New Zealand’s Otago region is renowned for low temperatures and drought conditions, presenting major challenges for sheep and beef farmer Gavin Nichol. After establishing Germinal’s DoubleRoot hybrid clover, Gavin has managed to increase pasture production.
Gavin’s 2,200-hectare property in Clarks Junction – 60km inland from Dunedin – is situated 500m above sea level. Temperatures rarely reach double figures in winter, and long dry periods in summer culminate in an average yearly rainfall of approximately 500mm.
Since establishing DoubleRoot in 2014, Gavin has included it in a permanent pasture mix that covered 490 hectares by 2019. Using the AberLasting variety from the DoubleRoot range, Gavin’s aim was to achieve increased tolerance to weather extremes and boost pasture performance for 6,500 ewes and 300 cows.
Growing in dry conditions
“The first time AberLasting was planted I was driving down the farm lane and saw that the original pasture was dried off on one side, while the AberLasting paddocks were still white with clover – and both were grazed at the same time,” says Gavin.
“Paddocks with Aberlasting grew another two weeks into the dry.”
Gavin has also seen a marked improvement in lamb weights since using DoubleRoot alongside red clover varieties.
Surviving extreme cold and drought
Bred by Germinal Horizon, DoubleRoot is the world’s first hybrid of white and Caucasian clovers. Combining the strengths of both species, DoubleRoot can withstand temperature extremes of -30°C all the way up to +30°C.
In a drought tolerance experiment, DoubleRoot maintained leaf water content for one week longer compared with traditional white clover when deprived of water.
Like much of the wider Otago region, the soil pattern of Gavin’s farm is characteristically rocky, which can limit productive capacity. AberLasting is used from the DoubleRoot range as part of a resilient pasture mix that also includes fescue and cocksfoot grasses to help combat such conditions. The results to date have been promising.
DoubleRoot: The persistent clover
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