PASTURE VARIETY TRIALS
Year 2 Trial Overview - 2021
Meat & Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site
Updated 24/02/22
2021 brought the second year of the ASHEEP & BEEF Pasture Variety Trials, as part of the Meat & Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site Program. The Year 2 trial sites were managed by South East Agronomy Services who have been working with ASHEEP & BEEF to deliver the project.
The trial sites in 2021 were moved to new locations (within similar rainfall zones) and the varieties in the trial were changed up, with some carried over from Year 1 plus new additions. We also included a range of pasture mixes and some of the new varieties that have been developed through the Dryland Pasture Legume Systems project. Pasture cuts for biomass were taken at 10 and 16 weeks, 60cm soil testing conducted, and nutritive analysis on better performing varieties.
Grass Patch
Host: David Vandenberghe
Soil pH (CaCl):
7.4 (0-10cm) to 8.7 (30-40cm)
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Sowing Details:
20th May
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Cereals: 60L Flexi-N + 80kg Agstar
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Legumes: 50kg Big Phos + 10kg required Alosca
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Varieties: 15 with 4 replicates
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Sulla @ 5kg
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Trigonella @ 8kg
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Express Grazing Oats @ 70kg
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Express Grazing Oats @ 50kg + RM4 Vetch @ 20kg
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Tillage Radish @ 6kg
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Snail Medic @ 12kg
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Leafmore Grazing Brassica @ 5kg
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Casbah Biserulla @ 6kg
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RM4 Vetch @ 25kg
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Mawson Subclover @ 6kg
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Cobra Subclover @6kg
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SARDI Grazing Lucerne @ 6kg
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Tetila Ryegrass @ 15kg
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BALL ThumpA Ballard Mix @ 20kg
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BALL SalinA Ballard Mix @ 20kg
Cascade
Host: Simeon Roberts
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Soil pH (CaCl):
5.8 (0-10cm) to 6.5 (50-60cm)
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Sowing Details:
19th May
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Cereals: 50L Flexi-N + 80kg Agstar
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Legumes: 50kg Big Phos + 10kg required Alosca
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Sparticus Barley treated with 1.5L/t Systiva
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Varieties: 15 with 4 replicates
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Sparticus Barley @ 80kg
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RM4 Vetch @ 25kg
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Capello Vetch @ 25kg
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Express Grazing Oats @ 70kg
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RM4 Vetch @ 20kg + Express Grazing Oats @ 50kg
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Trigonella @ 8kg
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Tetila Ryegrass @ 15kg
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Cavalier Medic @ 12kg
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Snail Medic @ 12kg
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SU Tolerant Sultan Medic @ 6kg
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Casbah Biserulla @ 6kg
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SARDI Grazing Lucerne @ 6kg
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Cobra Clover @ 6kg
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Ball ThumpA Ballard Mix @ 20kg
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BALL SalinA Ballard Mix @ 20kg
Neridup - Sandplain
Host: John Wallace
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Soil pH (CaCl):
6.8 (0-10cm) to 7.7 (50-60cm)
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Sowing Details:
13th May
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Cereals: 60L Flexi-N + 80kg Agstar
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Legumes: 50kg Big Phos + 10kg required Alosca
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Varieties: 15 with 4 replicates
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Illabo Wheat @ 100kg
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Planet Barley @ 80kg
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Capello Vetch @ 25kg
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RM4 Vetch @ 25kg
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Tetila Ryegrass @ 15kg
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Express Grazing Oats @ 80kg
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Express Grazing Oats @ 60kg + Tetila Ryegrass @ 15kg
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SARDI Grazing Lucerne @ 6kg
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SARDI Series 7 Lucerne @ 6kg
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SARDI Series 10 Lucerne @ 6kg
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Casbah Biserulla @ 6kg
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Dalkeith Subclover @ 6kg
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Leafmore Grazing Brassica @ 5kg
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Franno Serradella @ 8kg
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BALL TearA Ballard Mix @ 20kg
Management of Year 1 Trial Sites
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Originally in Year 2 all trials that were sown in Year 1 were to be half cropped to a cereal and half left bare, to monitor regeneration. This plan has been adjusted and the whole Grass Patch site from 2020 was cropped due to limited seed set. This decision was also a preventative measure against high weed burden and management issues for the grower in the future. The site will be monitored to see what regenerates in year 3. The Neridup site will also follow this plan. Any further monitoring of the Salmon Gums 2020 site will not occur as no regeneration is expected due to drought conditions.
Images: 2021 trial sites fresh sown - left Cascade and right Neridup Sandplain.
Contact ASHEEP & BEEF if you would like more information on this project. ASHEEP & BEEF members will be provided with regular updates, visit our membership page if you would like to consider joining. The sites will also be showcased at field days.
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