KEEPING a third of their 1215-hectare property in pasture is the perfect recipe for Milbrulong mixed farmers Andrew and Tammie Driscoll, who also run 1300 Merino ewes.
To complement their sheep and cropping operation in southern NSW, as a rule of thumb they crop 810 hectares at "Wonga" and the rest of the property is put to pasture.
The two-to-one ratio was a management tool for both stock feed and to keep paddocks clean.
His pasture was a lucerne/clover mix, Mr Driscoll said.
"I've found lucerne to be a very resilient plant, particularly if we have good summer rain it bounces back really well," Mr Driscoll said.
Maintaining productive pastures had been a big focus for the past seven years and keeping feed during the winter months was particularly important given they had a July lambing, he said.
"We changed to a winter drop mainly so the ewe is getting the requirements she needs as the pasture growth is developing at the same time," Mr Driscoll said.
While they normally work on a wheat and canola rotation, this year they had also planted narrow leaf variety Mandelup lupins and LaTrobe barley to cope with the forecasted tight spring.
"We try to keep it fairly simple - the lupins have added good nitrogen to the soil and I store them on farm for sheep feed," Mr Driscoll said.
"And we grow grazing wheat in our rotation as another feed option."
The Driscolls had established a long-term system that complimented both enterprises, said agronomist Warwick Nightingale, Delta Agri-business, Lockhart.
Mr Nightingale said they were cautious to allow pasture to develop well before grazing.
"We really look after them as we open them to grazing in the first year - the lucerne should have had time to develop a crown and the clover to set seed," he said.
Maintaining pasture was a good tool for weed control and improved soil fertility, Mr Nightingale said.
"It's a particularly efficient way to maintain weed control, especially resistant ryegrass," he said.
"In some of the pastures we can let ryegrass go for a while before we clean it up, and it's then a clean paddock when we want to go in with a wheat or canola."
Fast recovery for lucerne at Milbrulong
L91 lucerne has proven the key ingredient to longevity in pastures for Andrew Driscoll, "Wonga", Milbrulong.
The highly winter active variety - known for its fast recovery after grazing - made up almost half of the 6.2 kilogram a hectare rate with the remaining 3kg/ha a mix of clovers.
This year Mr Driscoll planted 50ha of new pasture and would take out the same amount about August.
A six-year-old stand would be removed before the weed seeds set, he said.
A third of his property was down to pasture of varied age.
"I was lucky last year that I didn't sow any new pastures with the way the season petered out," he said.
"We've faced very tight springs around the Lockhart region so I'm hoping this one establishes its root system well.
"We've included cavalier medic and Bladder clover in the mix because sub clovers can battle to set seed in a tight spring."
Agronomist Warwick Nightingale, Delta Agribusiness, Lockhart, (pictured with Mr Driscoll) said timing was critical when removing lucerne.
"It should be taken out in spring before any weeds can set seed but sometimes its hard to bring yourself to kill a nice pasture," he said.
"Lucerne uses a lot of the moisture in the profile so that can complicate things the following year."
