kg/ha between years. This variation reflected the effect of dry summer conditions on both lucerne growth and the establishment of the supplementary crops which in turn influenced ewe prolificacy and lamb growth. Because of yield variability and increasing costs, use of annual forage crops in a dryland sheep unit is questioned. Keywords: grazing, management, forage crops, lamb production