Best establishment and management of new varieties of phalaris

2009 - 2012
CC BY 4.0

Research organisaton
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) N/A
Year(s) 2009 - 2012
Contributor Perennial Pasture Systems
Trial location(s) Mooney's Gap, VIC
Best establishment and management of new varieties of phalaris locations
Aims

Demonstrate best practice phalaris establishment and management at the PPS/EverGraze site at Mooneys Gap which should provide information to producers to give them confidence to increase phalaris use.

Key messages
  • The Mooneys Gap phalaris site has shown that productive perennial grass and sub clover pastures can double the carrying capacity of a paddock when compared to a rundown annual pasture. The Mooneys Gap phalaris pasture has had an average increase in carrying capacity of 157% compared to the control annual pasture over the three years of the trial.
  • The introduction of deep rooted perennial pastures has environmental as well as production benefits. Perennial pastures are more efficient users of water as they are able to access available moisture at deeper levels and for longer periods than annuals and therefore assist in lowering water recharge reducing the risk of salinity. Perennials slow the soil acidification rate by the increasing nitrogen uptake thereby reducing nitrate leaching. Well managed phalaris pastures maintain a level of ground cover well in excess of annual grass based pastures reducing the risk of wind and surface water erosion. The Mooneys Gap phalaris site clearly demonstrates the enhanced environmental outcomes that come with well managed perennial pastures.
  • Soil testing is important to test for nutrient deficiencies and pH prior to phalaris establishment. Adequate lime and fertiliser should be applied to address deficiencies prior to establishment. Particular attention must be paid to ensuring that aluminium levels are suitable for phalaris production prior to sowing.
  • Weed control is of critical importance before and during the establishment phase of phalaris pastures. Periodic annual weed control measures enhance the production of phalaris based pastures after establishment.
  • A suitable fertiliser regime needs to be implemented to replace nutrients removed by the enhanced production of the phalaris based pasture.
  • Rotational grazing increases the persistence of the phalaris pasture.
  • The addition of phalaris pastures extends the period of available green feed when compared to an annual grass system.
  • The recent availability of the Holdfast GT Phalaris variety is an important addition to the perennial grasses that can be established in the region.
  • The claims that Holdfast GT will persist as well as Australian phalaris have not been tested due to the time required to obtain results from a new variety.
  • PPS will continue to test the persistence of Holdfast GT in the PDS trials as well as other pastures in the project.
Lead research organisation Perennial Pasture Systems
Host research organisation N/A
Trial funding source Caring for our Country
Trial funding source DEPIVic
Trial funding source CHAF
Related program EverGraze
Acknowledgments

PPS wishes to acknowledge the following people for their assistance throughout the project:

  • Cam Conboy Gorst Rural, Lake Bolac (formerly Seedmark) – consultant agronomist
  • Jane Court DEPI Seymour and Pamela Lawson Wagga NSW - Case study 3 authors
  • Gill Fry Network SW, Morgiana – Evergraze consultant
  • PPS members Paul & Dennis Harrington, Steven Start – pasture contract services
  • Paul Harrington, Mt Cole Creek – PPS liaison
  • Kelly Johnson Gorst Rural, Lake Bolac (formerly Landmark) – agronomic assistance
  • Anita Morant DPI Hamilton - EverGraze South West coordinator
  • Patrick Murphy, Ballarat – Executive Officer CHAF
  • Laurie Norman, Learmonth – former Executive Officer CHAF
Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Pasture: Mixed species
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Type
  • Crop: Variety
Trial type
Trial design

Mooney's Gap 2009

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sowing machinery Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Psuedoreplication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Soil amelioration Not specified

Mooney's Gap 2010

Sow rate or Target density 2 kg/ha
Sowing machinery

The paddock was direct drilled with a Semeato disc seeder by Rinaldi Contracting Carisbrook Vic. The machine had only recently been imported from Brazil and did an excellent job sowing into the degraded pasture paddock.

Sow date 18 May 2009
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Psuedoreplication Not specified
Fertiliser

100 kg/ha MAP at sowing

Herbicide

PRE SOWING WEED CONTROL – 1.2 l/ha roundup powermax™ + 50 ml/ha Hammer™

Insecticide

RLEM CONTROL – 16/6/09 -320 ml/ha Alphasip™

Soil amelioration

PRE SOWING – 2.5 t/ha lime, 0.5 t/ha gypsum

Mooney's Gap 2011

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sowing machinery Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Psuedoreplication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Soil amelioration Not specified

Mooney's Gap 2012

Sow rate or Target density Not specified
Sowing machinery Not specified
Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Psuedoreplication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Herbicide Not specified
Insecticide Not specified
Soil amelioration Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Annual stocking rates - 2010

# Treatment 1
Dry sheep equivalent (dse/ha)
1 Phalaris 19.2
2 Control - brome, silver & onion grass 9

Dry sheep equivalent dse/ha


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Trial results Annual stocking rates - 2011

# Treatment 1
Dry sheep equivalent (dse/ha)
1 Phalaris 19.2
2 Control - brome, silver & onion grass 9

Dry sheep equivalent dse/ha


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Trial results Annual stocking rates - 2012

# Treatment 1
Dry sheep equivalent (dse/ha)
1 Phalaris 19.2
2 Control - brome, silver & onion grass 9

Dry sheep equivalent dse/ha


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Mooney's Gap, VIC Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Mooney's Gap, VIC Sodosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Mooney's Gap VIC
2012 531.0mm
2011 569.9mm
2010 613.8mm
2009 583.0mm
2008 565.9mm
2007 550.0mm
2006 540.6mm
2005 583.3mm
2004 521.4mm
2003 504.9mm
2002 445.8mm
2001 487.9mm
2000 493.4mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Mooney's Gap VIC

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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.



Trial last modified: 11-12-2019 12:16pm AEST