Pasture cropping

Summary

Intercropping or sod seeding winter cereal crops into perennial pasture has been practised in New South Wales since at least the 1960s.

This technology has recently been rejuvenated by farmers in the Central West of NSW with the development of the Pasture Cropping System where winter cereal crops are sown directly into summer growing (C4) perennial native pastures (e.g. Redgrass (Bothriochloa macra) and Warrego summer grass (Paspalidium jubiflorum)) to exploit their complementary growth phases without the need for a summer fallow.

This system is increasingly being adopted and modified, but to date there has been little formal research.

This Primefact covers the following topics:

  • Definitions
  • System objective
  • Production outcomes
  • Natural resource management
  • Profitability
  • System components



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Primefact 879

Published: Mar 2009