Growing Poplar and Willow Trees on Farms, National - FAO

Managing browse blocks
These are high density plantings at anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 stems/ha
(<strong>and</strong> beyond in some regions), <strong>and</strong> as their name suggests, they are browsed
directly. There is no cut-<strong>and</strong>-drop, or cut-<strong>and</strong>-carry.
<strong>Willow</strong> browse block near Masterton
Some blocks are seen on private farms/stations <strong>and</strong> Massey University’s
Riverside Farm near Masterton has several experimental browse blocks,
which can be viewed during field days.
Following planting the cuttings in late winter, the block could be browsed
lightly in the following autumn (about April) with sheep <strong>and</strong>/or cattle to
reduce the tree growth <strong>and</strong> control the pasture. In late autumn (about May),
the tree shoots could be tidied by cutting them with a scrub-saw or some
similar implement to approximately 0.5 m above ground. Using cattle to
lower the tree growth level may be an alternative option.
In the winter after planting continue with sheep grazing, possibly through to
early spring (bud break) to control the pasture growth. It may then be
practical to lightly graze the established block once or twice when the new
shoots have developed to a reasonable size. The manager should try to
reduce early spring grass growth as much as possible to minimise the risk of
high pasture dead matter content later in the season.
During the third year onwards, it is recommended to operate the same
system – browsing with cattle/sheep in autumn, then giving sheep access in
winter/early spring, <strong>and</strong> perhaps once or twice during spring – aiming to
maximise the benefit of the browse system for supplying feed in
summer/autumn drought.
45