Tagasaste and lucerne as fodders for breeding prime lambs or growing steers. [Field day notes]
1995
Barton, N.J. (Agriculture Victoria, Melbourne (Australia)) (ed.)
The trial site was set up with 20 3-ha experimental plots. Of 8 of these, one half was sown to tagasaste, and half of the area of 4 plots were sown to lucerne. The pasture plots were grazed by first-cross ewes at 5 or 7 per ha, mated to lamb in autumn or spring. With dry winters and wet summers, autumn lambing was the least successful treatment. The grazing rotation for tagasaste resulted in considerable under-utilisation of the feed, and no improvement over pasture alone. Spring lambing on lucerne was highly successful. Weaner steers were placed on the plots to allow growth rates at 2 stocking rates continuously grazed to be compared. Initial growth rates were good, but at high stocking rates, pasture and tagasaste ran short of feed in summer and autumn. The most profitable treatment was lucerne at high stocking rate. Lucerne may need rotational grazing to be maintained in the longer term. Tagasaste may have a role with cattle, above pasture alone, but seems incapable of maintaining high stocking rates.
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