Master Your Paddock: 7 Essential Steps

1. Planning & Preparation

Taking the time to assess the state of a paddock is crucial to executing a new pasture renovation. This should be carried out at least 12 months prior to the planned sowing date, and should involve assessment of:

Pasture content: how much and what proportion of desirable vs weed species are present in the pasture.

Annual grass weeds: in the year prior to sowing, prevent seed–set using spray-topping with herbicides, strategic grazing or silage.

Perennial grass weeds: some hard-to-remove perennial grass weeds (such as bent grass) will require multiple years of control before sowing a new pasture. A series of short-term summer crops, winter crops and/or fallows may help provide a return during this clean-up phase in preparation for a long-term perennial pasture.

Pasture pests: are there any potentially damaging insect species present that are above economic thresholds for control measures?

2. Know Your Soil

Soil testing: assess soil type and pH

Soil constraints: assess the landscape and drainage

Correct major constraints well ahead of sowing to avoid a disappointing result (eg lime can take years to move to the sub-soil on some soil types if broadcasting without incorporation).

3. Pasture Selection

Choose pasture species by climate/rainfall zone, soil type, frost tolerance

• Choose correct varieties for your production type

4. Sowing Timing

Timing can have a major impact on the success of your new pasture stand. Early season growth can be substantial under the right soil moisture/temperature conditions, however for long-term pasture species it is more important to have the timing right than risk a failure due to dry conditions or extra weed burden.

• Soil moisture is adequate;
• Weed-burden is low; and

• Extremely high day-temperatures have finished.

  Sow later if:

• you need a knock-down of weeds prior to sowing;
• sub-soil moisture is lacking; or
• temperatures are still high.

5. Sowing

Determine which sowing technique will be used ahead of time to ensure machinery/contractor availability is well planned.

• Oversowing by drilling directly into the existing pasture can be a good option if the weed burden is low and there is a high proportion of desirable species with good soil moisture.
• Termination of the existing pasture, then direct drilling into a spray-fallow can be a good option if weed-seed burden is low and there is good soil moisture with rain forecast.
• Full cultivation with sowing can be the best option if you are wanting to incorporate lime/gypsum, smooth out the surface of the paddock, or looking to help break life-cycles for pests such as slugs, snails and some grubs.

6. Establishment

• Don’t graze until plant is “anchored”
• Graze lightly to encourage tillering
• Spell pasture in late summer to allow seed set

7. Maintenance

• Practice good grazing management principles
• Strategically fertilise to optimise pasture performance
• Maintain good legume component