As soil types and situations vary greatly over the region different pasture mixtures become necessary.
The following mixtures will cover many situations and they can be varied to suit individual requirements.
Red and chocolate basalts, red loams, river and creek flats |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Lucerne |
3-5 kg/ha |
or |
|
Lucerne |
2-3 kg/ha |
Sub-clover |
3-4 kg/ha |
or |
|
Lucerne |
2 kg/ha |
Sub-clover mix |
2-3 kg/ha |
Selected temperate perennial grass |
1 kg/ha |
Sandy Clay Loams |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Lucerne (omit if soil very acid or has poor drainage) |
1 kg/ha |
Sub-clover |
3-4 kg/ha |
Sandy Loams |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Lucerne |
1 kg/ha |
Sub-clover / Serradella mix |
3 kg/ha |
Selected temperate perennial grass |
1-2 kg/ha |
OR |
|
Currie cocksfoot |
1-2 kg/ha |
Deep sands |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Serradella |
1kg/ha dehulled |
Biserulla |
0.5 – 1 kg/ha |
Arrow leaf clover |
1 kg/ha |
Wet Soils |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Balansa clover |
1 kg/ha |
Persian clover |
1 kg/ha |
Brachycalcycinum sub |
1 kg/ha |
Phalaris |
1 kg/ha |
Spring Sowing |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Tropical grass |
1 kg/ha |
Sub-clover |
2 kg/ha |
Serradella |
2 kg/ha |
Note: There are many situations where Persian, Balansa, Arrowleaf clovers or pasture herbs could be added to the above mixtures |
|
|
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Lucerne |
2-3 kg/ha |
or |
|
Lucerne |
1.5 kg/ha |
Short season sub and/or medic mix |
3 kg/ha |
or |
|
Lucerne |
1-2 kg/ha |
Rose clover |
1 kg/ha |
Short season sub mix |
2 kg/ha |
Sandy loams |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Lucerne (if pH Ca over 5.2) |
1 kg/ha |
Sub clover mix |
3 kg/ha |
or |
|
Lucerne (if pH Ca over 5.2) |
1 kg/ha |
Short season sub clover mix |
3 kg/ha |
Arrowleaf Clover |
1 kg/ha |
|
|
or
|
Seed Sowing Rate |
Premier digit grass and Rhodes grass has also been successfully established on the sandy loam soils (granite and sandstone derived soils) as follows: |
|
Premier digit grass |
1 kg/ha |
Pioneer Rhodes grass |
0.5 kg/ha |
Lucerne (if pH Ca over 5.2) |
0.5 kg/ha |
The option is to sod seed sub clover or serradella into the Premier Digit Grass and Rhodes grass the following autumn. Premier Digit Grass and/or Rhodes Grass should be mixed with fertiliser, dropped onto the seed bed and only lightly harrowed, or it can be furrow sown. Consol Lovegrass can be included in the above mixtures (0.15 kg/ha) or substituted for Rhodes Grass (0.25 kg/ha) on the acid, high exchangeable aluminium soils. |
|
or |
|
February/March Sowings (on good soil moisture) |
Seed Sowing Rate |
Pioneer Rhodes Grass |
1.5 kg/ha |
Dalkeith/York sub-clover |
2 kg/ha* |
or |
|
Serradella (King/Cadiz) |
2 kg/ha* |
Lucerne (if pH Ca over 5.2) |
1 kg/ha |
Note: There are many situations where Persian, Balansa or Arrowleaf clovers could be added to the above mixtures. *Earlier than optimal sowing window |
|
Deep Sands |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Serradella (yellow or pink) |
2 kg/ha dehulled |
Short Season Sub Clover mix |
2 kg/ha |
Northern Areas
Tropical grass pasture for heavy soils |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Bambatsi panic |
1 kg/ha |
Purple pigeon grass |
1 kg/ha |
Medic (sow from spring-summer) |
2 kg/ha* (added later) |
Tropical grass pasture for light soils, deep sands only |
Seed Sowing Rate |
---|---|
Premier digit grass |
1 kg/ha |
Consol love grass |
0.5 kg/ha |
Medic |
2 kg/ha* (added later) |
* Earlier than optimal sowing window |
|
The following species have tolerance of saline conditions |
---|
Tall wheatgrass (Tyrrell, Dundas) |
Puccinellia |
Pioneer Rhodes Grass |
Palestine strawberry clover |
Saltbush |
Bambatsi Panic |
Balansa Clover |
The following species have performed well in trials on sodic soils at Balladoran |
---|
Sephi barrel medic |
Sava snail medic |
Lucerne (midly sodic) |
Woolly pod vetch |
Riverina Sub-clover |
Balansa clover and Nitro Persian Clover, Clare, Antas, Rosedale |
Bambatsi Panic |
Phalaris |