AgYields a valuable tool for pasture planning

Beef+Lamb New Zealand is encouraging farmers to work with their consultants about how best to take advantage of AgYields, a national free forage database launched in 2022 to make pasture planning and crop selection easier.

By pulling together data from across NZ, AgYields provides farmers, rural professionals and researchers detailed insights into what’s been grown locally and how well it has performed.

For many, accessing reliable, localised pasture data has been a constant challenge.

AgYields helps solve this by offering a wealth of information, including both peer-reviewed studies and unpublished data in one place.

It allows farmers, advisors and resellers to see which pastures and crops have been grown in their districts and how much they grew so they can select more resilient pasture and crop systems.

It covers important details like soil types, management practices, and pasture species in different regions, giving farmers a better understanding of what works best on similar land.

Dr Suzi Keeling, head of science and research at B+LNZ, explains that AgYields isn’t just about today’s needs—it’s about the future.

“Farmers themselves or with the assistance of their consultants can access pasture growth rate data that can inform feed planning and budgeting decisions,” she says.

“Access to data on a wide range of species can help farmers address challenges related to unpredictable weather and meet environmental regulations.”

The database was developed by Professor Derrick Moot of Lincoln University, with funding from the T R Ellett Trust and support from B+LNZ, RAGT NZ and PGG Wrightson Seeds through the Hill Country Futures programme,

AgYields is a breakthrough for NZ agriculture.

Launched in 2022, it brings together information that was previously scattered across different platforms, making it easier to access and use.

Dr Carmen Teixeira, from the Dryland Pastures Research Group at Lincoln University, says it’s had strong uptake since the launch.

“We’ve seen a great adoption of this tool, with 426 users already using it to optimise their pasture planning. This demonstrates the immediate value it offers to the farming community.

“As more farmers and rural professionals add to the database, it will become an even richer resource, helping the entire farming community today and in the future.”

Professor Derek Moot says measuring yield and growth rates for pastures and crops is vital for the prosperity of NZ’s agricultural sector.

“These data are expensive to collect and are often stored across a range of electronic and physical platforms, making it difficult to access easily. For the first time, the AgYields website consolidates this data into a publicly accessible resource.”

Having a single source of data reduces duplication, Suzi Keeling adds.

“It means we don’t have to repeat the same experiments over and over.”

By using AgYields, farmers can make decisions that boost both productivity and sustainability. Best of all, the database is free to access at www.agyields.co.nz, and farmers are encouraged to explore the data—and even contribute their own findings.