Endura Rhodes grass a top end standout for livestock production

Sam planted Endura Rhodes Grass under a 50 hectare irrigation pivot on his station in January this year and has since cut for hay three times, averaging around 5.5 tonnes to the hectare. 

He says he’s delighted by how well the grass has performed, “The yield is top of the charts for us” Sam says “the numbers are right up there with the very best.” 

This was Sam’s first experience with Endura Rhodes, a variety highly suited to hay production.
“We’ve tried many different Rhodes varieties over the years and haven’t found anything better than Endura Rhodes,” Sam says.

“It’s products like these that help us as producers make small changes with big impact. It produces good quality hay and cattle like it. At the end of the day, that's the two main things we need a product to do for us.” 

Endura Rhodes has a thinner leaf blade, resulting in finer textured vegetative growth and reduced stem. This high leaf to stem ratio - a key characteristic of the variety - provides more consumable dry matter, which has impressed Sam.

“It seems to be a nice leafy variety, which is exactly what we’re looking for,” he says “we’ve had a really terrific establishment and we’re really happy with the quality too.”

With its quick establishment and leafy quality, Endura Rhodes is quickly developing a reputation as the best Rhodes variety for the Northern Territory and North Queensland.

The McBeans have worked Ruby Downs Cattle Station, 200 km south of Darwin, for nearly 30 years. Involved in the industry since childhood, Sam took over running the station 20 years ago. He now manages the operation’s trade cattle, feedlot and hay production, with a mixed farming strategy combining both dry land and irrigation. Running about 2000 head of cattle, Sam’s determination to ensure a successful future for his family business drives every decision. 

“I’m always trying out new ideas and products, trying to do it better” he says, “I find myself constantly thinking, what next? Looking for opportunities to strengthen our operation is at the heart of everything we do here in the Top End.

With our ongoing pasture management plan, we knew we wanted to try a new tropical grass to increase our yield and, in turn, our cattle performance.” 

On the advice of agronomist Andrew Owens from Nutrien Humpty Doo in Katherine, in consultation with Barenbrug Territory Manager Greg Forsyth, Sam was recommended Endura Rhodes grass. 

“I trust my agronomist and the team’s knowledge. When Endura Rhodes was suggested to suit our conditions out here on the station, I was happy to give it a go,” Sam says. “I’m really, really happy with the results so far and the yields we've been getting in such a short space of time. It’s exactly what we’d hoped for.”

While it may be too early to deliver a year-on-year assessment of Endura Rhodes’ impact on overall yield or carrying capacity within his operation, Sam believes early indicators are promising. 

“We’re only 10 months in so we don’t have any quantifiable data available to us yet, but we have conducted initial feed tests. The results have been great, even better than previous crops,” he says. 

Sam is confident he'll be equally satisfied with the persistence and performance gains he expects to see in the months and years ahead. 

“All the signs are pointing in the right direction. When we can measure improvements in overall cattle performance, like calving rates, that’s when we’ll know,” Sam adds. 

Based on his initial success, Sam plans to incorporate Endura Rhodes further into his operations by planting another 50 hectares in the coming months. 

“The plan is to plant again in January, doubling what we currently have. It seems to be very palatable and high quality and we haven’t had any dramas introducing it, so it feels right to commit to it.”