Lambs fed on high-sugar ryegrass grow faster and are heavier than their counterparts grazed on standard ryegrass, a two-year trial on three farms in the South has revealed.
The trial was carried out on farms at Hedgehope, Dunrobin in West Otago and Ohai in Western Southland, on rolling country considered representative of land classes in the southern region.
The trial results show consistent improvement in lamb performance when grazing a mix of AberMagic and AberDart HSG cultivars compared with lambs grazing on a standard ryegrass cultivar.
The research was commissioned by Alliance Group and Germinal Seeds in partnership with Sainsbury's supermarkets in the United Kingdom and designed to help farmers make informed decisions on the use of high-sugar ryegrasses on their farms.
The study was carried out by Dunedin-based agricultural science company AbacusBio.
Alliance Group technical officer Hayden Peter said the trial started two years ago and the current results were from the second year.
About 2000 lambs were involved in the trial from the three properties, Mr Peter said.
It was planned to continue the trial.
The research showed lambs grazing HSG had an average increase in daily gain of 31g, which resulted in an increase of 400g in carcass weight at slaughter and an additional 200g of meat yield using the Alliance Group's VIAscan technology.
Alliance Group general manager livestock Murray Behrent said the research provided the co-operative's suppliers with practical information about HSG and its potential for boosting on-farm production.
''The research shows that there are productivity gains for lambs grazing HSG and the resulting increase in meat yield could have significant benefits for both farmers and our customers,'' Mr Behrent said.
''While there is a strong case for farmers in the southern region to consider using HSG on their farm, it's important to note that the trial was an animal performance trial and was not designed to provide a comprehensive outline of plant performance,'' he said.
The trial report suggested further studies be undertaken to compare other cultivars across multiple regions to fully understand the effect of HSG on lamb performance.
Similar work supported by Sainsbury's in the UK showed similar results, with HSG having a positive influence on growth rates.
AbacusBio research consultant Hadyn Craig said the research would support farmers when selecting cultivars for finishing lambs.
The study showed HSG provided increased lamb growth rates which enabled a higher proportion of lambs to be finished earlier. Sainsbury's agriculture manager Philip Hambling said the results for the trials were important for farmers wanting to make decisions about using HSG varieties to improve performance in similar systems.
''We've been working closely with our sheep farmers in the UK and New Zealand for some time and we've long discussed the potential of high-sugar grasses to help improve production and farm-gate returns,'' Mr Hambling said.
''Setting up these trials was an important step to test if they can perform in New Zealand as well as UK systems,'' he said.
''Earlier-finishing, better-yielding lambs tend to be better for returns, productivity and quality so the results suggest they can benefit our farmers and our customers.''
They also offered the potential to reduce the environmental impact of lamb production, he said.
- by Margaret Phillips