Grain and Graze Milestone 5 Report:
Growing Biomass (GB 5) delivered by Mid North High Rainfall Zone group
Project Title: Sown annuals for biomass production
Project aim:
The aim of the project is to compare a range of sown annual species for biomass production. The biomass production could be utilised for grazing, fodder conservation or energy. The long term project aims to also determine what annuals produce biomass at critical times of the year for grazing purposes.
Hypotheses:
That over a 12 month period there would be production differences of a range of annual species sown in the Autumn of that year. Increases in biomass production should provide a base to increase utilisation in mixed farming systems. Increasing biomass production should have a positive impact on mixed farming by 1) increasing total stock carried and marketed 2) provide greater longevity for stock grazing 3) reduce the area required to run stock 4) reduce the degradation caused by overgrazing and 4) provide greater amounts of conserved fodder. A trial site was established at Navan, near Tarlee, to compare production of a range of cereals, pasture legumes, grasses, forage or grain legumes and brassicas.
Work plan:
A replicated trial site was established at Navan, near Tarlee, in the Mid North of South Australia. There were two times of seeding: TOS 1 May 14, 2010 when all winter growing annuals were planted and TOS 2 December 2, 2010 when summer growing annuals were planted. The trial consisted of three replicates and contained 47 species or varieties. Dry matter production was assessed at critical times during the growing season and total dry matter production measured for each treatment when the first flowers were withering for legumes, when anthers were protruding for cereals and before grain colour formation in brassicas. Additionally, as pastures and forage crops are used to control annual ryegrass seeding it was decided that if any treatments had not reached their desirable growth stage before cutting by the time the annual ryegrass at the site had reached anthesis, they would be cut anyway. This occurred on Oct 29 2010.
Summer annuals were sown into dry conditions on Dec 1 2010 but were germinated by significant rainfall on 2nd and 3rd of Dec. Unfortunately, summer annual crops were destroyed by locust attack.
One major field day and 4 minor field days were conducted and the results presented at the MNHRZ Trials Reporting Seminar. From the results a number of entries will be refined by reducing the poor performers unless they have some specific attribute and assessing new possibilities in future years.
Factors ie / 34°12’35.06” S138°44’24.64” E / Site GPS ref / Site GPS ref
Rainfall / 745mm
Soil type / Red Brown Earth
Strategy/ies the project is testing / Dry matter production
control site / Part of project
Monitoring strategy
Monitoring occurred by cutting 1m² quadrats in plots, weighing and drying.
Results
Annual Species Sown May 2010 / Assessment Date / Dry Matter Yield kg/haMelilotuselegans (Elegant sweetclover) / 28-Oct / 14469
Trifolium vesiculosum - Arrowleaf Clover (Zulu) / 28-Oct / 6240
Trifolium squarrosum (Spike clover) / 28-Oct / 6624
Trifolium purpureum (Purple clover (Paratta)) / 28-Oct / 6854
Hedysariumflexuosum (Annual sulla) / 28-Oct / 8929
Trifolium alexandrinum - Berseem Clover (Elite 11) / 28-Oct / 7267
Trifolium resupinatum - Persian Clover (Turbo) / 28-Oct / 5835
Medicagopolymorpha (Cavalier spineless burr) / 1-Oct / 6469
Trifolium subterraneum - Subterrranean Clover (Antas) / 28-Oct / 6167
Trigonellafoenum-graecum (Fenugreek) / 1-Oct / 5011
Medicagoscutellata (Silver snail medic) / 1-Oct / 6537
Ononisalopecurioides (Foxtail restharrow) / 1-Oct / 7738
Trigonellabalansae / 1-Oct / 5180
Trigonellacalliceras / 1-Oct / 4978
Trifolium spumosum - Bladder clover (Bartolo) / 28-Oct / 5074
Trifolium subterraneum - Subterranean Clover (Bindoon) / 28-Oct / 4970
Lotus ornithopodioides / 23-Oct / 3954
Lotus arenarius / 23-Oct / 3634
Pisumsativum - Morgan Peas / 1-Oct / 8624
Vicianarbonensis - Narbon beans / 1-Oct / 8767
Viciavillosa subsp. Banghalensis - Popany vetch / 1-Oct / 8845
Hordeumvulgare - Moby Barley / 27-Sep / 6799
Hordeumvulgare - Hindmarsh Barley / 25-Sep / 6970
Hordeumvulgare - Commander Barley / 29-Sep / 5942
TriticosecaleRufus - Triticale / 3-Oct / 7778
Triticosecale - Tuckerbox Triticale / 1-Oct / 6248
Avenasativa - Cooee Oats / 28-Oct / 7794
Triticumaestivum - Correll Wheat / 6-Oct / 5878
Triticumaestivum - Naparoo Wheat / 26-Oct / 8438
Triticumaestivum - Orion Wheat / 17-Oct / 7773
Triticumaestivum - Scout Wheat / 3-Oct / 6752
Triticumaestivum - UA 47 Wheat / 16-Oct / 8448
Triticumaestivum - Wedgetail Wheat / 5-Oct / 6572
Triticumaestivum - Wyalkatchem Wheat / 7-Oct / 7248
Secalecereale - Ryecorn / 1-Oct / 7190
Secalecereale - Southern Green Ryecorn / 24-Oct / 8655
Loliummultiflorum - Jeanne Ryegrass / 28-Oct / 19335
Loliummultiflorum - Sungrazer Ryegrass / 28-Oct / 18000
Loliummultiflorum - Surrey Ryegrass / 28-Oct / 20560
Loliummultiflorum - Tetila Ryegrass / 28-Oct / 14177
Loliummultiflorum - Tetrone Ryegrass / 28-Oct / 18799
Loliummultiflorum - Winterstar 2 Ryegrass / 28-Oct / 18374
Brassica hybrid - Sub Zero Forage Brassica / 28-Oct / 8681
Brassicanapus - Hyola 50 Canola / 28-Oct / 10403
Brassica hybrid - Bouncer Forage Brassica / 28-Oct / 6673
Pisumsativum - Forage Pea / NA / NA
Viciasativa - Morava / NA / NA
LSD = 0.05% 674 kg/ha
Results: Early season (June –early July) dry matter production was greatest in sown cereals with Moby barley being the highest.
July production was greatest with sown cereals but the vetches, peas and narbon beans were reasonable and the ryegrasses starting to accumulate dry matter during the early tillering phase. All pasture legumes produced poorly early and during winter but made significant growth during spring.
Highest total dry matter production was achieved by the ryegrass cultivars, melilotuselegans and Hyola 50 canola.
While the dry matter yields of the sown cereals ranged from 5 – 9 t/ha their contribution to early season and winter production far exceeded everything else in the trial. It does not appear that any of the pasture legumes in this trial were capable of very high yields early but their spring production is fair. The winter production of melilotuselegans was superior to all other pasture legumes but it’s ability to recover from grazing is unknown.
Forage peas provided reasonable winter production but the act of simulated grazing introduced and allowed bacterial blight to decimate the plants. An estimated 70-80% of pea plants were ultimately killed in the grazed plots of forage pea. The Morgan peas were also affected by bacterial blight when grazed although the percentage of plants that died was probably about 25% and recovery from grazing was better.
Possible contributing factors -Dry conditions were recorded from the middle of September to the middle of October.
The plots of forage peas grew extremely long branches which cascaded over adjoining plots. The yields of forage pea and Morava vetch have not been able to be determined because of this impact.
Simulated grazing (using a mower) resulted in unacceptable damage to field peas due to bacterial blight. There is no reason to suggest that survival would have been any better with real grazing as against simulated.
Severe locust pressure during December, January and February impacted the plots of summer annual forage plots. Plots of forage sorghum were able to be caged and sprayed to prevent damage and the yield from this area was 3162kg/ha by April 1.