Guidelines for the use of catch crops developed as part of the Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching Programme have been updated.
Winter forages such as kale and fodder beet are important single-graze species for livestock. This guide focuses on the use of catch crops after forage crop grazing to take up nitrogen (N) during the coolest months of the year. It aims to explain the whys and hows to help manage your expectations and decision making.
Click here to view the updated FRNL Catch Crop Guidelines booklet (October 2024)
Catch Crops for Cleaner Freshwater was a Plant & Food Research-led project in collaboration with AgResearch. The project was mostly funded through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change – Freshwater Mitigation (SLMACC-FM) programme. A related part of the project was financially supported by Environment Canterbury and Environment Southland, with further in-kind support by DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Foundation for Arable Research, Environment Canterbury, Environment Southland, Overseer Ltd and Southern Dairy Hub.