Canterbury farmers will plant chicory, plantain and other pasture alternatives as part of research to reduce nitrate leaching without losing farm income. The research programme, led by DairyNZ, revolves around nine monitor farms throughout the Canterbury region, including four dairy farms, two arable farms, two sheep and beef farms, and a mixed arable and dairy farm. Among the monitor farmers are Mayfield's Grant and Jan Early, who run 1465 cows on mostly irrigated 375 hectares and grow pasture, barley and wheat, kale, fodder beet on a 550ha run-off dry land block. The six-year Forages for Reduced...
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