Spring/Summer Pastures Links & Resources
CVRF: Regen Ag Spring & Summer Sowing Strategies
The CVRF group encompasses a diverse range of farming businesses across varied climatic and soil zones, and their experiences have generated a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm multispecies cover cropping. The consulting agronomist, Jade Killoran, details her sowing suggestions below,
drawn primarily from the CVRF trials and demonstrations.
Summary of results:
• Early spring sowing gives best dryland results: September/October, with soil moisture.
• Summer sowing is opportunistic- needs a summer storm and careful species selection.
• Competition can wreck establishment of covers, pick paddocks wisely.
• Cover crop establishment is the goal- spray or
cultivate if necessary, to ensure success.
DPIRD: Guide to growing summer grain & forages in WA
Summer crops consist of a range of species such as
broadleafs (sunflowers, safflower), grasses (sorghum, millet,
and maize) and legumes (sun hemp, pigeon pea and lablab).
Summer crops can be grown for grain, forage, conserved
fodder or green manuring.
Summer crops have minimum soil temperatures at which
they will germinate (Table 1.2). Soil temperatures should be
measured at the proposed seeding depth (for example 2.5-5 cm)
at the same time each day. A 9 am soil temperature measure is
the standard.
This guide is a great resource for planning and sowing summer forage or cover crops in the south west of WA.
Evergraze – Growing kikuyu for summer feed and soil cover!
Summer-active perennials provide forage for livestock over summer and autumn when other pastures are of low quality.
Kikuyu has a deep root system (2–3 m), is an efficient water-user and can dry out soils. It will tolerate waterlogging and is relatively drought tolerant. The growth habit of kikuyu helps protect the soil surface from erosion and stabilise soils that are likely to erode. Its creeping habit also displaces broadleaved weeds.
Spring sowing is best for kikuyu. The optimum temperature for germination is 19–29°C but about 50% of seed will germinate at 14°C. Autumn sowings normally fail due to poor germination, or seedlings dying in winter due to cold temperatures or being
unable to compete with fast growing annual species.
► This fact sheet provides information on establishment, management and use of kikuyu in the temperate zone of southern Australia under rain fed conditions.
GRDC – Summer Sown Pasture Legumes
Cranking up crop yields and livestock production using summer sown pasture legumes – revisiting fundamental soil and agronomy with new technologies to increase production and rotation flexibility.
Key ideas:
-Capacity for increased production from hardseeded legumes due to better tolerance of variable growing conditions or because of suitability to summer sowing, means that there is
potential for greater levels of livestock production to be achieved.
-Such increases in livestock production may be achieved through utilising the forage produced directly by grazing (i.e. increasing
stocking rate) or via strategic fodder conservation when seasonal conditions allow.
-Summer sowing has been robust in the face of seasonal
variation including extreme drought providing feed for livestock and nitrogen for subsequent crops.
-The ability of hardseeded legumes to maintain productivity in drought conditions, yet exhibit elasticity in response to improved seasonal conditions and provide additional options for use such as fodder conservation can only be beneficial in achievement of crop and livestock production goals.
-one of the greatest advantages of hardseeded legumes is the capacity for growers to flex and change their crop and pasture ratios over short time periods once a seedbank is established in response to seasonal and commodity price conditions.
Norman Pasture Seeds: Using summer forages–Andrew Allsop Agronomy
Spring and early summer are prime times to renovate paddocks and grow your own quality feed. Summer-sown forage fills the feed gap when permanent pastures slow down and helps keep your pasture program on track.
Read the latest on the use of summer forages with thoughts from Andrew Allsop, a member of our Western Victorian pasture team.
Spring and early summer paddock renovation provides an opportunity to establish home grown feed for summer, autumn and if intended winter forage. Spring and summer sown forage can be used for a variety of reasons, but the main reasons are to form part of your annual pasture renovation program and the other to produce valuable feed at key times when permanent pastures are of low quality and quantity.
KEY BENEFITS OF SUMMER CROPS
- Provide a cheap source of dry matter when compared to bought in feed.
- Break the perennial weed cycle using non – selective herbicides. i.e. The use of glyphosate and dicamba as knock downs and pre-emergent before sowing.
- Potential to grow large quantities of feed for a relatively low cost of production.
Specialist Forages for Opportunistic Summer Feed
There are a number of fodder options that can provide some quick feed over summer – if summer rains fall. This article has been updated from a lamb finishing article in 2022 to include further comments and options for this situation.
Options for summer crops will depend on the region, soil moisture and summer rainfall. They include maize, millet, sorghum, chicory, brassicas and legumes. These can also be useful in a pasture renovation program and/or for providing quality feed for growing out or finishing stock.
This article looks at;