Managing Pastures for Climate Change

Farm Walk Tuesday June 8th 2010

PROGRAM - Whorouly Murmungee Sites
9.00 Dan Taylor
Managing beef weaners on an intensive rotational grazing system
10.45 Denise Rae
Different weed control and paddock preparation techniques
Phalaris variety trials
11.30 Ron Fergusson
Sowing strategies
Shot gun mix vs pure phalaris and clover
12.00 Judy & Chris Griffith
Winter fodder crops
1.00 LUNCH
Guest agronomist Damien Carpenter from Peter Davis Rural, Benalla. 04 1853 6533

Dan Taylor Blog Site 1. Rotational grazing - Whorouly

Managing beef weaners on an intensive rotational grazing system

Site 1. Parking area Recently Grazed

Dan Taylor
 Farm system
 Spring calving
 Building the wedge
 Why rotationally graze

Principles of rotational grazing

Length of grazing
 Don’t back graze
Residual height
 4 to 5 cm
Graze at 3 leaf stage
 Rate of leaf emergence is the same
 3rd leaf bigger

When can stock come back to this paddock??

What strategies can be used to slow down the rotation so that growth is maximised????
Is this always going to be profitable?
Optimise vs Maximise

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com
96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Site 2. Cell 12- 13
Stock were out on the 25th of May
If Dan wants to maximise growth when should the stock come back?

Site 3. Cell 14
Stock were out on the 20th of May
When should stock come back if you want to maximise growth
Species difference

Site 4. Cells 15- 16

Nitrogen areas
Residuals

3-4 cm 4-5 cm

Photos courtesy Frank Micken DPI Victoria

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Denise Rae Blog Site 2. Phalaris varieties Murmungee

Highlights:
Phalaris varieties
Weed control
Paddock preparation techniques
Sowing techniques

Paddock history
2006 Lime 2.5 tonne/ha
2007 Oats/Ryegrass, 200kg single super. Cut for hay.
2008 Oats/Ryegrass, 200kg single super. Cut for hay.
2009 Oats/Ryegrass, 200kg single super. Cut for hay.

Treatment 2010
Date Action
8/04/10 Roundup CT @ 2l/ha
Li 700 wetting agent @ 300ml/ ha
Water @ 100l/ha
10/05/10 Roundup CT @ 500ml/ha
Cavalier @ 75ml/ha
19/05/10 DAP spread at 80kg/ha
20/05/10 Sown with triple disc drill to work up and
seed dropped from the small seeds box
Sowing rate
Phalaris 4kg/ha
Riverina sub- clover 3 kg/ha (High levels of
hard seed, early - mid season variety).
Goulburn sub -clover 2 kg/ha (Moderate levels
of hard seed, Mid – late season variety)

23/05/10 Pre- emergent spray

Talstar 250EC 40ml/ha – long acting
Astound Duo 100ml/ha – short term
Dual Gold 250 ml/ha – controls toad rush (see
photo)
25/05/10 41mm Rain
to
29/05/10

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Soil test (November 2009)

Compare demonstration site paddock “Oats” to

unimproved paddock next door.

Are these soil test levels suitable for phalaris?

Sowing plan

Discussion Points
If you want to sow phalaris into the unimproved paddock what process could be used?
What would you do now?
What would you do next year?

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Discussion points
How could this paddock have been better prepared to sow phalaris?

Given our variable climate was this a risky sowing method?

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
 Phalaris varieties

Phalaris cultivars can be divided into two types; semi winter dormant and winter active. The cultivar to sow will
depend on your grazing management, soil fertility and pH and when you need to grow the feed. If you plan to set
stocking the paddock, the prostrate, semi winter dormant cultivars will ensure pasture survival but will have poor
winter growth. If you can rotationally graze, the more erect, winter active cultivars will persist and give you better
winter growth rates.

Semi winter dormant varieties

Australian – Suitable for set-stocking situations

 Prostrate habit
 Low summer dormancy
 Lower winter production
 Regarded as the most persistent under continuous grazing due to its prostrate growing habit.
Australian II – Similar to Australian but has better seed retention and therefore better seed yields Grazier - derived
from original Australian phalaris.

Winter active varieties

This group can produce up to 50-100% more growth than the semi winter dormant cultivars.
Sirosa - was the standard winter-active phalaris it has now been replaced by Holdfast.

Holdfast – General purpose

 Semi-erect to erect, winter active
 Good seedling vigour
 Slightly more acid soil tolerant relative to Sirosa
 Lower level of alkaloids (toxins that cause Phalaris staggers) than Sirosa.
Landmaster – For lighter, shallow, acidic soils
 Semi-erect to erect, winter active
 The most tolerant of acid soils
 Sow on mid to upper slopes on shallow soils.
Atlas PG – For drier, marginal areas
 Erect habit, winter active
 Improved persistence in dry marginal phalaris areas (400-500mm minimum)
 Early flowering, stronger summer dormancy
 Strong seedling vigour.

Newer winter active cultivars

These varieties have recently been released.
Holdfast GT
 Semi erect
 More tolerant of set stocking than Holdfast
Advanced AT
 Better adapted to strongly acid soils with high exchangeable aluminium levels than other cultivars Including
Landmaster
 Higher seedling vigour and first year survival rates than Landmaster.

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Ron Fergusson Blog Site 3. Shotgun perennial mix vs Pure phalaris Murmungee
Highlights:
Shot gun mix vs pure phalaris and clover,
Weed control
Paddock preparation techniques
Cost of cultivation compared to direct drilling

Paddock history
2008 Oats
2009 Oats

Treatment 2010
April
Disced
Smudged

June
Spread Lime, Gypsum, Trace elements. 3/06/10
Sown 4/06/10
Rolled
Pre-emergence Spray
 Dual Gold
 Talstar

Sowing plan
Road
Soil fertility Sowing rate 12kg/ha Gate
Phosphorus (Olsen P) = 19ppm Australian 17% (2.kg) Hayshed
Potassium (Colwell) = 195ppm Holdfast 33% (4 kg)
Sulphur (MCP) = 13ppm Leura* 25% (3 kg inc lime coating and inoculant)
pH (CaCl2) = 4.35 Goulburn** 25% (3 kg inc lime coating and inoculant)
Aluminium as a percentage of CEC =
7% N

Sowing rate 15kg/ha

Lime, gypsum, trace elements. Australian 12% (1.8kg)
Lime 500kg/ha Holdfast 23% (3.45kg)
Gypsum 300kg/ha Leura* 18% (2.7 kg inc lime coating and inoculant)
Zinc Sulphate Goulburn** 18% (2.7 kg inc lime coating and inoculant)
Copper sulphate Victorian perennial ryegrass 29% (4.35 kg)
Boron

*Leura (Low levels of hard seed, late season variety)

**Goulburn (High levels of hard seed, mid – late season variety)

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
 Discussion points
Toad rush in 2009 Did this seed?

Could it be a problem if the paddock isn’t

sprayed with dual gold?

Compare costs to sprayed and direct drilled

paddock of Denise Rae?

Choice of clover varieties – Should they all have

a high level of hard seededness?

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Judy & Chris Griffith Blog Site 4 Winter forage Murmungee
Highlights:
Winter fodder crops - growing winter and spring feed
Over sowing phalaris for winter feed.
Using forage varieties to control weeds in preparation for perennials the following year

Paddock history
2008 Oats for silage
2009 Oats for silage

Treatment 2010
Grazed prior to spraying
Sprayed mid late April
 Round up CT 2l/ha
 Kamba 500 300ml/ha
 Li 700 wetter 250ml/ha

Sown
April 30th May 1st
Not sprayed with insecticide

Sowing plan
Hayshed Forage Southern Southern Southern Forage oat Forage
triticale Green Rye Green and Green & (Coo-ee) brassica
Corn forage Italian (Goliath)
brassica tetraploid
N (Titan) ryegrass
(Nourish)

Gate
Sowing 100kg/ha 80kg/ha 60kg/ha 60kg/ha 90kg/ha 4 kg/ha
rates 5kg/ha 20kg/ha

Smudging Used tyre No smudger Tyre Tyre Used chain to

smudger last 5 runs smudger last smudger cover seed
----- 4 runs
----
Forage Winter Winter / Winter Winter & late Winter Winter
crop aims spring feed early spring spring feed spring feed spring feed spring feed
feed

Hay/silage Hay/silage Silage Silage Silage/hay Hay/silage Silage??

options

Weed Onion grass Onion grass Grasses early Broadleaf Onion grass Grasses any
control Ryegrass Ryegrass spring weeds Ryegrass time
options Broadleaf Broadleaf ?????? Broadleaf (Leaf
weeds weeds stage???)
Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com
96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Soil test taken 19/04/10

Discussion Point
What steps would you take to maximise the
success of a phalaris sowing next year?

 pH
 Potassium if hay is made

Timing of applications?

Discussion points
Rutherglen bugs were
a problem before the
rain
No insecticide used to date
Is there a concern with
Red legged earthmite
damage on the forage
brassica?

If you were planning to

sow phalaris next year
what would be your
spraying plans this
year?

Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com

96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com
96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program
Tim Ekberg Co-ordinator Ph 0357273931 Mobile 0427573535 tim@farminganswers.com
96 Milawa- Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa, Victoria, 3678
This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
under its FarmReady program