Week 7 Native Pastures Flashcards
Define what is meant by a native pasture
Any pastures in which native grasses are the main perennial species
44%
Describe some characteristics of farms with native pastures
High rainfall zone Low input system Traditionally: large paddocks Continuously stocked limited water points Weather based animal enterprise
List some native grass species
Kangaroo grass Wallaby grass Microleana Spear grass Wire grass Red grass
Kangaroo Grass
Tall C4, warm season, ornamental seed head
Cannot continually graze
Non arable areas
Wallaby Grass
C3, very useful
Acid tolerent
Cant Handle water logging
Microleana
Weeping Grass
Useful
High quality and productive in winter and spring
Tolerant of heavy stocking
High moisture shaded areas
Tolerant of acidit anfd high alumiuum, drought tolerant
Spear grass
Rough, smal leaves, usefully early on then a pain
Useful when young
Shallow poor soils
Wire grass
c4, small leaf, not useful
Not palatable
Red Grass
c4 Productive in summer, lower quality but useful
COmmon in overgrazed pastures
Mostly stem
Mod Feed quality
Explain why some native pastures are uneconomic to improve
Terrain too steep
Acidic
Shallow, low water holding capacity soils
List some benefits of native pastures
Productive
Natural resource managment- pereniality, salinity
Biodiversity
Sentimentality
Describe the effect that phosphorus fertiliser has on native pastures
Increases production of annuals
Some native grasses will respond
Dec. stocking rate with addition of fert
increased sub clover
Outline how grazing management can improve native pastures
Rotationally grazing favours perennials
New grazing management will increase infrustructure
Grazing at flowering
Dec. %
