PHOTO: CRYSTAL JO
can be successful. In low-to-medium rainfall regions, where most annual rainfall occurs in winter, autumn sowing is recommended. Weed control through spraying of glyphosate is recommend- ed to achieve a knockdown. For autumn sowing lucerne, an- other option is spray topping in the previous spring to reduce seed set of annual weeds before the autumn.
Disease resistance AusWest Seeds points out that most lucerne diseases are in- fectious and are caused by living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, nematodes and mycoplasma-type organisms. They penetrate plant tissue by piercing the outer membrane of the plant. “Choosing new varieties that offer better disease resist- ance will help in prevention of these diseases occurring and therefore increases overall yields and persistence of your lucerne stand,” AusWest Seeds says. In recent years, slugs have also been causing problems with lucerne. They have been decimating newly sown pastures, crops and lucerne. Factors that promote the build-up of slug populations are heavy soil types, summer rains and reduced tillage. AusWest Seeds advises to inspect potential paddocks prior to sowing. If slugs are found, farmers can contact their local agronomist for control. Red clover is similar to lucerne in terms of summer produc- tion, adaptability to grazing conditions and high nutritive val- ue all year round. A great advantage of red clover is nitrogen fixation. Even if farmers are not using red clover for pasture, red clover can be useful for increasing soil fertility for future crops. Most clovers retain moisture, and weeds do not get a good chance to grow. Red clover is quite drought-resistant but gives best results in temperate areas with an annual rainfall of about 700mm. In areas with dry summers, the legume will grow best if it is irri- gated over summer. Summer is its best growing season and it needs the rainfall or irrigation to grow to its full potential.
Seeding and blended pasture The best time to plant red clover is autumn or spring. It helps to give a good soaking when sown. One kilogramme of seeds per acre (0.4ha) is advised to start a crop. Red clover grows well with other temperate pasture grasses such as ryegrass, so it is suitable for an effective blended pasture. Red clover should be planted into a well-prepared, firm seed- bed, up to 6.5mm deep. The soil pH is advised to be above 6. Nitrogen fixation and nodulation will be suppressed at a low- er pH. In that case fertiliser would need to be supplied. There are some challenges with seeding red clover. It does not handle heat very well and needs rainfall or irrigation throughout the year. That makes the plant less suitable for Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. In Australia the best state to use it in is South Australia. Red clover can also struggle in alkaline soils. And planted as a
standalone crop, red clover can occasionally cause animals to bloat, especially when it is used as hay. Most farmers combine their red clover with a grass. According to Dairy Australia, white clover is usually sown in mixtures with perennial ryegrass. It has historically been part of the predominant pastures of most dairying areas of south- ern Victoria. This mix has strong spring growth and low productivity throughout the summer in dry land conditions.
Regenerate from seeds Because of its shallow root system, white clover suffers in summer drought conditions as it normally cannot reach enough moisture to provide consistent enough production to complement perennial ryegrass. However, even after severe droughts, white clover has the capacity to reappear from seeds on the ground and contribute to increase the nutritive value of grass-based pastures.
As soon as a spring or summer has good moisture in the up- per layers of the soil, white clover is able to regenerate from seeds and quickly proliferate with its stolons, Dairy Australia points out. Summer grazing is critical for white clover to be able to persist through this strategy. But overgrazing should be avoided during summer in order to keep the stolons intact and, hence, the regrowth capacity of this legume. White clover is best planted in a dryland area in mid-autumn to early winter in moist conditions. In an irrigated or table- lands area, white clover can be planted in spring. Specialists advise a seed mix needed of 1–2kg per hectare if used in a mix. Southern areas of Australia with reasonable rainfall are the locations that will see the most successful white clover crops.
▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 29, No. 7, 2021 21
Even after se- vere droughts, white clover has the capacity to reappear from seeds on the ground.
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