Ecotain^® environmental plantain contribution in a pasture mix

Milk production from Ecotain^® environmental plantain has been shown to be at least equal to that of ryegrass, or in summer and autumn increases are possible (Lee et al., 2015; Box et al. 2016).

Ecotain as a short rotation pasture

• Ecotain can produce over 19 tonnes of drymatter per hectare per year in the Waikato
• First year Ecotain retains high leaf quality through summer relative to unirrigated ryegrass
• When Ecotain is well managed, second and third year stands maintain quality through summer, relative to unirrigated ryegrass.
• When the metabolisable energy (MJ ME) of irrigated ryegrass was poor (9.6 MJ ME) supplementing ryegrass with Ecotain plantain increased cow drymatter intake by 6% and milksolids (MS) yield by 19%
• Ecotain can be successfully used as a deferred late spring feed in dry areas and will return to a quality productive state within one grazing round
• Ecotain is an easy option to include in an undersowing or broadcasting programme

_{# Adapted from Minneé and Lee. (2012). Proceedings of the workshop “Plantain for Northland Pastures”.}

Ecotain^® contribution in a pasture mix

Using Ecotain to create diversity in ryegrass and clover-based pastures is one of the simplest options sheep and beef farmers have today. Ecotain is highly active and establishes competitively with ryegrass which is a major advantage to using it in a traditional pasture mix. Ecotain offers pasture diversity and yield at some very critical times, particularly summer, autumn and late winter and early spring. These periods coincide with the need for improved summer liveweight gain on finishing stock or hoggets, quality mating feed in autumn and critical lambing feed in early spring.