PHALARIS pastures need to be treated like lucerne to improve persistence.

That is a finding by North East agronomist Tim Ekberg after reviewing pasture survival during a decade of drought.

    AT A GLANCE
  • Who: Tim Ekberg
  • What: agronomist
  • Why: be kind to phalaris
  • Where: Milawa, Victoria
  • Report: KIM WOODS

Tim, of Milawa, said lucerne was generally sown into high-fertility paddocks with low aluminium, not grazed too early and sown with good weed and insect control.

"We need to learn to do the same with other perennials - phalaris in particular should be treated the same way," he said.

Speaking at a pasture management seminar at Whorouly, Tim said phalaris had declined during the drought but had proven the best survivor.

He also pointed to a lift in barley and silver-grass infestations.

Tim interviewed more than 24 North East farmers and assessed 47 paddocks to gather data.

"Perennial ryegrass died out after 2006 but is recovering in some areas now due to self seeding," he said.

"There hasn't been a lot of fescue sown and farmers were disappointed with the results.

"Sub clover has declined and is now variable in pastures."

The study found pasture sowing had been driven by an urgent need for winter feed and building drought reserves, rather than a need for long-term productive pastures.

Tim said farmers were choosing annual cereals due to their quicker growth, cheaper seed and lower risk.

Annuals and cereals also offered the ability to re-seed and produce more feed in the year of sowing, compared with phalaris.

On the other hand, phalaris gave feed over a longer period, used rainfall more effectively and reduced deep drainage.

"But it is difficult to sow and needs to be monitored and managed," Tim said.

"There is a great opportunity to increase the amount of feed grown and used from phalaris pastures.

"This can be done by increasing the success rate of pasture sown, improving and reviving run-down phalaris pastures."

Tim said improved soil fertility, reduced weeds and allowing phalaris to rest between grazings were important.

Perennial pasture sowing failures were more often to do with management than lack of rainfall, he said.

This year, Tim will oversee farmer-managed trial sites at Whorouly, Murmungee, Meadow Creek, Myrrhee and Greta and Eldorado.

Supported by the FarmReady program, there will be a focus on barley grass control and the use of cereals to reduce weeds before sowing phalaris.