A LOT of acidic soils on “Oakfield”, Tooraweenah, have created problems for Terry and Kerry Butler, but following guidance from former departmental district agronomists a mix of legumes and tropical grasses have helped solve that with some paddocks established for more than 25 years.
Mr Butler said local pasture trials seem to have vanished since the Department of Primary Industries disbanded the old agronomy services it was noted for.
“We had agronomists like Bob Freebairn and Col Mullen out this way who helped us and conducted trials and field days as part of their extension services.”
However, locals have overcome this by organising their own field days, the latest last week at Tooraweenah attracting 85 attendees.
“The Grasslands Society of NSW and Central West Local Land Services contributed with funding from Meat and Livestock Australia towards a pasture update,” Mr Butler said.
Talks included legume options and optimum nitrogen fixation, improving nodulation, tropical grass options and management of grasses for improved feed quality and increased animal production, also strategies for optimising sheep reproductive performance in dry seasons. The afternoon was taken up with visits to two local farm properties.
The Butlers’ mixed farming operation has a 250 breeder Poll Hereford herd and a 2000 ewe self-replacing Merino flock of Weealla blood.
These are grazed and fattened on a combined pasture legume mix of serradella, biserulla and subterranean clover with tropical grasses including premier digit, consol love grass, Gatton panic and bambatsi panic.
“This mix allows the legumes to fix nitrogen to supply the grasses,” Mr Butler said.
“The legumes grow in winter and the grasses in summer, so the system works well.”
He said last year’s wet winter and spring set things off well and the recent rain had turned paddocks into an “island”.
“In a year like last year the pasture went gangbusters and that set up our grasses,” he said. “It’s like topdressing with urea.”
Mr Butler has the sub clovers and biserulla growing on better soil country while serradella grows in the more acidic soil paddocks.
“This has saved me a lot in input costs as the pasture is doing a natural job for me.”
“However, I need to keep an eye out that the legumes are not pinching nitrogen from each other,” he said.
Some sub clovers were using nitrogen fixed by the serradella plants.
