Cowpeas
A summer growing legume, cowpeas are more suitable to sandy soils than Lablab, they flower earlier but do not recover as well after grazing. They are unsuited to waterlogging, and are drought and heat tolerant.
Sowing rate 10-20kg/ha
Topdek – Williams Seed Exclusive
Topdek shows versatility as a summer forage, it’s spreading growth has proven grazing tolerance and yields well for hay and silage production. Bred from the parent plants of Ebony, the seed is a purplish-brown in colour., it is also exceptionally resistant to stem and root rot (Phytopthora), making it the leading choice in Cowpeas.
Lablab
Lablab’s performance on heavy soils is greatly superior to that of cowpeas; both require well-drained soils, although lablab has better resistance to phytophthora root rot. Lablab is more tolerant than cowpeas to trampling and recovers quicker after grazing.
Sowing rate 30kg/ha
Strongai
Strongai is the newest release of Rongai type lablab that has shown huge amounts of DM yields during selection in South Eastern Queensland and the northern tropics of Australia. Distinguished by its’ massive leaves and finer, palatable stalks, it also has a smaller seed than other Rongai types, affording a prolific stand and greater return on investment.
Tuckerbox
Tuckerbox is a Highworth type lablab that is very high yielding with an aggressive running nature. Suited to a wide range of soils with good drainage, it has improved cold tolerance and early maturation.
Sorghum
Forage sorghum is one of the most productive and fast growing forages. It can produce large volumes of feed relatively quickly. As a general guide, it can be sown when the threat of frost has gone and soil temperatures have reached at least 16°C. Graze carefully, once the crop is well established, 80 cm high and unstressed. If the crop is stressed, there is a risk of prussic acid and/or nitrate poisoning.
Sowing rate 10-25kg/ha
Flourish
Hybrid sorghum x sudan, well suited for grazing, silage and hay, thin stem and huge leaf. It has excellent dry tolerance, responds well to rainfall, very low prussic acid risk and outstanding feed quality.
Calorific
Sweet x sweet, best used for bulk silage crop, excellent feed quality
Sunnhemp
A rigorous tropical legume adapted to a wide range of soil and environmental conditions with very quick growth in favourable conditions. Originating in India, recent popular use around the world has expanded rapidly and sunnhemp is widely used in cover cropping, grazing and forage production. Crops can be grazed through to flowering and when planted into warm soils with good moisture, biomass production can be very fast.
Known for its’ excellent nodulation capabilities, sunnhemp is an obvious choice for summer mixed-species cover crops, providing large amounts of palatable growth and supreme soil nitrogen fixation.
Sowing rate: 10-20kg/ha
Millet
A highly productive leafy forage crop, equally as fast growing as sorghum, it provides good DM yields for grazing and hay/silage production and strong regrowth potential after grazings in good conditions.
Sowing rate 10-15kg/ha
Shirohie
Shirohie millet has less dry matter production than forage sorghum. It can be more difficult to establish than the larger seeded sorghums. Shirohie can be grazed 5 to 7 weeks after sowing but does not stand harsh grazing. There is no prussic acid poisoning risk associated with Shirohie. It can run rapidly to head in hotter weather so grazing management is important, it is also frost sensitive.
Dryland Sowing Rate: 10-15kg/ha
Irrigated Sowing Rate: 20kg/ha
French White
French millet is preferred for its high water use efficiency compared to other forage cereals. It performs well in multi-species cover crops.
Dryland Sowing Rate: 10-15kg/ha
Irrigated Sowing Rate: 20kg/ha
Jap
Warm season annual with generally reliable bulk feed. Older variety than Shirohie and is prone to run to head very quickly.
Sowing Rate: 10-15kg/ha
Siberian
Older variety, lower heading tendency in higher temperatures than Shirohie.
Sowing Rate: 10-15kg/ha
Sunflowers
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.
Teff
Teff is a self-pollinated, subtropical annual grass and can be harvested or grazed multiple times during the growing season. As a fast-growing crop, teff combines excellent forage quality with high yield during a relatively short growing season. A preferred hay option for metabolically challenged and performance horses, teff hay is usually 11-13% protein and low in NSC.
It is best sown when soil temperatures have reached 18°C. Due to its extremely small seed size, seed placement at sowing is critical. The best seed bed for teff is obtained by working the soil, rolling then dropping the seed on top and rolling again. Sowing depths of 10mm or greater can result in complete failure.
Sowing rate 5-7kg/ha
Soybean
Soybean is an annual summer growing legume that can be a useful forage and hay crop, particularly in high rainfall and coastal districts. Grain varieties can be used for hay production but later maturing types are preferred for grazing. The best quality hay is made from soybean crops when pods are half filled. In all production areas, crops intended for grain are sometimes cut for hay after poor pod set, or when the relative return for hay is higher than expected returns from grain i.e. drought.
Sowing Rate: 40-50kg/ha
