IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria...

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Turning Australia Back to Grass I

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Page 1: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Turning Australia

Back to GrassI

Page 2: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Bare Seed verses Coated - the facts & the myths

Super-Brew Pasture Blends

How much seed are you actually purchasing?Bare seed; 1kg purchased = 1kg of seedCoated Seed: 1kg purchased = 200 to 300 grams of seed. (Depending on the variety)

Will coated seed protect against ants?No, in fact most coated grass seed on the market is only treated with an insecticide on request. The coating by itself will not protect against ants, so ensure the seed you are purchasing is treated for ants.

Is there a place for coated seed in the market?Yes, coated seed provides an option for those who do not have access to the specialised planting equipment required for fluffy pasture seed. The weight of coated seed also gives it improved ballistic qualities.

Do you have to increase the planting rate of coated seed?Yes, ignore the fancy marketing; planting pasture seed is a numbers game so the more viable seeds per square metre the better. Establishment failures of coated pasture seed are rarely due to the coat, generally the planting rate has been to light.

Will fertiliser in the seed coat help with seedling development?No, it is not possible to place enough of the major elements into the coat to assist the seedling.

Illing Pastures provides our customers with the option of both bare seed and our flowcote (tm) coated seed.

The “Super-Brew” pasture blends have been put together from specially selected cultivars of grasses, and can be customised to suit your requirement.

A. All the selected species have varying maturity times through the main growing season, giving a wide window of peak nutrition.

B. This blend has an adaptability to a wide range of soils, from the best of brigalow scrub soils through to bulloak sands.

C. All of the grasses in this blend are kind to the soil. ie. They do not tie up nutrients in the root system as some grasses do.

D. All the grasses in the “Super-Brew” pasture blends are “drought hardy” and are performing well in Western Queensland and Northern and Western New South Wales.

Page 3: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Bisset Creeping Bluegrass

Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana

Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall. It is leafy, late flowering and will grow into early winter until cut by frost.

FLOWERING:Creeping Blue is late maturing grass, the first seed heads emerge in mid-April in north Queensland, but are delayed until early in the following spring in Southern Queensland. Produces high quality feed right up until the first frost.

Strickland (Digitaria Milanjiana) is a perennial, stoloniferous summer growing grass adapted to a range of soils but finding special application on light and medium textured soils.

Strickland is blue green in appearance, produces runners to 2.5m long in a wet season, foliage to 70cm and flowering stems to 3m. Seeds are small, approximately 2 million per kg.

Strickland is a drought tolerant grass species. It has been successfully trialled in central and north coast New South Wales, southern inland Queensland, coastal southern Queensland, sub coastal north Queensland and the top end of the Northern Territory.

IMPORTANT FEATURES:• Vigorous, spreading growth habit: Strickland is a vigorous perennial that will grow up to 1.3m high if left ungrazed. As well

as spreading by stolons it is also a prolific seeder.

• Drought tolerant: Once established, Strickland pastures can survive prolonged periods of drought.

• Waterlogging: It will withstand waterlogging but not prolonged flooding.

• Very low phosphate requirement: Strickland will remain productive on soils with very low phosphate levels. This has been

demonstrated by its persistence for more than 10 years in the Roma and Augathella districts.

• Palatability: Strickland is palatable to all types of stock, particularly in the early stages of growth.

• Long term pasture: Strickland persists well under heavy grazing despite being palatable to stock.

• Stricklandisamid-seasonmaturinggrassandcombineswellwithothergrassesinthesuper-brewpastureblend.

• Kindtosoilsoflowfertility.

• Persistswithlowsoilnitrogen

• Hardy

• Droughtresistant

• Growsonawiderangeofsoils

• Easytoestablish

• Respondstofertiliser

• Spreadsbyseedandcreepingstolons

• Rootsdownreadily

• Quicklycoversbareground

• Valuablegrassforsoilconservation

• Resistsweedinvasion

• Palatableandnutritious

• Withstandsheavygrazing

• Lateflowering

• Greenleafyfeedintolateautumn

• Tolerantoffire

Page 4: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

GrazingFinecutRhodesGrassisanewcultivarbredprimarilyforimprovedgrazingandhayproduction.Basedonfloweringrecordsandvisualassessments(leafiness,stemdiameter,diseaseresistance,productivity).FinecutRhodesGrasswasbredfromKatamboratypes.Description:FinecutRhodesGrass isa leafyextremelyfinestemmed,earlyfloweringdiploidcultivarwithimproveddrymatterproduction(TrialshaveshownFinecutyieldingupto23%moredrymatterthanKatambora).FinecutRhodesGrassisasummergrowing grass which spreads rapidly to form a dense mat over the ground. Because of its strong creeping habit it binds the soil and isverygoodforcontrollingsoilerosion.FinecutRhodesGrassisadaptedtoawiderangeofsoilsfromlightsandysoilstoheavytexturesoils.OneofthemainattributesofFinecutRhodesGrassisitsabilitytotoleratesaltyconditionscomparedwithothergrasses.

Hay ProductionPaddocks that are level (no depressions for water to lie) and free of sticks and stones are best suited for hay production. It is also important to check the paddock history to ensure that no damaging residual chemicals are present. Finecut is suited to a wide range of soil types from light sand to medium textured clay. A paddock with a uniform soil type across it is preferred for ease of crop management.Once a suitable paddock has been selected first consideration should be given to potential weed problems. Finecut will establish veryquicklyandcompeteaggressivelywithmostweeds,however it isalwayspreferable tostartwithacleanpaddock.Grassweeds are of most concern, as they cannot be selectively sprayed post planting. While not desirable, most broadleaf weeds can be controlled post planting. The ideal seedbed for Finecut is fine and firm. The seed is very small and will establish best in a well-prepared seedbed.

PlantingThe planting rate should be 6 – 8 kg/hectare for bare seed and 15 – 18 kg/hectare for coated seed. Finecut seeds are very small and will not establish effectively if sown too deep. It is best to sow the seed on to the soil surface. It is preferable to sow the seed onto dry soil and water it up. Once sown, the paddock should be given frequent light watering until the seedlings have all emerged. It is important that the soil surface does not dry out until the seedlings emerge (this should take approximately 7 to 10 days).

FertiliserAs with all grasses, Finecut will respond well to Nitrogen (N) applications. Depending on soil type and paddock history the addition ofphosphorus(P)andpotassium(K)willalsoberequired.Typically200kg/hectareofNPKstarterfertiliserisappliedaroundplantingaswell as an extra 50 units of N. This rate of starter fertiliser should only have to be applied annually. N will have to be applied at a minimum of 50kg/hectare/cut.These fertiliser rates are to be used as a guide only. For individual recommendations consult your local agronomist for more information. A well-fertilised crop will ensure high yielding high quality hay.

Cutting and BalingThe quantity and quality of hay produced from Finecut depends on when it is cut. Cutting prior to flowering will produce the highest quality hay. The greatest dry matter will be produced following full flowering of the crop. Cutting just prior to flowering will strike the best balance between quality and quality. Cutting intervals vary from 40 to 55 days depending on seasonal conditions. A well-managed crop of Finecut will produce hay with crude protein levels of 8 – 10% (some experienced growers have recorded levels as high as 15%). Dry matter yields vary from 5 to 8 tonnes per hectare per cut. 4 to 6 cuts per hectare per year can be achieved.Cut the crop using a conventional mower conditioner at least 100mm above ground level to prevent damaging the crown of the plants. Conditioning will help achieve faster and more even drying of the plants. Rake and bale as for other crops depending on dry downtimes.

Finecut Rhodes

Page 5: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Premier Digitaria

Floren Bluegrass

Digit grass (Digitaria eriantha ssp. eriantha formerly Digitaria smutsii) is a perennial summer growing grass that produces good quality feed. It is suited to a wide range of soils and climatic environments throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Digit grass is one of the few tropical grasses that grow well and persist on soils of low fertility derived from sandstone (solodic), granite and traprock as well as clay and clay loam soils carrying brigalow (Acacia harpopophylla), belah (Casuarina cristata) and poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea).

FEATURES:• It is tolerantofcoldconditions.Althoughthe leavesarefrosted,green

material can be found close to the ground in winter.

• Ithasagreatabilitytomakeearlyspringgrowth,thoughinmostyears,

growth is frosted.

• It’sproductionwillimproveinresponsetoimprovementinsoilfertility.

• Itisdroughtandfiretolerantandcanstandheavygrazing.

• Itcontainslowlevelsofoxalate.

• Extremelypallatable,persistantandkindonsoilsoflowfertility.

Floren Bluegrass (Dicanthium aristatum) is a perennial, summer growing grass. It is especially suited to alkaline, cracking-clay soils and has been outstanding in floodplain environments in inland Queensland and northern NSW (the upper Murray-Darling Basin). It is an extremely competitive grass in floodplain or water¬course country, especially where the pasture is flooded or inundated every 12-18 months. Floren also appears suited to the high rainfall areas of coastal Queensland and the tropical north.

The grass was introduced from India by the Queensland DPI in 1984 and officially released in Australia during 1995. Floren is protected by PBR legislation.

IMPORTANT FEATURES:• Vigorous spreading growth habit. Floren is an extremely vigorous

perennial, growing up to one metre high. Its ability to form dense

sward and dominate other species is seen as a major advantage

in managing aggressive floodplain weeds such as Lippia. It is

generally a prolific seeder, although this can be limited in some

areas of northern NSW by relatively milder autumn conditions.

• Very tolerant of flooding.

Floren is similar to Bambatsi in

its flooding tolerance and capable

of surviving periods of up to eight

weeks of submergence under

water. It is adapted to high rainfall

situations, floodplains and melon-

hole country in the brigalow belt.

• Good seedling vigour. Establishes easily from seed.

• Drought tolerant. Established Floren pastures can survive prolonged

periods of severe drought.

• Salt tolerant

• Very low phosphate requirement. Floren will remain productive

on soils with very low phosphate levels ie. Poplar box and

brigalow soils.

• Long term pasture. Floren persists well under heavy grazing

despitebeingpalatabletostock.Goodautumnproduction.Florenis

very late maturing in southern Queensland and can provide green

feed well into early winter. While heavy frosts will cut back the

plant, Floren is still very palatable to cattle, sheep and horses even

after frosting. Its value as stand-over dry feed is considered an

important attribute.

Page 6: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

10 Point Guide for Pasture Establishment

Caatinga Stylo

1. Note your rainfall and the requirements of species to be planted.2. Assess soil type - is it alkaline/acidic or does it have a salting problem?3. Assesssoilstructure-hardsettingorself-mulching?Hardsettingshouldnotbeharrowedorrolled.4. Check the paddock history - has it been farmed for a long period or grazed? This will have a bearing on the amount of organic material in the soil, and consequently, the ability of the topsoil to hold moisture.5. Assess the slope, if any - the degree of the slope will have a bearing on the amount of water penetration, and hence, the speed and success of pasture establishment.6. Assess the chances of short, medium or long-term flooding.7. Plan 12 months in advance - select the best establishment method.

Remember, the two biggest hurdles to establishment are Run-off and Evaporation.By planning in advance we can: • Accumulatedeadstubblefromapreviouscroptoactasamulchcovercrop.Neveruseagreencovercrop. • Deepripacrosstheslopeatthreefootintervals;or • Contourhillacrosstheslope,plantingdirectlyintofurrows.Surfacesowseedonlywiththistechniqueanddonotharrowin.

8. a) Select the species to suit the soil type, b) Purchase good quality seed, c) Do not skimp on the planting rate - it is better to have a dense establishment over a smaller area than a sparse establishment over a larger area, d) Accurate seed placement - not too deep, e) Use seed that has been treated for ants. This is important. f) Plant into a good seed bed. g) Split planting times - this will reduce risk.9. Firstgrazing-Grazelightlyafterthefirstseeddropwhenthenewly-establishedpastureshavebecomeanchoredinthesoil.10. “Commitment” - the most important requirement of all is to have the commitment to lock-up a paddock for as long as it takes and after having done all of the above. In poor seasons, pastures can take several years to establish.

A SUMMER PASTURE LEGUME FOR HEAVIER CLAySSUMMARy• isaperennialstylodescribedasbeingmidwaybetweenSecaandVeranoStyloingrowthandshape.

• isastrongerperennialthanVeranoandhasafinerstemthanSeca.

• will grow in South Queensland and Northern New South Wales regions on heavier soils than any of the existing stylos. It is best suited to light brigalow clay soils, the Downs country and moderate fertility soils such as box, belah and box woodlands.

• is showingbetter frost resistance, survival, seedling regeneration and yields than theexisting styloswhile it’s resistance to anthracnoseissimilartoSeca’s.

• is a prolific early seeder which gives it good tolerance to drought and cold winters.

• is suited to the dry sub-tropics.

• has a highly specific rhizobium requirement and must be treated with a newly developed inoculant. Failure of the plant to nodulate can result in thin, pale growth, poor branching and poor seed set.

Caatinca Stylo has been given the credit of increasing the daily weight gains of steers by 85kgs per annum, compared to steers running on straight grass. Trials done by the Department of Primary Industries have achieved these figures. Similar trials had Caatinca out-performing Milgarra Butterfly over 324 days by 25kgs/head.

Page 7: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

A SUMMER PASTURE LEGUME FOR LIGHTER SOILS SUMMARy• isasummer-growing,free-seedinglegumesuitablefornativeandsownpastures

• establisheseasilyandspreadsquicklyundergrazing

• tolerateslowfertilityandisfairlydroughttolerantwhencloselygrazed

• growsonwell-drainedsoils

• isperennialincoastalandsub-coastaldistricts;butanannualinareaswithshortgrowingseason

• canbesownbetweenSeptemberandMarch

• isoftennoteatenreadilyuntilthecompaniongrassesmature

DESCRIPTIONWynnCassiaisavigorous,short-livedperennialorannualthatflowersthroughoutmostofthegrowingseason.Growthhabitvaries

with grazing pressure and stand density; ungrazed plants sprawl to 1m across and 30cm high, under heavy grazing, plants become

low rosettes 5-1 Ocm in diameter.

ADAPTIONWynn Cassia can grow in areas from far North Queensland to northern New South Wales. It grows on soil with good drainage, best on

sandy soils, but also on light clays. Although Wynn is tolerant of infertile conditions, it responds strongly to phosphorous and sulphur.

Wynn Cassia is quite drought tolerant when heavily grazed, but drops leaf prematurely when ungrazed and tall. Top growth is cut

by light frost while heavy frosts can kill the plant. Surviving plants regrow rapidly from the crown, with massive regeneration from

abundant seed reserves in the soil.

IT’S GOOD POINTS• Fastestablishmentfromseed.

• Itseedsprofuselyandcontinuouslyandripeseedhasbeen

produced within eight weeks after planting.

• WynnCassiastanddensitiesincreaserapidlyafterplanting.This

is achieved by high seed yields and seed dispersal through

the grazing animal.

• Ittoleratesheavystockingevenassmall,youngplants.

• In the summer growing seasonwhile there is green grass

available, Wynn Cassia is not eaten readily. Good animal

performance occurs normally in summer when grass is

green, but Wynn Cassia provides high quality forage during

the dry season.

• As with other pasture legumes, Wynn Cassia has a high

nutritive value.

• Itgivescattlelightweightgainsoverthedryseasonwhenthe

native grass quality is low.

WHERE TO SOWBest performance occurs on sandy to loamy, well drained soils

with adequate phosphorous levels (>10pmm bicarbonate P).

Wynn Cassia is not well suited to heavy clay soils or shallow,

hard setting, duplex soils with impervious clay subsoil. It grows

well on read earths although superphosphate will be required.

Wynn Cassia

Page 8: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Turning Cultivation Back to Grass

Turning cultivation back to grass can be a challenge. Usually pasture improvement is not considered until grain production drops to

an unviable level due to a lack of soil fertility, high weed populations, and poor soil condition. Unfortunately, when the soil reaches

this stage, then it is also in poor condition for pasture establishment.

A lack of weed control both pre and post plant is a major cause of establishment failure, so it is important that preparation is in place

priortoplanting.AnnualspringandsummergrassessuchasUrocloa,BarnYardMilletandButtonGrassarejustthreeofthegrass

weeds that cannot be selectively sprayed out after planting grass seed, so care must be taken to cultivate at least three times after

every rain fall event before planting to reduce the seed bank of these species.

Preparation Program: 1) Rainfall in September/October

2)Germinationofweeds X 3

3) Cultivation

If Couch grass is also present the same program is followed with the addition of an application of glyphosate prior to cultivation.

Don’tsubstitutecultivationwithspraying,cultivationwillberequiredpriortoplantingandweedseedwillbebroughttothesurface

and nothing will have been gained. If there is a broadleaf weed problem then all legumes must be excluded, selective herbicides

can then be used if required and the legumes can then be over sown at a later date.

Poor soil condition will also create establishment problems, years of ploughing has resulted in the loss of fine dust and silt particles

through wind and water movement (micro sheet erosion). These fine particles are very important for storing moisture at the soil

surface where the pasture seed will be placed. Eventually larger and coarse clay particles of soil will dominate, trapping air around

them and allowing the moisture to escape. The result is extremely slow germinations, increased weed competition and lost

production. We can assist the seed by leaving freshly worked furrows for the pasture seed to be planted into, any fine silt particles

still in the soil will find their way, along with the seed and water, into the bottom of the furrow. Seed soil contact is increased,

moisture is trapped and a microenvironment is created for the seedling. Do not harrow, as this will only increase run-off.

Utilising stubble from a previous cash crop is also worth considering, this process can reduce run off and evaporation. Sub-tropical

grass species need 3 to 5 days moisture around the seed kernel to trigger the germination process, so if the moisture escapes

then the seed will remain inactive. There

must be a fallow period between the last

crop and when the pasture is to be planted

to allow the moisture levels to build up in

thesoilprofile.Note-:Don’tplantoatswith

the intention of planting grass seed into

the stubble in spring, the new generation

of oats are very late maturing, and if the

season permits will remain growing until

November or later.

Virgin country often only requires one

cultivation and then plant directly behind

the plough. An application of glyphosate

prior to cultivation will accelerate the

organic breakdown of the native grasses

and subsequently increases the availability

of nutrients for the new grass seedlings.

Page 9: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Managing Lippia

LippiahasbecomeagreatconcerntoalllandholdersalongtheinlandriversystemsofSouthernQueenslandandNewSouthWales.At this stage little can be done to control it in the creek and riverbeds and along the banks. We desperately need government assistanceandscientificresearchtocomeupwithsomesortofbiologicalcontroltoeradicateLippia. ThereishoweveraprogramthatworkswellinkeepingLippiaundercontrolinpaddocksituationsandallowsaffectedcountrytoreturn to its full grazing potential. River country on the Condamine, that was planted back to pasture over 15 years ago is still in peakproductionwithlittleornosignofLippia,thoughtheweedisallaroundthepastures.

OutlinedbelowarethecrucialpointsrequiredtobringcountrybackfromsevereLippia infestation. However, it is importanttoremember that only a high level of commitment and good management is going to enable you to succeed.

THE CRUCIAL POINTSTiming & Preparation• Cultivation is thecheapest formofpreparationalthough if rainfall is likely, spraywith2-4Dat1.5 to2 litres/hectarebefore ploughing to prevent trans planting.• Cultivateat least three timesaftereach rainfall event to reduce the Lippia seedbank (allowenough time for the Lippia to germinate prior to cultivation).• Lippiahasanallelopathic(toxic)effectonthesoilthatinhibitsthegrowthofotherplants.Aminimumofthreemonthsfallowis required to allow for this toxic effect to dissipate. • Deepwashoutsandguttersshouldbebattereddownorlevelledwithadozerpriortopastureseeding.Thisisimportant,as pastureswillnotcompetewithLippiainthesesituations.

Planting • Pastureseedshouldthenbeplantedatanabovenormalplantingratefortherainfallinquestion,asaguideitshouldbeabout doublethenormalplantingrate.ItisimportanttogetaquickestablishmentandstronggroundcovertosuppressfutureLippia germinations. Thought should be given to including a pioneer species (short term varieties) within the blend. Silk sorghum is excellent; it is inexpensive, reliable and highly competitive. After slashing or grazing it is not unusual to see 25 to 30 tillers on one plant. Silk should even be used in flood prone areas, if a flood does occur and the Silk dies, the root systems will still stabilise the soil at no great financial loss. Silk may not be an option in some shires of NSW due to local government restrictions. Finecut Rhodes establishes well on heavy soils and has the ability to give incredible ground cover, it can also be used as a pioneer species in the not so wet areas.• Thelong-termvarietiesshouldconsistofBambatsiPanicandavarietycalledFlorenBlueGrass.Florenisanimportantweapon in the fight against Lippia, it is a tough, latematuring variety that produces large amounts of drymatter andwill survive underwaterforlongperiodsoftime.EvenPurplePigeon,withgoodmanagementandtherightfertilitywillhandleLippiaas long as it is submerged for no longer than three or four days.

Slashing & Mulching:• SlashingormulchingisveryimportantforthecontrolofLippiaandotherweedsduringtheestablishmentphase,italsobuildsup thegroundlitterlevelswhichrestrictstheLippiagrowth,andalsoassistsintheconservationoftopsoilandmoisture.

Grazing• Paddocksshouldnotbegrazeduntil100%establishmenthasbeenachieved.Grazingearlierresultsinalossofvaluableground litter. All future grazing should be based on “crash graze – fast rotation basis”. Pastures should not be eaten down below 30cm; this type of grazing management will produce high dry matter production.

Legumes• Nitrogenisimportanttokeepthestandstrong.Onceestablished,heavyratesofvetchandmedicshouldbeintroduced.These legumes do well in heavy watercourse country. In extremely wet areas, strawberry clover is very good and will last indefinitely.

Maintenance• Always be alert for small infestations of Lippia. Spot spraywith either 2-4D, amine or DP600. Don’t be afraid to fertilise occasionally, good pastures should be treated like a crop rather than just like another grass paddock.

Commitment• Thisisveryimportant.YouneedtobetotallycommittedtotheeradicationofLippia,ifyouhaveanunderstandingoftheproblem, a positive attitude, and be prepared to use good management, you will win the fight.

Page 10: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

Sow

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Gu

ideDo you want the advantages of planting bare

seed but don’t have the equipment? We can plant it for you!

Turning Cultivation Back to Grass

10m swath close to the

ground that eliminates drift

and puts the seed where

you want it.

Our contract planting

service is a fast, hassle free

planting alternative with

GPSprecision.

Planters based in

Goondiwindiand

Toowoomba

Our planter can plant both small smooth seeds and fluffy sub-tropical grasses.

Page 11: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

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clay

soi

ls. H

as

been

repo

rted

as

grow

ing

succ

essf

ully

in re

d sa

nd in

a 3

75m

m ra

infa

ll ne

ar B

roke

n H

ill.

Pur

ple

Pig

eon

500

2 -

4kg

6 -

8kg

Self-

mul

chin

g cl

ayPr

efer

s he

avy

crac

king

cla

ys. E

asy

to e

stab

lish

and

can

be p

lant

ed in

to m

oist

ure

up to

2 in

ches

dee

p.

Rh

odes

Gra

ssFi

necu

t, To

pcut

, Kat

ambo

ra,

Pion

eer,

Calli

de60

02

- 4k

g6

- 8k

gVe

rsat

ileFi

necu

t is

a fin

e le

af s

elec

tion

from

Kat

ambo

ra p

rodu

cing

up

to 2

0% m

ore

dry

mat

ter.

Topc

ut is

a fi

ne le

af s

elec

tion

from

Pio

neer

pr

oduc

ing

up to

20%

mor

e dr

y m

atte

r. Ka

tam

bora

cre

eps

and

root

s do

wn

at the

nod

es id

eal f

or le

ss fe

rtile

soi

ls. P

ione

er is

the

firs

t co

mm

erci

al v

arie

ty n

ow m

ainl

y fo

r ex

port

mar

kets

. Cal

lide

is the

mos

t pa

lata

ble

of a

ll th

e Rh

odes

, sui

ted

to h

igh

fert

ility

coa

stal

are

as.

Sabi

500

1 -

4kg

3 -

8kg

Vers

atile

Usef

ul in

the

dry

tropi

cs b

ut re

quire

s fe

rtilis

er o

r a c

ompa

nion

legu

me.

Agg

ress

ive

quic

k fe

ed a

fter r

ain,

but

has

ver

y lo

w fe

ed v

alue

afte

r fro

st.

Seta

ria

800

2 -

4kg

6 -

8kg

Vers

atile

Nar

ock

and

Sola

nder

are

the

fros

t to

lera

nt v

arie

ties.

Mai

nly

suite

d to

hig

h ra

infa

ll co

asta

l are

as.

Sign

al G

rass

1000

2 -

4kg

6 -

8kg

Vers

atile

Cons

ider

ed a

val

uabl

e gr

ass

in the

tro

pics

as

long

as

nitr

ogen

is a

pplie

d. C

an s

uppr

ess

com

pani

on le

gum

es.

Trop

ical

Leg

umes

Sira

tro

Azt

ec75

02

- 4k

g3

- 8k

gVe

rsat

ileA

vin

ey p

eren

nial

whi

ch re

quire

s ca

refu

l man

agem

ent fo

r be

st p

ersi

stan

ce. A

ztec

is r

ust re

sist

ant.

Self

rege

nera

tes.

Wyn

n C

assi

a75

02

- 4k

g3

- 8k

gVe

rsat

ileH

ardy

wid

ely

adap

ted.

Sta

nds

heav

y gr

azin

g w

ell,

but no

t ve

ry p

alat

able

whe

n lu

sh. S

uite

d to

ligh

ter

soils

.

Styl

oSe

cca,

Ver

ano,

Fin

e St

em45

02

- 4k

g3

- 8k

gSa

nd/S

andy

Loa

ms

Stan

ds h

eavy

gra

zing

, fro

st, d

roug

ht a

nd fi

re w

ell o

n fr

ee d

rain

ing

soils

in the

sub

tro

pics

. Sui

ted

to li

ght so

ils a

nd s

oils

of p

oor

stru

ctur

e.

Bur

gun

dy B

ean

400

N/A

3 -

4kg

Vers

atile

A le

gum

e fr

om th

e Si

ratr

o fa

mily

. It ha

s a

high

er le

vel o

f dro

ught

tole

ranc

e bu

t is

sus

cept

ible

to o

verg

razi

ng.

Tem

pera

te L

egum

es

Luce

rne

400

Dry

land

10

- 15

kgIrr

igat

ion

10 -

20k

gW

ell d

rain

ed n

eutr

al t

o al

kalin

e -

fert

ile s

oils

The

mos

t wid

ely

used

legu

me

avai

labl

e. S

hort

live

d pe

renn

ial i

deal

for

hay

prod

uctio

n or

gra

zing

. Whe

n gr

azin

g, g

ood

man

agem

ent to

pr

even

t blo

at m

ust b

e em

ploy

ed. R

aely

a p

robl

em in

mix

pas

ture

s as

long

as

plan

t po

pula

tion

is n

ot to

o hi

gh.

Med

ic

Barr

el40

01

- 4k

g2

- 8k

gN

eutr

al t

o al

kalin

e so

ilsM

ostly

wid

ely

grow

n of

all

the

med

ics.

The

pre

ferr

ed s

peci

es fo

r th

e lo

wer

rain

fall

area

s. A

ll th

e m

edic

s ar

e se

lf re

gene

ratin

g.

Snai

l60

01

- 4k

g2

- 8k

gN

eutra

l to

alka

line

soils

incl

udin

g se

lf m

ulch

ing

clay

Not

reco

mm

ende

d fo

r tig

ht s

ettin

g so

ils d

ue to

see

d si

ze. R

egen

erat

es b

ette

r se

lf m

ulch

ing

clay

s.

Burr

400

1 -

4kg

2 -

8kg

Neu

tral

to

alka

line

soils

Prol

ific

seed

er -

will

per

sist

on

slig

htly

aci

dic

soils

Hia

fia

Wh

ite

Clov

er80

01

- 4k

g1

- 4k

gW

ell d

rain

ed a

cidi

c so

ilPe

renn

ial l

egum

e re

stric

ted

to h

ighe

r ra

infa

ll ar

eas.

Nam

oi W

oolly

Pod

Vet

ch60

02

- 10

kg–

Vers

atile

Har

d se

eded

sel

f reg

ener

atin

g le

gum

e

Fora

ge C

rops

(Sp

rin

g So

wn

)

Fora

ge M

illet

s -

Japa

nese

Sh

irohi

e, P

earl

–7

- 15

kg–

–Ea

rlies

t sow

n of

the

sum

mer

gra

ss fo

dder

s. S

own

Sept

embe

r on

.

Cow

peas

Cal

oona

–12

- 2

0kg

––

Dro

ught

tole

rant

sum

mer

legu

me.

Col

d se

nsiti

ve.

Dol

icho

s La

b La

b–

15 -

25k

g–

–Su

ptro

pica

l ann

ual f

orag

e le

gum

e. D

roug

ht T

oler

ant.

Silk

Sor

ghum

–1

- 5k

g–

–A

dapt

ed to

a w

ide

rang

e of

soi

ls, r

apid

gro

wth

and

hig

h ca

rryi

ng c

apac

ity.

Suga

rdrip

–3

- 6k

g–

–Lo

w c

ost f

orag

e, s

uite

d to

a w

ide

rang

e of

soi

ls.

Vari

ety

Rai

nfal

lR

EQ/

mm

Sow

ing

Rat

e (k

g/h

a)So

il Ty

peR

emar

ksB

are

Flow

cote

Trop

ical

Leg

umes

Tem

pera

te L

egum

es

Fora

ge C

rops

(Sp

rin

g So

wn

)

Page 12: IBack to Grass - Home | Illing · PDF fileBisset Creeping Bluegrass Strickland - Digitaria Milanjiana Creeping Bluegrass is a warm season perennial growing to about 1.5 metres tall.

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