Winter fodder crops sown reliably early on good sub soil moisture plus paddocks of dense winter annual legumes in tropical and native grass pastures is part of our system aiming for good quality feed right throughout the year to run a profitable livestock fattening business.
A field day to highlight such a system, by no means the best-conducted one in NSW, but I feel a good example of how to achieve efficient use of erratic rainfall, is scheduled on our property near Coonabarabran on Monday September 12.
A key aspect of good winter legumes in all pastures types is successful nodulation of them combined with long term rhizobia survival.
Belinda Hackney, senior pasture agronomist with the Central West Local Land Service and guest speaker at the field day, notes several factors are vital for effective nodulation including care during establishment or when correcting a legume problem paddock. Dr Hackney is especially impressed with the role dry clay based innoculant can have in improving success with nodulation as well with their application simplicity.
Pasture species choice is also an important focus of the field day with serradella and biserrula our bread and butter species (a lot of acidic soils) but sub clover is also valuable. Rose, bladder and gland clover have also been added this last autumn.
New generation species like these (and also including arrow-leaf) have many features superior to sub clover and medics including greater acid soil tolerance, deeper rooting, longer growth period, some that don’t cause bloat, more tolerance to some diseases and pests, higher hard seed levels, more drought hardy and commonly more productive. But these species also require different grazing management to ensure long-term persistence. They are all aerial seeders and until a good soil seed bank is established it is critical to allow them to flower and seed down, a real challenge should the first year or two be a dry spring.
The economics of our cropping and pasture system that includes maintaining good soil fertility and high-standard winter fodder crops (not only vital for winter feed but also for cleaning up country prior to sowing down to tropical pastures) will be presented in detail.
While costly to ensure aspects like crop and pasture soil fertility are adequate, high animal productivity and good profitability depend on it. George Avendano, Australia’s preeminent tropical grass and winter legume grazier, a special guest, will highlight his success with tropical grass pastures, various winter legumes as well as planned fodder crops as fundamental to his success.
Over 26 years from a small beginning he now with his family runs a cattle-breeding business running on several thousand hectares of these pastures. Winter fodder crops, while a routine part of many farms, does have some key aspects to ensure their reliability and productivity.
For example their reliable early sowing is improved if able to be sown on lighter soils where sub soil moisture is good (can establish on as little as 8.0mm), and reasonable levels of stubble have been retained.
There is a charge ($100) to attend the field day, numbers are limited and it is essential to book, preferably as soon as possible and by email (phone for those that don’t use email). Commencement time is 9am Monday, September 12, (morning tea) and finish soon after lunch (provided). Details in relation to directions will be provided.
Next week. Maximising nitrogen build-up with crop legumes.
- Bob Freebairn is an agricultural consultant based at Coonabarabran. Email robert.freebairn@bigpond.com or contact (0428) 752 149.