Agronomy
As we move into the latter months of summer, we edge closer to autumn and with that comes figuring out what crop or pasture to put in for the cooler months. The basic questions to ask are what is the intended purpose? Do you want to graze it? Do you need to bale some hay or silage for later use? Are there any particular weeds you remember from last season that will come again? When do you need the feed and how much?
Regardless of what gets planted, the aim at this point is to prepare the paddock to give you the best chance at a successful establishment. This means reducing the competition as it comes out of the ground. Paddocks dedicated to cropping for grain or silage need to be prepped to eliminate as much weed competition prior to planting. In most situations, a combination of cultivation and/or spraying will help prepare the area. Products such as Crucial from Nufarm, are an effective herbicide in preplant situations. Please consult your agronomist and always read the label to achieve the best result.
Where species such as ryegrass are sown into existing tropical pastures is where using your livestock come in handy. Use your animals to graze down a paddock and help take the bulk off the paddock in the lead up to planting. Otherwise, slashing or mulching may come into play or even baling will help.
Oats are always the early go to option as they can handle the warmer temperatures early in the sowing window. Additionally they are a good bet if conditions stay on the drier side. A good option here is Sorcerer oats from Barenbrug. Sorcerer is quick to establish and get to that first grazing, maintains high forage yield through the season and has a medium/late maturity.
Once temperatures cool a bit more, the window for ryegrass opens. Ryegrass is well suited to many situations and provides high quality pasture for livestock of many classes. Annual ryegrasses specifically are great at filling the winter feed gap, with some varieties being better at holding on longer through spring. Varieties such as Coaster ryegrass are fast to establish and recover quickly following grazing. Longer season annuals such as Hogan ryegrass can provide feed for longer through spring.
Legumes and herbs are great in mixes with rye and oats as well. This includes brassicas, clovers, chicory and plantain and provide a great variation to the pasture sward.
Now is the time to prepare for the autumn planting season. Timing is always the key, so make sure you have your plan in place and products in the shed ready to roll.