Tackling problem ryegrass

Agronomist Sheree Hamson, Ag n Vet Services, Culcairn, said using ryegrass to make money was paying off for growers in the region in more ways than one.

"In the Culcairn area, we have a significant ryegrass problem because of our long season, our late germinating ryegrass and the poor control we get out of grass herbicide," Mrs Hamson said.

"In the middle of winter when it's too cold and the ryegrass plant is shut down we find we don't get very effective herbicide control so ryegrass numbers have significantly built up and whether they're resistant or high in population, it can vary from one farm to another."

Mrs Hamson said using an integrated aproach - varying from windrow burning, growing genetically modified canola, and high density legumes or oats to make hay - was an option that was working.

Reducing ryegrass numbers was the key, she said.

Planning a two-year plant of hay in the rotation was gaining a couple of years of control, Mrs Hamson said.

"This is 100 per cent effective control because they're not letting any ryegrass go to seed for that whole season as opposed to allowing late germinating ones to come through and add to that seed bank all over again," she said.

"It's a different management tool that's a positive for the livestock side but also the cropping side of the system. It's utilising the ryegrass to make you some money instead of it actually taking away income."

Culcairn mixed farmer Andrew Godde, "Rosedeen", farms with his brother Paul.

The Goddes have used hay-making to try to control ryegrass, Andrew said.

"The thing with the resistant ryegrass is it's a numbers game; if we can keep the numbers down all the time, and do a cut of hay say even only one year in 10, it's just another tool," he said.

The brothers run 1700 hectares all up, 1500ha of which is cropping.

They also run 1500 Merino ewes.

With 950ha of wheat in total - including Sentinel, Suntop and Livingstone varieties - and 550ha of canola - GTSO Roundup Ready, 45Y22 Pioneer and Gem - Mr Godde said baling hay complimented their mixed farming operation.

"Resistant ryegrass is a big issue when you're continually cropping so that's where our sheep tie in fairly well," he said.

"If we have a paddock where we have a blow-out with the ryegrass we can either run sheep on that paddock for a year or two or we can potentially silage it, or sow wheat - wheat and rye makes good hay."

"It's the best kept secret - the gross margins on wheaten hay are not too bad."

He said the pair always baled hay.

"How much just depends each year, if we have a paddock of wheat that has a blow-out of ryegrass, sometimes we'll cut a section of a paddock, or cut half a paddock that has a bad strip of ryegrass. We use it as a management tool," he said.

Mrs Hamson said the Culcairn area was traditionally a mixed farming area, with many growers opting to make hay or silage to store on farm.

Most planned to make clover and lucerne hay in their rotation, she said.

"If they're setting crops up for hay they mostly grow oats, but we have some people who grow legumes to add them into the oat mix, so they might be adding a vetch, or they might be adding some peas or arrowleaf clover," Mrs Hamson said.

"We grow a lot of bulk because we plant early, we've got a lot longer season and a lot softer finish so we produce a lot of hay that has good colour to it and a lot of bulk dry matter.

"A lot is used during the winter because we grow really rich pastures so we need that dry feed to balance out any metabolic problems that might occur."

Mrs Hamson said while many baled with the intention of using the hay to finish their own livestock, good demand to sell off-farm also existed.

"There is that demand for hay because it's a lot drier up north and they don't have the feed we have in the south," she said.

"In saying that we haven't had a very damp season either but as far as the potential to make hay, it's different this season to last season.

"Rather than leaving it there this year if it's not going to make any grain people will start thinking in October, when the weather starts to warm up to those 20- and 25-degree days, what their hay and silage options are."