Pasture persistence is central to the productivity, profitability and resilience of New Zealand’s pastoral farming systems. But how well do different pasture species and cultivars actually perform over the long term – and how much does the establishment year influence what happens down the track?
For more than a decade, the Lincoln University Long-Term Pasture Persistence Trial has been building one of the country’s most comprehensive datasets on pasture performance. Based at Lincoln University’s Ashley Dene Research Farm and supported by the T.R. Ellett Agricultural Research Trust, the trial compares perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot and tall fescue cultivars through sequential annual sowings on the same farmlet.
The long-term data provide valuable insights into yield, botanical composition, tiller density and basal cover, revealing how genetics, establishment conditions and growing environments interact to shape pasture persistence.
At this VIBE event, Dr Tom Maxwell and Lincoln alumnus Dr Gerald Cosgrove will share what the first ten years of the trial can tell us about growing persistent pastures in Canterbury’s challenging conditions. Working together on the project, they will explore why establishment conditions matter, what the data reveal about cultivar performance and how these findings could inform practical decisions for farmers looking to build more resilient pastures.
Join us for an engaging conversation about what long-term research can teach us about getting pastures to last – and what that means for the future of farming.
Tuesday 13th October 2026
4.00pm-5.30pm
Memorial Hall, Lincoln University
Timings
4:00pm – Arrival and networking
4:10pm – Welcome from Prof. Chad Hewitt, Provost, Lincoln University
4:15pm – Overview on what LU is doing in this space
4:20pm – Keynote presentation
4:45pm – Q&A
5:00pm – Networking
5:30pm – Event concludes
About Our Speaker
Dr. Tom Maxwell
I am an Agricultural Ecologist who researches and teaches the science of pasture, grassland and rangeland management. My focus is understanding ecological mechanisms of functionally-sustainable grazing lands, for the purpose of applied management of these agricultural landscapes in meeting the economic and social needs of humanity while maintaining the biophysical resource on which the ecosystem rests. I aim to improve the integrity of pastoral production systems for provision of nutritionally-rich products in a way that provides ecological balance between human and biological needs. My recent research activity as a postdoctoral fellow has involved research on hill country pasture ecology, long-term pasture persistence, and diverse pasture species options for reducing the environmental footprint (nitrate leaching) of grazing systems. In addition, I have been involved in testing precision agriculture tools (thermal camera imaging and remote-sensing technology) for pasture yield assessment and management. I am currently contributing my expertise as an international member of a Malaysian research team funded by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, studying biodiversity and agricultural practices in oil palm plantations. I incorporate my research expertise into lectures on agricultural sustainability, plant sciences, agroecology, and experimentation in undergraduate courses.
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