Castlepoint Station is a coastal 2995 ha property on the Wairarapa coast. Owned by Anders and Emily Crofoot and managed by Tom Bush, the property has an annual rainfall of 970 mm and suffers from summer dry periods. The soils are a mixture of Taihape steepland and Atua silt loam on easier land. In autumn 2013, two oversowing trials were carried out. These were aimed at introducing improved species to summer dry uncultivable hill country. In the first, a 10 ha paddock containing a wide range of aspects and slopes was oversown with Arrowleaf, Red, Balansa, Persian and White clover plus ‘Tonic’ plantain following summer fallow. In the second, two paddocks (17 & 11 ha) were oversown with Arrowleaf, Balansa, Persian and Gland clover. Plant establishment is being monitored at both sites. Further details and results to date are available in the Hub and Field Day notes.
