Central West Dry Land Cropping Zone

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.

Eastern Areas – Greater than 500 mm (20”) annual rainfall (East of Newell Highway)

Medium to High Fertility soils

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 mix of medic varieties at 3 kg/ha (acid-neutral soils)

or

 

Lucerne

2 kg/ha

Sub-clover mix

2-3 kg/ha

Selected temperate perennial grass

1 kg/ha

Low Fertility Soils

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

 

Western Areas – Less than 500 mm (20”) annual rainfall (West of the Newell Highway)

Medium to High Fertility Soils

 

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

Low Fertility soils (lighter textured)

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


September to December Sowings

 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

 

Salty Areas

The following species have tolerance of saline conditions

Tall wheatgrass (Tyrrell, Dundas)

Puccinellia

Pioneer Rhodes Grass

Palestine strawberry clover

Saltbush

Bambatsi Panic

Balansa Clover

Sodic Soils

The following species have performed well in trials on sodic soils at Balladoran

Sephi barrel medic

Sava snail medic

Lucerne (midly sodic)
- Aurora, Genesis or Aquarius, L90

Woolly pod vetch

Riverina Sub-clover

Balansa clover and Nitro Persian Clover, Clare, Antas, Rosedale

Bambatsi Panic

Phalaris