Get the most out of your grazing system with winter active pasture systems

 

The Steiger family at ‘Tarakan’, Bingara, recently hosted a field day to look at their perennial winter pastures and some demonstration plots of @swseedcompanyaustralia pasture species.

The Steigers shared their experience of establishing Phalaris based winter perennial pastures and how they have manage these pastures to get the most out of them in their grazing system. The incorporation of prairie grass has provided feed throughout the winter, whilst the Phalaris has filled the gap well into the spring. An under-sowing of arrow leaf clover as their legume base has provided enough nitrogen to support the grasses, with the option of additional Urea as a supplement. They maintain their nutrient base, particularly phosphorus and sulphur, by spreading single super each year.

Perennial winter pastures provide a strong alternative to oats in a system with subtropical pastures providing feed over the summer. The Phalaris pastures, if managed correctly, can persist for at least five years – lowering input and operation costs of sowing annual oats each autumn. The Steigers have found that they are almost as good as oats in terms of weight gain of their animals, with the management and input benefits making them an important component of their system.

We have been working closely with a number of growers over the last six years to develop winter active pasture systems. Its great see such positive results for our growers in the pasture arena.

#inthepaddock with John Frazier and Alice Jorgensen, Agronomists Inverell; Dan Lindsay, Agronomist, Warialda and Peter Barratt, Account Manager Animal Production, Inverell.