SUMMER 2012

TipsPASTURES FOR PROFIT®

Welcome to the Summer Edition of Agricom’s Pastures for Profit® Tips

Inside This Issue . . .Agricom Technical MeetingSowing PreparationPasture Pest Watch – Root AphidHybrid Ryegrass with AR37 Seed Treatment Advantages of Sowing Italian RyegrassOn the farm – Fescue fills winter feed gap

Key Dates . . .Agricom will be attending these key events, hope to see you there!

• BeefWeek,7-11thMay,Rockhampton• Sheepvention,2-3August,Hamilton• AgQuip,21-23rdAugust,Gunnedah• HentyFieldDay,18-20September,Henty• ElmoreFieldDay,2-4October,Elmore

AGRICOM TECHNICAL MEETING

Welcome to the first edition of Pasture for Profit Tips for 2012 and Happy New Year to you all. Many regions have experienced environmental challenges over the past year but challenges have the ability to breed resilience. Thankfully last year ended positively for most with good pasture growth leading to good stock production. Commodity prices remain strong so here’s hoping this continues well into the foreseeable future.

We understand that there are many cultivar options and a lot of information currently available that makes pasture renewal decisions confusing. This newsletter aims to provide information on best practice and on products specifically bred for Australia’s farming systems. We encourage your feedback and are interested in what you would like to read about in the Pastures for Profit® Tips, if you have any questions or feedback please e-mailusoninfo@agricom.com.au.

TipsPASTURES FOR PROFIT®

WWW.AGRICOM.COM.AU 1800 051 064

For technical support contact our territory managers:

Sven Koljo-VIC,TAS,SthNSW0427772488

Jacob O’Brien–NthNSW,QLD0428469363

This information has been checked for accuracy and published in good faith. Agricom accepts no responsibility expressed or implied for the misuse ofinformationinthisnewsletter.©Agricom,2012

Agricom cultivars are available from all quality rural retailers and seed is proudly distributed by:

AusWest Seeds NSW,QLD 1800224987 Smyth Seeds VIC 0357625288Stephen Pasture Seeds VIC,SA 0353358055Roberts Ltd TAS 0363936060Irwin Hunter & Co WA 0893834708

AgricomrecentlyspenttwodaysattheLeighCreekResearchCentreontheoutsideofBallaratreviewingtheAgricomproductportfolio,recenttrialdata and planning for the release of new cultivars – an Italian, continental fescue, cocksfoot and two perennial ryegrasses. The focus of the meeting wastheresearchanddevelopmentofAgricomforageoptions,andtheadvancementofendophytetechnologytoincreasetheprofitson-farm.

InvolvementacrossthegroupwasstrongwithSvenKoljo,JakeO’Brien,GerardLysaghtandAnnaJohnsfromAgricomAustralia,GlenJudsonandAllisterMoorheadfromAgricomNZ,FrankMcRaefromAusWestSeedsandJamesSewellfromPGGWrightsonSeedsResearch.

FESCUE DRIVES PROFITABILITY STOCKINGratesareabigdriverforprofitability,andatonefarmatElongElong,northeastofDubbo,apastureprogramwhichnowincludesawinter-activefescueisplayingabigpartinliftingcarryingcapacity.

TheRobertsfamilyofDunboganMerinostud,ElongElong,north-eastofDubbo,arenowsixyearsintoanewpastureprogramwhichremovestheircompleterelianceonlucerne,winterforageandsubclovers.TheoperationisbasedaroundMerinos,cerealsandcanolaon1821hectares.

CharlieRobertsgrewuponhisparentsDunboganstudandworkedintheNewEnglandregionasanagronomistwithafocusonpasturebudgetingand understanding how different species fitted together in the overall production system. One of the main species he worked with was Flecha tall fescue,awinteractiveandsummerdormantvariety.Hesaidthiswasn’tanewspecies,butcertainlyhasbeenunder-valuedinalotofareas.

Mr Roberts put this down to a lack of knowledge among farmers about how to manage fescues, as well as a poor understanding of the differences between the summer and winter active varieties and which regions they were best suited.

IntheNewEnglandthesummeractivetypesworkedwellastheyweresuitedtothecoolsummers,however,thesetypesdidn’tpersistontheslopesand plains. This was where winter active varieties were useful, as they had summer dormancy, which meant they shut down when temperatures got too hot, but as soon as the season began to break in the autumn they were growing again.

We’ve taken the approach on our farm to set up different parts to suit different species, he said. Therefore some paddocks are growing fescue, while others have tropical pastures or lucerne, with the fescue helping reduce the reliance on winter forage, and the tropical pastures reducing the reliance on lucerne.

If they are (winter forages) in on time and don’t have sufficient rainfall, it is a costly exercise, he said. The initial sowing cost of the fescues was high, butatDunbogantheyhadbrokeneveninjust12monthsandfromthenonthepastureshadbeenprofitable.

He said a higher carrying capacity allowed them to get the returns they needed to make it profitable. Stocking rates are one of the biggest drivers of profitability in grazing systems, he said.

With the tropical pastures just starting to respond to spring, he said they could graze through the high production period of the fescue and then havethetropicalpasturesandlucernetomovethesheepontoinlateNovember/earlyDecember.

As the fescue could begin growing as soon as the season broke in autumn right through until the heat of summer, when it became dormant, it had a bigger growing window than the winter forage crops, so essentially you’ve got less down time – we’re trying to utilise the rain that falls, Mr Roberts said.

We’ve noticed the small area we’ve established takes the pressure off thosewintercereals,hesaid,astheystillhadabout25%ofthefarmcropped. If you’ve got something there that can respond to the rain, you’re in a good position to get something growing pretty quickly.

The fescue also provided finishing ability for lambs or good feed to grow out young cattle. It was also sown with sub clover in the mix, which was able to establish as the fescue seedlings were not too aggressive.

The pasture was rotationally grazed to keep it vegetative, particularly in spring when it grew quickly, and also required fertiliser inputs.

It’s not the type of thing you run on a low input system, he said. He said it does, however, allow rest periods for other areas of the farm due to its high carrying capacity.

CharlieRobertsintroducedFlechatallfescue,awinteractivevariety,tothefamilyfarm,DunboganMerinostud,ElongElong

Damage symptoms in pastureSymptomsofdamageareoftenassociatedwithdisappointingpasturerecoveryafterdroughtand/oralossof vigour and poor persistence when in association with other pest damage or stresses. Within a drill row, individual plants hosting high levels of root aphid will often be small, weak, pale and carry dead material around their base. It is these individual plants that are best dug up with a spade and examined to identify the presence of this pest.

Identification of Root Aphid If damage from root aphid is suspected, its presence can be confirmed by digging up a spade square of pasturetoadepthof30cmandplacingitonaplasticsheet.Thesodisthencarefullyexaminedby breaking it apart and looking for the characteristic white waxy material. Usually a mature aphid is visible amongstthewax;ifnot,itispossiblethatthewhitematerialisPastureMealyBugorafungus.

ControlAt present the most effective control of this pest is sowing ryegrass with AR37 endophyte which provides resistance to root aphid. For more information on AR37 visit www.ar37.com.au

HYBRID RYEGRASS WITH AR37An important consideration when undersowing ryegrass is the choice of species and endophyte used. Traditionally Italian ryegrasses have been used as they establish quickly and grow well over winter and spring. However, they do not contain endophyte, so in recent years many plants have been wiped out by insects during the first summer. A good compromise is to use a hybrid ryegrass (cross between perennial and Italian ryegrass) with AR37 endophyte, of which currently Ohau AR37 is the only one available. This has been found to give excellent growth in the first season, but also be tolerant of insects and to persist for several years.

SEED TREATMENTSeed treatment is vital for ensuring that the investment you are making with new pasture provides the highest return. Seed treatment not only protects the germinating plant from insect attack, but also fungal attacks. While endophytes in ryegrass and fescue are the most effective way of protecting against common pasture insects it is important to note that the endophyte is not active until grass seedlings are established (from 6weekson)soseedtreatmentiscriticaltoprotectemergingseedlingsfrominsectpressuresduringestablishment.

ADVANTAGES OF SOWING AN ITALIAN RYEGRASSCrusaderItalianryegrassisanidealoptionforsowinginlateautumnasitisinvaluableforprovidingearlygrazingopportunitiesthroughitsrapidestablishment and vigorous early growth and regrowth following subsequent grazings. It is well suited for producing high quality hay and silage for supplementaryfeed.AsitpersistsintoandthroughasecondyearCrusaderisacosteffectiveoptionwhencomparedtosowingacheapannuallikeTetila or an Oat crop especially when the resowing costs are factored in for the second year such as loss of production, tractor hours and seed.

CrusaderItalianryegrassextendsthegrowingseasonoverannuals.ComparedtoTetilaCrusaderyielded28%more drymatter per hectare, that is an extra 3 tonnes for grazingorsupplementaryfeedthatisworth$609/ha.

CrusaderdeliversfeedbeyondthefirstyearcomparedtoOats and a Tetila type so is a cost effective, nutritionally smart choice, for autumn pasture sowing.

Qualityandquantityarelongrememberedafterprice is forgotten.

PASTURE ESTABLISHMENT CONSIDERATIONSAutumn sowing of temporary and permanent pasture is beginning to happen in many areas and generally continues through April and May weather permitting.Thereisasayingthatisoftenreferredtoasthe5P’s,namely:Prior planning prevents poor performance.

Farmers tend not to give their pasture the same degree of attention as they do to their livestock. When identifying with livestock they look for certain breeds that they identify with their property largely determined by soil type, topography, fertility, rainfall and pasture productivity. Pasture seed is not unlike livestock breeds. There are different species e.g. ryegrass, fescue, bromes, phalaris, cocksfoot, lucerne to name but a few, just as there are different breeds of cattle and sheep.

Grassisjustnotgrass.Ryegrassesaredefinedbytheirploidyi.e.tetraploidordiploid,andbytheirperiodofproductivitybeitannual,Italian,perennial.

Regardlessofwhetherthespeciesisannual,Italianorperennial-cultivarsareavailableasdiploidortetraploid.

Inthecaseofryegrasscultivarsyouwillgetearly,midandlateheadingcultivars.Earlyheadingcultivarsgrowthisstrongestintheearlyspringandweakest in the late spring. In the case of late heading cultivars the reverse applies. Mid heading cultivars imply just that.

Asafarmertheaimistomaximisethegrazingperiodofqualityvegetationfromlatewintertomid-summerorbeyondifweatherandirrigationallow.Paddocks of early, mid and late heading cultivars will extend the shoulders of quality feed for grazing stock maximising animal productivity.

Sowingratesareimportant.Didyouknowthattetraploidanddiploidryegrasseshavedifferentamountsofseedperkilogram.Includedinthetableare other species besides the ryegrasses to assist the understanding. The table shows the number of seeds per kilogram and the approximate number thataresownpersquaremetreattherateof1kilogramperhectare.Notealsothedaystoemergencefordifferentspecies.

To ensure that you get optimum cover at establishment remember that the larger the seed, the higher the sowing rate to achieve your objective pasturecover.Forexampleifyouweretosowatetraploidgrass(e.g.Tetila)at30kgsperhectarebasedontherateofseedspermetresquareyouwouldtheoreticallybesowing765seeds.Ifyouweresowingadiploidryegrass(e.g.Crusader)at20kgsperhectarebasedon50seedspermetresquareyouwouldtheoreticallybesowing1000seeds.

The growth of species is influenced by soil temperature and here are some examples. Annuals and Italians will grow when soil temperature are above 5degreescelsiusasdoesTonicplantain.Generallyperennialryegrassesrequiresoiltemperaturetobeabove8degreesandbromes,clovers,foragebrassicasandchicoryabove10degrees.

Once you have the paddock established and looking to push the growth along, rule of thumb is that for every kilogram of nitrogen applied, it will equatetoanincreaseindrymatterof10kgs.

PASTURE PEST WATCH - ROOT APHIDRoot aphids cause a gradual thinning of ryegrass and other grass species, especially when plants are under stress from drought, low soil fertility, attack from other insects, heavy grazing or wear. A severe root aphid infestation in combination with one or more of these stress events can result in significant plant death.

Root aphid can be found attached to grass roots throughout the year. It is readily located in the midst of a massofwhitefluffywaxymaterialandisonaverage2.4mmlong.Theaphidbodyiscreamyorpaleyellowwith tiny legs barely visible underneath the body. Only adults and mature nymphs are visible to the naked eye.

TipsPASTURES FOR PROFIT®

Species Approximate Seeds per kg

Approximate Seeds per metre2

Suggested Sowing Rate ofBareSeedkgs/ha

DaystoEmergenceinaControlledEnvironment

Tetraploid ryegrass 255,000 26 30assolespecies 12

Diploidryegrass 500,000 50 20assolespecies 12

Cocksfoot 1,000,000 100 8assolespecies 21

Bromes 90,000 9 35assolespecies 28

Phalaris 500,000 50 6assolespecies 21

Lucerne 500,000 50 10assolespecies 10

White clover 1,400,000 140 3 in a mix 7

Choicechicory 830,000 83 1inamix 14

Tonic plantain 500,000 50 2inamix 21

Summer

Key:

Spring

Winter

Gross value of total DM yield in $/ha. Assumption: Value of DM = $0.20/kg DM. % Drymatter relative to drymatter yield of Tetila.

Autumn

16000 $3000

$2500

$2000

$1500

$1000

$500

0

10000

4000

14000

8000

2000

Crusader with Gaucho®

Cum

ulat

ive

kg D

M/h

a

Gro

ss $

Val

ue/h

a

Crusader Abundant Tetila

12000

6000

0

37%28%

3%0%

VALUEOFCRUSADERITALIANRYEGRASSCOMPAREDWITHSHORTSEASONANNUALSMuswellbrook, NSW, Drymatter Trial, 2008

Ryegrass with AR37 (bottom) vs Root Aphid infected ryegrass (top) which is stunted and easily pulled from the ground.

Adult root aphid