Meatmaster and BeefBoosta - Which Tropical Mix is Best?

Identifying Your Climate Zone

Climate Zones

Wet Tropics	Very high rainfall environment although still summer dominant (1500mm+) A wet tropical climate tends to vary less in temperature during a year than a dry tropical climate.
Dry Tropic Coastal	Heavily influenced by monsoonal patterns and often more reliable monsoons and summer rainfall Distinct wet and dry seasons of relatively equal duration. Most of the region's annual rainfall is experienced during the wet season and very little precipitation falls during the dry season A lengthy dry season and a relatively short wet season (450-1500mm).
Dry Tropic Rangeland	Drier Semi-Arid environment, with distinct wet and dry seasons These climates tend to have hot, or sometimes extremely hot, summers and warm to cool winters Still influenced by monsoonal patterns, but much less quantity and reliability but distinctly summer rainfall and dry winters.
Subtropics	Subtropical climate characterised by hot and humid summers, and mild to harsh winters Summer dominant rainfall, with ability to still receive winter rain. No true dry season Referred to as temperate cross over zone (450-800mm).
Subtropical Coast	Subtropical climate characterised by hot and humid summers, and mild winters Summer dominant rainfall, with ability to still receive winter rain. No true dry season Coastal influence on rainfall (800mm+).
Sub-Tropical Rangeland	Drier Semi-Arid environment with summer and winter rainfall influence These climates tend to have hot, or sometimes extremely hot, summers and cool to mild winters Influenced by monsoonal rainfall patterns and southern winter rainfall drivers.

Average Annual Rainfall

Looking for temperate blends? This page is for you.

Choosing the Right Tropical Pasture Mix

Meatmaster pasture seed mixes are ‘ready to sow’, offering the latest pasture technology and best seed varieties. Choose between short term and permanent pasture for rainfall zone, paddock conditions and desired outcome.

Meatmaster Prime Pasture	This mix is suited to the heavier black, self-mulching and grey-cracking flood plain soil types. The productivity of Endura Rhodes, Bambatsii and Megamax059 is enhanced by the adaptation to heavy soil types. The late season of the grasses is complemented by a legume component to keep protein in the pasture and nitrogen cycling. This is a very productive mix for finishing cattle in summer, whilst building a large volume of good standover feed for the winter months.
Meatmaster Big Beef Blend	Developed for medium black to red chocolate soils. The productivity of Endura Rhodes and Megamax059 is enhanced by creeping bluegrass, with its stoloniferous growth pattern allowing good ground cover that may improve moisture holding capacity. The mix of both winter and summer active legumes enables the feed gap to be filled over winter.
Meatmaster Premium Coastal Mix	This coastal beef blend is well suited to tropical and sub-tropical regions and consists of hardy and palatable grasses.
Meatmaster Western Light Soil Mix	A blend of USA buffel for lighter country and Gayndah buffel for the red/grey loams. The use of sabi grass for vigorous establishment plus stylos and burgundy bean complement the mix, enabling protein levels to be maintained in the dry winter. This mix will cover lighter soils encountered in the western Queensland area in the 350 – 450 mm rainfall category.
Meatmaster Western Heavy Soil Mix	Developed for medium to heavy textured clay soils such as brigalow clays, open downs and heavier alluvial soils. This mix contains species that are tolerant of sodic and alkaline soil conditions commonly found in heavy soil types. The productivity of Endura Rhodes® combined with the production output from Biloela and Bambatsii adaptation abilities to soil type, help further bolster this tropical mix. Addition of two tropical legumes suitable for heavier soils helps to supply companion grasses with nitrogen and improve the feed quality of the improved pasture.
Meatmaster Northwestern Mix	Developed for extensive grazing systems across the western districts of northern Australia, typically with monsoonal rainfall (350+). This mix is ideal for graziers looking to add improved pasture species and tropical legumes into their existing native grass strand, or to renovate new or existing ground. This mix includes a blend of USA buffel for lighter country and Gayndah buffel for the red/grey loams. The use of silk sorghum and sabi grass aids vigorous establishment and fast green feed cover. The addition to stylos offer greater disease resistance, persistence and soil type adaptability, while Wynn cassia provides late season legume rich feed heading into winter.
Meatmaster Light Soil (Allgrass)	This mix is suited to the red loam and harder cropped out soils of northern New South Wales and Queensland. Combining productivity, persistence and late season stay-green of Premier digit grass with green leafy growth of Megamax059 and the ground cover on harder scald areas of Endura Rhodes grass. Ideally sown in spring after a cereal grazing crop or direct drilled into a weed-free paddock.
Meatmaster Slopes and Plains (Allgrass)	Developed for the medium black to red, chocolate soils of New South Wales slopes and plains. Bambatsii and Megamax059 panic grass combine for soft, leafy, productivity on the heavier soils, with Premier digit grass and Endura Rhodes grass performing and persisting on the lighter rises.
Meatmaster Flood Plain (Allgrass)	This blend is suited to the heavier, black self-mulching and grey-cracking flood plain country. The productivity of Endura Rhodes and panic grasses is enhanced by the black soil adaptation of Floren bluegrass, increasing persistence and ground cover in very wet or dry conditions. A very productive mix for finishing cattle in summer or building a large volume of good standover feed.

KEY: Y = Suitable, S = Suitable in some cases, - = Not recommended
		Prime Pasture	Big Beef Blend	Premium Coastal	North Western	Western Light Soil	Western Heavy Soil	Light Soil (All Grass)	Slopes & Plains (All Grass)	Flood Plain (All Grass)	Equimaster Premium
Enterprise	Finishing (Intensive)	Y	Y	Y	-	S	S	-	S	S	Y
	Breeding (Extensive)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
	Irrigation	Y	Y	Y	-	-	-	-	S	S	Y
Region	Sub-Tropics	Y	Y	S	-	S	S	Y	Y	Y	Y
	Wet Tropics	S	-	Y	-	-	Y	-	-	-	-
	Dry Sub-Tropic Rangeland	S	S	-	S	Y	Y	S	S	S	S
	Dry Tropic Rangeland	-	-	-	Y	Y	Y	-	-	-	S
	Dry Tropic Coast	Y	S	Y	-	-	-	-	-	-	Y
	Sub Tropic Coast	Y	Y	Y	-	-	-	S	S	-	Y
Rainfall	350-500mm	-	S	-	Y	Y	Y	S	-	-	-
	500-700mm	S	Y	-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
	700-800mm	Y	Y	S	S	S	S	Y	Y	Y	Y
	800-1000mm	Y	Y	Y	-	-	-	Y	S	S	Y
	1000mm +	Y	S	Y	-	-	-	S	-	-	S
Soil Texture	Light/Sandy	S	S	S	Y	Y	Y	Y	S	-	Y
	Medium/Loam	Y	Y	Y	S	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
	Heavy Clay	Y	S	S	-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	S
Soil pH	Acid 4.5-5.2	-	-	S	-	-	-	-	S	S	-
	Slightly Acid 5.2-5.10	S	S	Y	Y	Y	S	S	Y	Y	S
	Neutral 6.0-7.6	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
	Alkaline 7.6 +	S	S	-	-	S	S	Y	S	S	Y

Add a Legume Component to Boost Productivity

BeefBoost is a soil specific legume blend selected for superior growth characteristics, soil type suitability and persistence. Stand out performer many situations, significantly improving feed quality and pasture productivity through plant driven nitrogen fixation, so you get more out of every paddock. Particularly good in pasture dieback regions, the BeefBoosta Range exhibits tolerance to pasture dieback. BeefBoosta can be added to an existing pasture or planted stand alone.
Best of all it does not induce cattle bloat.

BeefBoosta Medium Soils	Tailored legume mix for medium to lighter soils, containing validated & tested varieties of Desmanthus virgatus (Spellgrazer), Stylosanthes scabra (Siran) and Stylosanthes hamata (Amiga) and Presto burgundy bean. Suited to summer rainfall of 400 mm/yr.+ and is coated with AgriCOTE, containing phosphorus starter and rhizobia for improved establishment and productivity. Immune to pasture dieback.
BeefBoosta Heavy Soils	Tailored legume mix for heavy soils, containing validated & tested varieties of Caatinga and Siran stylosanthes, Desmanthus virgatus (Spellgrazer), Clitoria ternatea (Milgarra butterfly pea). Suited to summer rainfall of 400 mm/yr.+ and is coated with AgriCOTE, containing phosphorusstarter and rhizobia for improved establishment and productivity. Immune to pasture dieback.

Ask About Our Custom Blends

Our range of Meatmaster blends contain first-class options for many applications. However, there may be particular circumstances or preferences for specific mixes for certain situations.
Barenbrug has a number of seed mixing locations around Australia and can readily accommodate specific seed requirements; just contact your local Barenbrug Territory Manager to discuss your individual needs, we’d be pleased to formulate your custom blend.