Survey of paspalum in New Zealand pastures

Abstract

A survey was undertaken among farm advisory officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to determine the distribution of, production from, and attitudes to Paspalum dilatatum in New Zealand. Paspalum is widespread throughout most of Northland, Auckland. Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Poverty Bay. It is present in most of the remainder of the North Island and in northwestern South Island. Abundance is decreasing in Northland and is static in most other districts except Waikato where some increase was noted. Factors such as site, soil type, and kind and intensity of farming system influence abundance. Distribution limits are set by winter temperatures, but summer temperatures influence its ability to compete with other pasture components. Growth normally begins in November, reaches a maximum in January, and declines quickly in April and May. Animal consumption is high over the whole growth period and highest from December to March. Attitudes to paspalum were related to its abundance in 8 district. Ability to produce herbage during summer was the characteristic considered most desirable, and exclusion of other pasture components by becoming sod-bound was regarded as the most undesirable feature.

The role of C4grasses in New Zealand pastoral systems

“…By 1974 paspalum was widespread in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay, was present in most of the rest of the North Island and was also in northwestern South Island (Percival 1977). A survey reported by Field & Forde (1990) suggested that many C 4 grasses were spreading aggressively under the influence of favourable climate.…”

Effects of treading and defoliation height on the growth ofPaspalum dilatatumPoir

“…is a subtropical pasture species distributed throughout most of Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Poverty Bay (Percival 1977), and has desirable water utilisation properties during dry periods (Lambert 1967). Comparisons under grazing and mowing indicated that grazing severely depressed paspalum productivity and that most other pasture grasses produced almost as' much under grazing as under mowing (Lambert 1967).…”

Ascochyta paspali, a fungal parasite ofPaspalum dilatatum

“…), a drought tolerant, perennial, subtropical grass, is an important summer component of many pastures in the northern half of the North Island (Percival 1977). It also frequently occurs in lawns and on roadsides.…”