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Dairy 1 is one of Massey's working farms. It borders the Manawatū River, within the city boundary. This research site is grazed by dairy cows and includes 3 farmlets:
- Farmlet A – standard pasture under contemporary management
- Farmlet B – diverse pasture under regenerative management
- Farmlet C – diverse pasture under contemporary management
Update
A total of 145 mm of rain has been received to date over late January/February, which has significantly improved pasture covers compared with early January, when feed purchases and cow culling were being considered. The aim is to capitalise on the increased pasture covers and increased crop yields by retaining more cows and maximising days in milk. In addition, there is potential to make baleage on Farmlets A and C, which will help build winter reserves.
Latest pasture covers
Farmlet data
0-point: 1 June 2024
| 2/18/2026 | Farmlet A | Farmlet B | Farmlet C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasture | Standard | Diverse | Diverse |
| Management | Contemporary | Regenerative | Contemporary |
| Total area (ha) | 12.2 | 12.04 | 12.08 |
| Grass area (ha) | 11.45 | 11.4 | 11.44 |
| Herd size (peak) | 29 (33) | 24 (24) | 30 (31) |
| Days in milk | 202 | 200 | 197 |
| Daily production (kgMS/cow/d) | 1.48 | 1.29 | 1.32 |
| Production - year to date (kgMS/cow) | 338 | 305 | 300 |
| Production - year to date (kg/ha) | 911 | 605 | 768 |
| Daily production (l) | 14.1 | 12.9 | 13.2 |
| Liveweight (kg) | 469 | 485 | 479 |
| Body condition score | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Supplement opening stock (total) kgDM/ha | 266 | 673 | 820 |
| Supplement purchased in (kgDM/ha) | 177 | 0 | 0 |
| Supplement made (kgDM/ha) | 984 | 810 | 1041 |
| Supplement used (kgDM/ha) | 984 | 954 | 1167 |
| Supplement in hand (total) kgDM/ha | 443 | 529 | 694 |
| Nitrogen application year to date (kgN/ha) | 135 | 4 | 80 |
| Average pasture cover (APC; kgDM/ha) | 2180 | 2660 | 2130 |
| APC change from previous week (kgDM/ha) | -10 | 130 | 100 |
| Growth rate (kgDM/ha/day) rolling 3 week average | 37 | 34 | 36 |
| Target rotation length (days) | 35-40 | 50-60 | 35-40 |
| Residual (kgDmM/ha) 3 day rolling average | 1530 | 1700 | 1540 |
| Target pasture offered (kgDM/cow/day) | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Target supplement offered (kgDM/cow/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crop Offered (kgDM/cow/day) | 2 (4 from 21st) | 4 | 4 |
| Soil Temp (°C) | 18.5 |
| Air Temp (°C) | 18.2 |
| Rainfall - MTD (mm) | 47 |
Other Whenua Haumanu research sites
Massey University: Pasture and Crop Research Unit (PCRU)
The PCRU is one of Massey's working farms grazed by sheep and cattle. It includes 4 farmlets: standard pastures under contemporary and regenerative management, and diverse pastures under contemporary and regenerative management.
Lincoln University: Field Research Centre (FRC)
The FRC is Lincoln University‘s hub for applied plant, soil science and ecology research. This research site is grazed by sheep and includes four farmlets made up of 20 plots each.
