GETTING THE BEST RESULTS

SEED QUALITY - Beware of poor quality seed. Cheaper seed of poor purity and low germination is of little value and greater risk.

Example:

Buffel A is 33% better value and far less risk than Buffel B
Note: Heritage seeds bare and coated seeds are of high quality.

SEED TREATMENT - Where appropriate, use Heritage AgriCOTE treated seed to improve the likelihood of establishing a successful pasture. AgriCOTE pasture seed has a range of benefits.

SEEDBED - Evaluate which seedbed preparation is best for your soil type and planned pasture. Small seeded varieties generally benefit from a fine tilt seedbed. Heavier clay soils that crust benefit from a deeper rougher working.

APPLICATION METHOD - Aerial and ground seeding techniques both give good results, choose a sowing method suited for your circumstances. Even seed distribution at a consistent sowing depth gives best results.

TIMING - Avoid sowing when the seasonal risk of frost, drought or heat is likely to cause mortality of establishing seedlings. Order your seed early, timely seed-bed preparation is essential to ensure planting at the ideal sowing window.

FIRST GRAZING - Ideally, newly sown pasture should be well fenced and lightly grazed in the first season, allowing for some annual seed set. Fires should be avoided until the pasture is well established. Do not overgraze, and rotate new paddocks where possible.

WEED CONTROL - Should weeds begin to dominate an establishing pasture, it may be necessary to spray with a selective herbicide. Always seek expert advice on herbicide usage.

FERTILITY - Soil testing is a very helpful decision making tool enabling better planning of your pastures fertiliser requirements.

BUFFEL GRASS (USA, Gayndah, Biloela, Nunbank)

Buffel - is the most widely planted sub-tropical grass in central and northern Australia. It is a hardy, palatable, very productive grass that responds quickly to moisture and fertility. It is suited to fertile loam soil types such as Brigalow and Gidgee country.

USA Buffel - is a shorter variety with fine stems, dense foliage with earlier purple flowering, suited to lighter textured, well-drained soils.

Gayndah Buffel - is a finer, medium height buffel that establishes readily, and is adapted to a wider range of soil types in central and western Queensland. It has better stock acceptance and is more densely tillered, but is less vigorous than Biloela.

Biloela Buffel - is a taller more robust buffel with a deep root system, greater drought tolerance with more vigorous underground rhizomes. It establishes readily in heavy soil types and is preferred for heavy-suckering country for its ability to produce a hotter fire.

RHODES GRASS (Callide, Katambora, Finecut)

Callide Rhodes Grass - is grown extensively in the coastal regions of northern NSW and Queensland. It grows in a wide range of soil types and is highly suited to companion legumes such as stylos, siratro and glycine. Its late flowering and good palatability make it ideal for quality grazing and/or hay making. Self-anchoring runners (stolons) ensure good establishment however it may not persist in very low fertility soils.

Katambora Rhodes Grass - displays greater drought tolerance and the ability to grow well on lower fertility soils such as speargrass country. It has a higher degree of stolons (runners) and withstands periodic waterlogging, making it a useful variety in heavy melonhole country where it competes aggressively with weeds (e.g. Parthenium in central Queensland).

Finecut Rhodes Grass - is a breeding selection from Katambora Rhodes for finer stems, better suited to quality hay making.

UROCHLOA (Sabi Grass)

A hardy perennial tropical grass able to persist and spread in the dry tropics. Its earliness to flower and hay off can restrict its productive potential. Urochloa responds quickly to rainfall and grows over a range of soil types.

INDIAN BLUE GRASS

Another hardy perennial tropical grass that is readily established over large areas if the dry topics. It has a developed root system suited to a range of soil types from sands to open "Downs" clays. Its productive potential is not great, however its drought tolerance, durability and soil conservation properties make it a valuable pasture in drought years.

PANIC GRASS (Bambatsi, Green, Gatton)

Bambatsi Panic - is a palatable and very drought tolerant grass with a deep fibrous root system. It does best on heavy black clays where it will tolerate periodic flooding. It can remain green and productive through winter with adequate rainfall.

Green Panic - is better suited to sub-tropical areas with fertile, well-drained soils. It also has good shade tolerance.

Gatton Panic - is similar to green panic but has broader longer leaves and better palatability.

SETARIA GRASS (Splenda, Kazungula, Narok, Solander)

Whilst varietal differences exist, setaria grass is adapted to varying soil types of the tropical coast where rainfall exceeds 800mm. Setaria is relatively frost tolerant and withstands some waterlogging. It is a good companion grass with legumes such as pinto, siratro and glycine.

Splenda Setaria - is bred by CSIRO for higher yield, forage quality, and later maturity. It is suited to longer growing season regions with good fertility. Splenda produces fine, leafy tillers with better palatability and feed value.

PURPLE PIDGEON GRASS

Purple Pidgeon Grass - is a tufted summer perennial grass that will grow on a range of soil types including heavy clays. It is suited to higher rainfall areas of central and southern Queensland and Northwest NSW. Purple Pidgeon Grass combines well with medics and Lucerne and is tolerant of temporary waterlogging.

CREEPING BLUE GRASS (Bisset, Hatch)

Creeping Blue Grass - has good drought and close grazing tolerance. It produces creeping stolons (runners) and is suited to low fertility soils having the ability to invade speargrass stands. The new cultivar Bissett is finer stemmed, more stoloniferous and is later maturing, as well as making better hay than Hatch.

JARRA GRASS

Jarra Grass - is a seed producing Pangola-type grass best suited for the fertile, wet tropics. It has the ability to grow proliferously under ideal seasonal growing conditions.

SIGNAL GRASS (Brachi)

Signal Grass - is a coarse stoloniferous grass that forms a dense ground cover under fertile conditions. It is suited to the humid tropical regions with rainfall above 1200mm. Signal Grass can be combined with aggressive tropical legumes such as stylos, glycine and siratro.

HUMIDICOLA (Tully Grass)

Humidicola - is a highly stoloniferous perennial grass with the ability to withstand prolonged waterlogging. It will establish in low fertility soils and responds well to fertiliser and withstands heavy grazing.

GUINEA GRASS (Hamil Grass)

Guinea (Hamil) Grass - is suited to warm, frost-free regions. It has a deep fibrous root system to survive drought but prefers well-drained fertile soils and high rainfall.

STYLOS (Seca, Siran, Amiga, Verano, Unica, Primar)

Stylos - are proven highly productive, high feed value legumes that persist and spread in the extended hot-dry climates of tropical and sub-tropical Australia. Their persistence and ease of establishment in the lighter, poorer soils of central Queensland and northern Australia has ensured Stylos are the legume of first choice for these regions.

SIRAN

Siran Stylo - is a shrubby Seca-type Stylo that was selected for its greater resistance to the fungal disease anthracnose. Like Seca Stylo, Siran has good drought tolerance and persistence but has better disease resistance and yield potential. Siran should be included with all Seca sowing to prolong the stand life.

AMIGA

Highly palatable and productive Verano-type Stylo bred for drier and cooler environments. Amiga will establish and spread readily in the higher, drier areas of central and northern Queensland where Verano has proven marginal. It is ideal in a mix with Siran and Seca Stylos and /or improved tropical grasses. Amiga also produces good quality hay.

UNICA/PRIMAR

Unica and Primar - are scabra-type Stylos introduced for their adaptation to heavier soil types. They have the disadvantage of being innoculant specific and as such, should be inoculated and sown into a wet seedbed to ensure nitrogen fixation. Unica is suited to central Queensland while Primar is better suited to the cooler areas in southern Queensland.

MEDICS (Barrel, Snail, Strand)

Medics - are temperate annual legumes that combine well with tropical grasses in the cooler southern regions of Queensland and northern NSW. Medics should be sown into a fallowed seedbed in April-May. They are self-regenerating and favour rotational grazing to allow seed set.

WYNN CASSIA

A hardy, heavy seeding bi-annual legume adapted to well drained soils from northern NSW through to the top of Australia. Wynn Cassia grows well on sandy acid soils of low fertility and is non-bloating. Wynn Cassia has the advantage of greater frost tolerance but is much lower in protein than other legumes such as Stylos.

SIRATRO (Aztec)

A deep-rooted vine type perennial legume suited to sub-tropical to tropical climates with a rainfall about 750mm. Siratro grows in a wide range of soil types and makes an excellent companion legume competing well with grasses and has good palatability. The cultivar Aztec has the advantage of greater rust resistance.

GLYCINE (Tinaroo, Cooper)

Twining perennial legume suited to well drained, heavier, more fertile soils in cooler elevated regions. Glycine does not grow well on lighter, less fertile soil types.

MILGARRA BUTTERFLY PEA

High protein perennial suited to medium to heavy clay soils of reasonable fertility and rainfall (>700mm). Milgarra shows good drought and grazing tolerance, performing best in a spell grazing system that allows seed set. It has high digestibility and protein making it excellent for hay production.

AMARILLO FORAGE PEANUT

Amarillo Forage Peanut - is a highly productive and digestible forage legume that grows in the elevated higher rainfall areas of northern NSW and Queensland (>1000mm), such as the Atherton Tablelands. Amarillo makes an ideal companion legume for tropical grasses such as Splenda Setaria and Brachi. Amarillo is also useful for a shaded ground cover in orchards. Seed should be inoculated.

SHAW CREEPING VIGNA

Shaw Creeping Vigna - is a climbing and/or prostrate perennial legume. It is adapted to warm moist regions and has little drought or frost tolerance. It requires good rainfall (>1200mm) with soils of good moisture holding capacity. Due to its growth habit, it makes an excellent companion legume for tropical grasses like Kikuyu and Splenda Setaria and tolerates intensive rotational grazing.

AGRICOTE SEED OPTION

Thousands of hectares of northern Australian pastoral country have been established utilising AgriCOTE seed. It allows graziers flexible, easier and cost effective pasture establishment over a varied range of conditions. AgriCOTE seed is not a guarantee of pasture establishment, nor is it the best option for all situations. It does however, offer graziers sowing options and advantages over bare seed and a chance for better pasture establishment.

© Steve Cselka 2002 - 2010