Around the State there is division about the role of kikuyu.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) district agronomist at Kempsey, Carol Rose, said on the North Coast it was considered a valuable pasture species, while further south there were many that considered kikuyu a weed of rye grass pastures.

She said this attitude could vary from neighbour to neighbour. So why the difference of opinion on kikuyu?

"In the north, the strong summer growing species is well adapted to the hot, wet summers, producing large amounts of feed for both dairy and beef enterprises.

"While In the south, where winters are colder, the frost sensitive grass has a much shorter growing season," Ms Rose said.

She said kikuyu was still a very strong competitor in the summer, actively competing with temperate species.

"As a summer growing species, kikuyu is of lower quality than many temperate species," Ms Rose said.

So how do dairy farmers in the north of the State manage kikuyu for dairy production during the summer? Ms Rose said the answer lies in grazing management.

She said Kikuyu was a five-leaf plant, growing five leaves and then more stem, so grazing should occur when plants are at the 4.5 leaf stage and cattle should be removed with a five centimetre residual.

"If a higher residual has been left in the past, cattle will be reluctant to graze below this, as quality will be much lower.

"If you leave more residual than last grazing, there will be a problem in the next grazing," Ms Rose said.

Some farmers use slashing to maintain an even residual height. With kikuyu growing so fast during the summer, Ms Rose said it may be as short as two weeks before grazing is due again.

"To keep to this rotation it might be necessary to drop some kikuyu paddocks out of the grazing system. These paddocks can be fertilised and baled for silage," she said.

Kikuyu paddocks are sown to annual ryegrass in the autumn to fill the winter feed gap left by frosted kikuyu.

Contact Carol Rose, (02) 6562 6244.