What is MaxP?
MaxP is new tall fescue technology available to Australian
farmers to improve the robustness of plants to better handle the
pressures imposed by pests and limited moisture situations.
MaxP seed contains a new endophyte strain that offers all the
production and persistence of fescue with endophyte without the
animal health risks associated with ergovaline.
Whilst most fescue in US contains endophyte, Australian farmers
have had nil endophyte tall fescue in all currently marketed
varieties. In many cases nil endophyte seed is well suited to the
environment, but in certain areas pasture pests such as African
black beetle and grass grubs wipe it out completely at or soon
after establishment. In some other areas tall fescue struggles to
handle long dry summers, particularly in winter rainfall areas.
As well as considerable agronomic research, thorough testing
has confirmed that MaxP tall fescue offers similar safe grazing to
animals grazing nil endophyte tall fescue.
Why sow MaxP fescues?
When sowing tall fescue pastures producers are making an
investment in a long term productivity solution. For that reason
you should ensure that you sow the best cultivars including the
best technology to ensure maximum productivity, best long term
persistence and safe grazing.
Productivity benefits
MaxP tall fescues have been sown in Australian trials compared
with the same cultivars with no endophyte.
The trials were sown in Gatton Qld, Armidale and Bega NSW
under differing climatic conditions. Further trials have been sown
at Tamworth, Dunedoo, Camden, Gundagai and Ballarat.
In all trials MaxP fescues out-yielded the nil endophyte
comparisons.
Black beetle damage on nil endophyte fescue (at left)
compared to MaxP fescue (at right) at Bega.
Improved Persistence
MaxP fescues have shown improved plant density in all long term
trial sites to date. This has been most evident at the Bega site
where African black beetle is a major pest.
This would also be expected in other areas where root feeding
pests are a problem.
Safe Grazing
MaxP has undergone rigorous animal testing to ensure that it
poses no risk of adverse animal health risks, or reduced animal
performance. It offers similar results as fescue with nil endophyte
(see table below).
MaxP a living relationship
MaxP involves a living symbiotic relationship. It involves a natural
fungus, living in a partnership with its host fescue.
It protects the host fescue from pest attack. It obtains its nutrients
from the host, is asexual and can only be spread in seed.
The endophyte happily survives in the host plant providing
survival benefits to both organisms. Whilst the endophyte is very
stable in the plant it can be fragile in the seed.
Management of the seed is critical and requires strict protocols
from harvest of seed crop to farmer sowing. During this process
the seed is regularly tested to check that it is within specifications
and it is then bagged in the most appropriate bag type and
stored to ensure cool temperatures and low humidity. Prolonged
high temperatures and humidity will kill the endophyte over time.
Seed is then shipped to retailers upon farmer order and provided
with a “sow by” date as a final insurance for the farmer.
How do I get MaxP technology?
MaxP technology is available only in certain cultivars available
from plant breeders who have invested in its research and
development with AgResearch NZ.
These include the current Wrightson varieties (refer page 22):
Quantum MaxP tall fescue, and
Resolute MaxP winter active tall fescue.
MaxP seed needs strict harvest, packaging and storage protocols
to ensure it arrives and is sown on farm within specifications. As
such only those seed retailers who have been trained and whose
process can meet the required guidelines will be able to sell MaxP. |
