Unlocking the Pugging Puzzle
A wet winter across most of Gippsland’s dairy region has left many paddocks heavily pugged. With days getting longer and some warmer weather greeting us in September the opportunity to repair these paddocks is available. Depending on the extent of damage your options can range from over-sowing paddocks to a full renovation. There are options that will suit most scenarios and it’s important to consider how long you can afford to have renovated paddocks out of your rotation before choosing an option. Some examples include:
- Quick feed (6-8 weeks)- Leafy Turnip (e.g. Hunter, Pasja II), Chicory & Clover
- Later feed (10-12 weeks)- Turnip (e.g. Barkant, Purple Top), Forage Rape (e.g. Winfred)
-Multi-grazing options- Millet & Sorghum varieties, multi-species mixes
Whilst providing good quality summer feed is important for the current lactation, it’s also worth questioning why the paddock has pugged so severely - is it especially low-lying country? A springer paddock with high traffic? Drain running through the paddock? Or is soil fertility lacking?
Soil testing can help identify nutrient imbalances such as high magnesium and high sodium (coupled with low calcium) which can significantly reduce the soil’s ability to store water before reaching saturation point. Low organic matter levels can also reduce the soil’s water carrying capacity, so a green manure crop before returning to a permanent pasture can help improve organic matter levels over time. If it is time to renovate, applying soil ameliorants such as lime and gypsum can go a long way to improving soil structure and reducing the proneness to pugging. There are often times when it is best practice to apply both lime and gypsum to help correct these imbalances. Of course, pugging is sometimes unavoidable but
ensuring sound soil fertility and structure will help to reduce the severity of future pugging damage.
If you’re looking to return to a perennial pasture in autumn, the choice of grass you go with can also help reduce future pugging severity- diploid ryegrass varieties generally recover better than tetraploid grasses and depending on where you’re located, new tall fescue varieties could also be an option.