63. Frosty frozen forages – Cold crops and pastures

With winter just around the corner for New Zealanders, our latest topic focuses on the effects of cold temperatures and frost on forage plants. We investigate how frosts damage our plants during the freeze-thaw cycles, “messing” with a plants wellbeing. Thankfully – and given time for plants to adjust to the cold - Mother Nature steps in and helps a plant develop some degree of resilience to cold and frosty weather.  Despite this, frosts can damage pasture plants, causing a drop / fall in pasture mass (kgDM/ha) through the winter - as well as reducing the nutritive value of pasture during long cold winter months.  Rug up warm and tune in for this, our latest podcast!!

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, tune in to some of our earlier winter-themed podcasts:

4. Checklist for success – wintering sheep and cattle on winter crops and pastures

35. Rumen bloat (“frost bloat”) in cattle that eat frozen winter pastures and forage crops

51. Wild winter weather. Cattle outside, how can we help – Part One

52. Wild winter weather – Part Two. Farm-level practical concepts