With over 50 years of farming experience, Warwick Green has faced numerous challenges across North and Mid Canterbury before settling in Sheffield a decade ago. His farm, Windermere, has recently downsized from a 700-hectare operation that included 350 breeding cows, 1,200 Romney ewes, and 100 hectares of irrigated land.
The farm's varied soil types, combined with an annual rainfall of 800-850mm, long dry autumns, and wet winters, present a challenging growing environment. However, this unique combination, along with Warwick's agronomy expertise, has provided the ideal foundation to create sustainable and resilient pastures.
Passion for resilience: Warwick’s insight
When the opportunity to try AberLasting, a DoubleRoot hybrid clover developed by Germinal, came up, Warwick was eager to give it a try. Though it was planted later in autumn 2024, and the timing wasn’t ideal, the clover has far surpassed expectations and continues to thrive.
“It’s the ultimate clover that persists, performs, and survives – and so do the animals,” says Warwick,” says Warwick.
Warwick’s enthusiasm for this hybrid clover is evident as he describes the unique advantages he’s experienced.
“Caucasian clover has intrigued me for years,” he says. “I’ve always believed it should be further developed due to its exceptional persistence. The legume percentage in New Zealand pastures is too low – only around 10 to 15%. We need it closer to 40%, and white clover is essential for crossbreeding with Caucasian clover to achieve this.”
As a DoubleRoot hybrid, AberLasting combines the best traits of both white and Caucasian clovers. It establishes itself above ground with stolons and develops underground rhizomes that help protect the plant from grazing damage. This combination results in a climate-smart solution, merging the resilience of Caucasian clover with the nitrogen-fixing ability of white clover. DoubleRoot clovers are specifically designed to maximise production, and have great establishment and persistence from the start, while reducing the need for nitrogen fertiliser applications.
From planting, AberLasting has flourished – establishing itself in just its first year and withstanding heavy grazing, Warwick explains. One of AberLasting’s many advantages is its ability to naturally fix nitrogen. “We applied just a small amount of nitrogen in the spring to help it establish, along with some phosphate and sulphur, which are important for clover. But moving forward, we won’t need to apply more nitrogen to it, as the clover will naturally fix it and feed the surrounding grass,” Warwick says.
Simon Larsen, General Manager of Germinal New Zealand, highlights the clover’s durability: “AberLasting has been found to withstand temperatures as low as -30°C while also tolerating drier conditions for longer than a standard white clover,” he says.
Johnny Shaw’s hands-on experience with DoubleRoot
Johnny Shaw, who works alongside Warwick on the farm, brings a more hands-on perspective to the experience. Last year, Johnny drilled AberLasting into a paddock, previously used for cereal crops like wheat, barley, oats, and peas, and two years ago was planted in a perennial ryegrass.
Despite the odds being against them, with a late planting in late April, Johnny was impressed by how well the hybrid clover performed.
“We had a small window of opportunity before the soil temperatures dropped too much,” Johnny recalls. “We decided to give it a go, and it didn’t let us down. We direct drilled it at 4.2 kg/hectare using a uni disk drill, and I was focused on maintaining good soil structure.” Johnny left rows slightly open to allow sunlight to reach the young plants, giving them a better chance to establish. He emphasises that while green grass looks good to the eye, it’s the underlying health and strength of the plants that matter most.
“To the eye, a pasture might look good, but it’s what’s underneath that counts. This product is something that really adds to a pasture, it has really stood up, even with heavy grazing from ewes and triplet lambs.”
Image: Johnny (left) and Warwick
Improved productivity and animal health
Warwick and Johnny have both noticed a significant improvement in productivity since incorporating AberLasting into their pasture mix. “The clover has allowed the animals to sustain themselves for longer,” Warwick explains. “It was previously a largely clean paddock from weeds; however, we have had no weed control issues, and the clover has spread so well that it’s helping to reduce weeds naturally. It’s been fantastic for both soil and animal health.”
“It’s like eating dry wheatbix without the clover—when you add it in, it’s more palatable for the stock, and the overall health and performance of the animals improve.”
Warwick is especially excited about the benefits the hybrid clover brings to animal productivity. “We’ve had no issues with lambs. They’ve grown well, and the pasture has been easy to manage. Pastoral farming is driven by what you can get out of your pasture, and AberLasting is a cultivar that allows great production.”
For the future, Warwick believes legumes are critical for improving dry matter and overall farm productivity.
“I believe New Zealand’s dairy pastures are underdone in terms of legumes,” he says. “We’ve got to focus on increasing legume content, and this is a plant that drives productivity.”
A long-term investment in plant breeding
Both Warwick and Johnny recognise the importance of plant breeding in improving farm productivity over time. Warwick draws parallels between plant breeding and animal breeding. “It’s a long game,” he says. “Just like with animals, plant breeding is about improving genetics to boost productivity – whether it’s milk, beef, or wool. The investment in genetics should be recognised.”
Looking ahead, Warwick is optimistic that DoubleRoot will help future-proof pastures against the challenges of climate change, water scarcity, and the need for sustainable farming practices.
“This is a product that can support sustainable farming and improve long-term farm resilience,” he says. “For me, the most satisfying thing is putting into practice what I’ve learned over the years and seeing the tangible results of genetic improvement.”
Image: Johnny, Simon and Warwick
For those considering DoubleRoot, Warwick has this advice: “Start with a paddock and watch it. I’d recommend it be added to any pastural system, it’s suitable for a range of environments. The results will speak for themselves.”
Warwick and Johnny agree farming can involve hard work, long hours, and challenges. But when the results come through, the effort is well worth it. “Working together has been key,” Warwick reflects. “When you see the results in the animals and in the pasture, you know it was all worth it.”
For Johnny, the DoubleRoot experience has been fulfilling. “I hope high-country farmers can see the benefits of adding it to their pastures,” he says.
“It’s a fantastic way forward for farming, and I can’t wait to see just how much of a benefit it will be in the long run. I love seeing how it’s played out—how strong and healthy the pasture is after just a year.”
And now you can get resilient pasture with DoubleRoot hybrid clover.