Forage shrubs in North Island hill country 1. Forage production

Abstract A range of shrubs was evaluated as potential sources of forage for grazing animals. Shrubs were established in rows in hill pastures near Wood ville. Nine “true” shrubs and two erect grasses, pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) and toetoe (C. fulvida), were evaluated. The true shrubs were: Chamaecytisus palmensis, tagasaste; Medicago arborea, tree medic; Ulex europaeus, gorse (two variants: wild gorse and short-spined gorse); Cytisus scoparius, broom; Robinia pseudoacacia, black locust; Leptospermum scoparium, manuka; Cassinia leptophylla, tauhinu; and Ceanothus griseus, ceanothus. Based on four harvests per year (one each season), the most productive species were: wild gorse(817 g dry matter (DM)/mrow); pampas (677); broom (581); toetoe (538); tagasaste (422); and black locust (315). These values were more than doubled where harvests were made only once as opposed to 4 times annually. Comparative pasture production was 422 g DM/m row. Percentage of leaf in the harvested material from the true shr...