Oats
Oats are a cereal crop that can provide good feed from late autumn through to early spring. Oats adapt to acid soils and are a useful tool in pasture renovation because they expand the number of chemical possibilities that can be used for weed control in the year prior to sowing a perennial pasture. Oats can be combined with a legume (such as the FastCut and Winter Cereal blends) to increase overall quality if hay is required. There are a large number of cultivars available and this will allow selecting specifically for grazing, hay or grain as well as dual purpose varieties.
Rainfall: ………………………550-800mm+
Seed count: ………………….30,000/kg
Sowing rate: …………………80-120KG/ha (depending on rainfall)
Ryecorn
Ryecorn (forage) is a reliable winter season performer, delivering a quick winter feed option that is ready to graze within 4-8 weeks. Excellent pasture yields are available with Forage Ryecorn when combined with high performing annual ryegrass. It can also fill the feed gap by sowing with Italian ryegrass to extend spring growth.
Wheat
Wheat is primarily grown to increase organic matter, break up dense subsoil and crowd out weeds. It is critical to choose the optimal planting time. Most Australian wheat varieties flower in response to the accumulation of warm temperatures. Many varieties also have a cold temperature requirement, which is important in some winter wheats, and some varieties flower in response to longer days.
Barley
Barley(Hordeum vulgare), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, and is used as a successful animal fodder.
Sunflower
Sunflower has an extensive and prolific root system and its ability to soak up residual nutrients out of reach for other commonly used covers or crops. This species can also take advantage of short growing seasons. Pollinators and beneficials such as bees are often found in fields of sunflower and in following crops. Because sunflowers can add significant biomass production in just a short growing season, they can also serve as additional forage or silage for livestock feed.
