Heading into summer, farmers around the country will be watching their pastures start to sprout seed heads and flowers.
While it is a natural part of the grass reproduction cycle, it can hinder pasture quality and milk production. With summer on the horizon, utilise insights gained from past experiences in pasture management to adapt strategies that cater to seasonal challenges and opportunities.
This includes determining the heading date of your grass cultivars. This is the point when 50% of plants in a ryegrass cultivar have fully emerged seedheads. This date is relative to the industry standard cultivar Nui, whose heading date is considered ’Day 0’. While this is typically referred to as 22 October, the exact date changes depending on region and climate.
“Knowing the heading date of your grass in comparison to Nui will determine when your pasture will start losing quality,” says Farm Source Technical Ag Specialist Russell Hamilton.
| Heading date category | Date range (Nui = 0) |
|---|---|
| Early | -21 to -8 |
| Mid | -7 to +7 |
| Late e. | +8 to +21 |
| Very late | +22 to +35 |
| Extremely late | +36 or later |
“An early heading date will give you more spring growth. If you’re seeing a lot of seed heads, you can pre-mow and ensure you’re grazing down to residuals. Residual height should be set in spring. Grazing ryegrass pastures to this height consistently will help suppress seed heads and encourage the grass to put its effort into daughter tillers (the next generation of the grass). It can also help maintain milk production over summer as the grass remains more productive.
“There’s a lot of regional variation. Some farms in areas where it is drier opt for cultivars with early heading dates. In areas where it is not so hot, you can opt for a cultivar with a later heading date, which will give you more leafy growth over the summer period.”
Clover bridges the gap
Clover can be added to paddocks at any stage (provided there is enough moisture) and gives farmers more control over homegrown feed and quality. With its shallow seed depth, clover seeds can be direct drilled or broadcast with fertiliser and worked into the soil by grazing animals.
“Clover can bridge the gap in pasture quality when the ryegrasses go reproductive and the nutrient levels drop. At this point, the metabolisable energy provided by leafy perennial ryegrass drops by around 2MJ metabolisable energy (ME) per kilogram of dry matter (MJME/kg DM) once it heads, protein can drop by about a third, and fibre climbs. In contrast, clover holds steady at around 12MJME/kg DM and often above 22% protein, which helps sustain milk production further into summer. Keeping residuals low really helps the clover to flourish,” says Russell.
Pick the right endophyte
Selecting the right cultivar for the climate and endophyte can help with pasture pest management. Endophyte is a type of fungus that lives in the seed and base of the plant as it germinates and grows, and produces chemicals (alkaloids) that can ward off insects.
“In summer, you have a lot of pest pressure in pastures. Having a variety of grasses with a good endophyte in there can make a big difference. We sell a range of cultivars with proven endophytes at Farm Source,” Russell says.
Low aftermath heading
Ryegrass cultivar varieties that have a low aftermath heading (AMH) can help optimise summer feed quality. Low aftermath heading varieties tend to produce seed heads in a more compressed timeframe, rather than over the whole summer period, resulting in a faster return to quality feed.
“Farm Source’s team has done a lot of field testing with companies over the years. We will only recommend cultivars and seeds that we know are proven to provide great results with low aftermath heading and high-quality endophytes,” Russell says.
Take advantage of the support available
Remember, you have a support team at your disposal. Farm Source’s team of Technical Ag Specialists and Technical Sales Representatives will meet farmers on-farm to collaboratively work through the best approach for the region and conditions.
Farm Source offers a range of readymade pasture packs that contain a specialised mix of seed to meet the variations in insect control, climate, soil type, paddock use and farm facilities to deliver the best possible results. These have been tested extensively on-farm, and the packs are cool-stored in facilities that exceed industry standards and have been tested to ensure high levels of active endophyte.
For more information on heading date and what it means to your farming system contact your local TSR or drop in to a Farm Source store today.
