Few new pastures grow as fast or as much during winter as Shogun, and that’s one reason it has now become the hybrid ryegrass of choice for so many farmers across New Zealand.

 

That’s also the reason it can catch you out at this time of the year! We’re not exaggerating when we say don’t turn your back on it during winter, because if you do, Shogun covers can quickly become overgrown.

 

Too much length on those paddocks at this early stage of their establishment is not good for them. It can cause them to lose density, and compromise future performance.

 

The most common reason for this is not having animals available on farm to graze them at the right time, so it’s important to get organised for this before it happens.

 

Shogun should not be allowed to get longer than 3500kg DM/ha without being grazed, and given its rapid growth rate, this can happen faster than you expect.

 

You may need to alter your normal winter grazing rotation to accommodate Shogun’s extra growth, and graze it more often.