Temperate perennial pasture establishment guide

Summary

This publication focuses on the successful establishment of introduced temperate perennial pasture species.

The establishment period extends from the initial planning two years before sowing, through to site preparation, the sowing process and until the pastures have survived their first summer.

The high cost associated with sowing permanent pastures means that establishment must be successful.

In order to recoup this cost, the sown species should persist and achieve the desired production and/or environmental outcomes for at least 10 years.

Points to consider when sowing perennials:

• Most perennial species have slow-growing, weak seedlings compared with annuals. Consequently, weed competition is a common cause of establishment failure.
• Pasture establishment is expensive. One bad outcome is a partial failure – where establishment is satisfactory and the newly sown pasture is too good to remove, but inadequate so that it will never achieve its productive potential.

Topics include:

• Planning and paddock preparation
• At sowing
• Post sowing