Summer pasture management isn’t about hanging on but rather being proactive. With recent rain in most regions, now is a unique chance to harness that growth and maximise milk production.
But it is still important to protect your farm from a late summer drought and set it up for autumn. Good data and timely decisions remove the guesswork and protect one of your most valuable assets - your grass.
Summer brings pressure fast. Heat, dry winds and patchy rainfall slow growth, while cows still need consistent, high-quality feed to perform.
Advice from DairyNZ is clear: avoid reacting once growth slows. Summer success comes from protecting residuals, adjusting rotation length, and keeping pasture quality tight through regular measurement.
Stretch Your Rotation Early
In dryland regions like Waikato, Northland, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Manawatū, feed pressure can build quickly once dry weather settles in. One of the smartest early moves is stretching your rotation before conditions tighten again.
Longer rounds allow ryegrass to reach the ideal three-leaf stage, protect plant energy reserves, and improve pasture persistence. In tough summers, that can mean 40-day rounds or longer. A simple rule to follow is adjusting to pasture growth, not the calendar.
AIMER tracks pasture growth rates at paddock level, helping you see when growth is slowing and when it’s time to ease off or stretch the round with confidence.
Protect the Base: Avoid Overgrazing
Once the heat bites, overgrazing can do lasting damage. It weakens plants, slows regrowth, and compromises pasture well into autumn.
Target post-grazing residuals above 1,500 kg DM/ha. If feed tightens, protect residuals by:
- Using supplements where needed
- Culling or drying off low producers
- Using summer crops
- Standing cows off pasture in hot, dry conditions
Holding residuals now will protect quality and speed recovery later. Accurate cover data and regular scanning with AIMER make it easier to spot slipping residuals early, before overgrazing becomes a problem.
Rain Arriving? Act Fast
When rain lands, growth can jump quickly, especially with warm soils. Left unchecked, quality drops just as fast.
Aim to keep post-grazing residuals below 1,800 kg DM/ha. Once covers lift beyond this, pasture becomes stemmy and feed is wasted.
If covers creep up pull back supplements, take silage off part of the farm, and keep quality front and centre to support milk production.
AIMER makes it easy to track rising covers across the farm, so you can adjust the plan quickly and stay on top of quality before feed gets away from you.
Use Your Feed Wedge - Every Week
The feed wedge is one of your strongest summer tools. Regular measurement lets you spot surpluses and deficits early and adjust before pressure builds.
AIMER makes this easier by providing accurate cover data, whole-farm estimates, and early warnings when residuals drift too low or covers climb too high. Better numbers lead to better decisions, especially when timing matters.
Key Summer Takeaways
- Stretch rotations early to harness good recent pasture growth, avoid under-grazing and protect ryegrass from a drought that may still come – avoid complacency
- Keep post-grazing residuals within 1,500 to 1,700 kg DM/ha
- Use accurate data and feed wedges to guide decisions
For more seasonal pasture and animal management guidance, check out https://www.dairynz.co.nz/feed/fundamentals/summer-management/
