Productivity of grazed Makarikari grass-lucerne, Rhodes grass-lucerne and lucerne pastures in the northern wheat belt of Australia

Abstract

Three Makarikari grasses (Panicum coloratum var. makarikariense) viz. 0.4634, cv. Pollock and cv. Bambatsi and Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) cv. Pioneer, each grown with lucerne (Medicago sativa) cv. Hunter River, and sward lucerne were compared for productivity and stability in a rotational grazing system at three stocking rates (22.2, 14.8 and 7 . 4 Merino wethers/ha for grasslucerne pastures; 14.8, 11.1 and 7.4/ha for lucerne swards) on a cracking clay soil on the Darling Downs, Queensland over four years. There were no differences between the Makarikari grass cvv. Pollock and Bambatsi pastures. However, each produced more dry matter and animal liveweight, and persisted better, than Rhodes grass pasture during dry conditions that occurred during the first two years. Rhodes grass nevertheless recovered during two subsequent wet summers. During those two dry years, wool production from sward lucerne was equal to that of the grass-lucerne pastures at both 14.8 and 7.4 animals/ha. Animal liveweight from lucerne was greater than from grass-lucerne pastures at 7.4 animals/ha only. Wide variation, both between and within seasons, was measured in the quantity of feed produced by pastures in this study. This is discussed in relation to the concept of stocking rate of pasture grown on limited areas of grain farms in the northern wheat belt, and to the provision of a continuing feed supply in integrated crop-pasture systems.