Western Australia
April 12, 2012
Pasture growers have a selection of new cultivars available this year, which have been bulked up into commercial quantities.
Department of Agriculture and Food senior research officer Clinton Revell said demand for these and older cultivars was expected to outstrip supply.
“It would be advisable for growers to assess their paddocks and programs soon and to make sure they place orders promptly to ensure they don’t miss out,” Dr Revell said.
This is the first year that commercial supplies of the French serradella, Eliza , which was jointly developed by the department and Murdoch University, have been available to growers.
“Eliza has all the same attributes as Cadiz but its early maturity will help to provide for a more stable seed yield across seasons,” Dr Revell said.
“It’s suited to areas that receive less than 400 millimetres annual rainfall and can be used for fodder, improving soil nitrogen, and brown manuring for weed control.”
Good quantities of Bindoon and Rosabrook subclover are also now available.
“These cultivars have improved resistance to redlegged earth mite, which costs WA growers $70 million per annum,” Dr Revell said.
“Field trials show they also have higher seedling densities and greater winter feed production than older cultivars.”
“Bindoon is a mid-season cultivar suited to areas with 425-600 millimetres annual rainfall, while Rosabrook is later flowering and suited to areas with at least 650 mm annual rainfall.”
For more information about the new cultivars visit the department’s website
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