Chicory

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NOTE: The information in this Agnote must be read in conjunction with Introduction to selecting and using pastures in NSW, which covers information on areas of adaptation, sources of variability, species mixtures, and important issues related to animal health and the conservation of native vegetation.

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Pasture type and use	Perennial spring / summer / autumn herb. Chicory can be sown with a perennial clover, or as part of a perennial pasture sward. Chicory provides an alternative to lucerne in areas where soils may be too acid for lucerne.
Area of adaptation	Irrigated areas and dryland areas of the tablelands, and higher-rainfall areas of the slopes. Maximum production requires plentiful soil moisture or summer rainfall. It has a similar growth pattern and management to that of lucerne.
Min. average annual rainfall	600 mm (southern NSW) to 650 mm (northern NSW).
Advantages	Highly nutritious and palatable herb. Very high growth rates for stock. Particularly suited to finishing stock, especially lambs. Very fast regrowth in warmer months. Adapted to acid soils as an alternative to lucerne. Deep root system capable of extracting water and nutrients from depth. Not known to cause bloat. Perennial species with good persistence under favourable grazing regimes. Can be managed to regenerate from seed-set. Retains leaf better than lucerne under moisture stress. High drought tolerance.
Disadvantages	Plants are susceptible to damage from trampling and overgrazing, particularly when dormant. Requires high levels of nitrogen for maximum production. Does not make good hay. Growth rates are low at low temperatures (Puna more so relative to Grouse). Herbicide options are limited. Is not a legume.
Soil requirements	Suited to free-draining, deep soils. Is capable of a rooting depth of over 1 metre. Fertility levels need to be high for maximum production. Able to tolerate acid soils to pH(Ca) 4.2.
Varieties	Long-term perennial types Puna - Variable leaf cultivar. Prostrate growth, with low protected crowns. Seasonal growth, with high growth in warmer months and little growth in winter. Ideal variety to sow with companion perennial clover (such as red or white clover) for long-term specialist finishing paddock. Puna II * - Cultivar bred from Puna to provide increased winter activity. Limited data to support persistence claims, but expected to persist to at least 80% of Puna. Grouse - Uniform leaf shape. More erect growth habit than Puna, with higher crowns which can be more easily damaged with too close grazing. Higher winter production than Puna, with vigorous seedling growth. Grouse is ideally suited to short-term situations such as sowing in pasture mixes, and as a replacement for, or in combination with, brassicas for annual summer feed. * Denotes that this variety is protected by Plant Breeder’s Rights. Short-term bi/annual types Chico - a short-term cultivar with higher levels of winter production than Puna, but with lower production in spring and summer. Forager - Similar to Chico. Useful short-term cultivar. Both these cultivars are ideally suited to sowing in a summer forage crop situation or with short-term high-production pasture mixes.
Sowing rates	as only species - It is not common to sow chicory on its own without the addition of at least one legume. specialist finishing forage - 2–4 kg/ha combined with 0.5 kg/ha white clover or 0.5–1 kg/ha red clover. pasture mix - 0.5–2 kg/ha chicory combined with perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, fescue, sub clover and white clover.
Sowing time	Can be sown in autumn or early spring.
Companion species	As a component of a high-performance finishing pasture, sow with white clover and/or red clover. Can also be sown with forage brassicas for short-term summer forage. As a component of a pasture mix, sow with perennial ryegrass, white clover, sub clover, cocksfoot and tall fescue. As a component of a lucerne and chicory mix - the combination of lucerne and chicory is reported to reduce the risk of bloat and red gut associated with lucerne-only stands. (Note that chicory does not make hay, but makes good silage/haylage.)
Inoculation	Not applicable
Major nutrient deficiencies	Chicory will extract soil nutrients from depth. Maximum production will be achieved only when there is adequate nitrogen (from companion legumes and/or nitrogen application) and adequate phosphorus.
Main insect pests	Earth mites and white-fringed weevils can be troublesome but are not usually a serious threat. Slugs can cause significant damage or complete failure if present in large numbers (in germinating crops) during early establishment.
Main diseases	Charcoal rot and sclerotinia rot.
Management	Management of chicory will depend on primary objective. When sown as the specialist forage for finishing stock, rotational grazing management based on a four-paddock system will be the most appropriate. Aim to maintain plant height between 5 cm and 40 cm. In summer, maintain grazing pressure so as to prevent stem elongation. This can be difficult when growth rates are high. Applying post-grazing nitrogen in conjunction with rainfall or irrigation over the hotter months will ensure quick regrowth and maximum production. Where chicory is part of a conventional perennial pasture mix, grazing management suitable for the other pasture species will most likely lead to the eventual decline of the chicory component, especially if set-stocked.
Livestock disorders of particular note	A bitter milk taint has been recognised as a problem with chicory when used in some dairy situations. This can be overcome by grazing chicory immediately after milking and then removing stock to non-chicory paddocks a couple of hours prior to milking. Leaves have been reported to be poisonous to pigs, and the roots poisonous to cattle, but these incidents appear to be rare. There have been no reports of poisoning under Australian growing conditions.
Additional tips	Wherever possible, use a rotational grazing system to ensure persistence. Grouse chicory is more productive over winter, but care needs to be taken to prevent pugging damage caused by stock grazing in wet paddocks. Grouse is also quicker to initiate stem elongation in late spring, so management needs to ensure sufficient stock pressure to reduce stem development. In late summer, stands can be allowed to develop stems and set seed if regeneration is required. Where stems are a problem, slashing or mulching is useful for returning stands to production. Be aware that slashing or mulching should not be carried out just prior to rainfall, as this will encourage stem diseases.

Acknowledgment

Advice on livestock health disorders was provided by Dr Chris Bourke, Principal Research Scientist, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange. His contribution is gratefully acknowledged.