Landholders can learn to live profitably with the invasive pasture weeds, Coolatai Grass and African Lovegrass was the key message from industry experts at a Hunter Local Land Services field day last month at Glendon Brook.
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Hunter LLS senior land services officer, Sarah Giblin told over 40 producers attending the event that integrated grazing and nutrition management was the solution for many target weed species.
Agronomist, Robert Freebairn explained Coolatai Grass and African Lovegrass thrived from a lack of competition from favorable pasture species.
"On arable country with the correct soil fertility, we can slow and even eradicate these weeds with three years of winter cereals and summer fallows with good weed control, followed by a tropical grass pasture sown in late Spring,” Mr Freebairn said.
“Three summers of weed control interrupts the weed seed bank, the key to success of the tropical grasses which with a rapid summer growth will quickly out compete any remaining Coolatai and African Lovegrass.
“On non-arable country the solution is more complex however we can learn to live successfully and profitably with both weeds by managing soil fertility with fertiliser and careful species selection including winter legumes which will thrive beneath these grasses,” he said.
Bill Hoffman of Hoffman Beef Consulting said these grass weeds presented a challenging situation as although they were low in digestability, crude protein and energy levels for livestock, it was still possible to manage both Coolatai and African Love Grasses to produce more kilos of beef.
Rotational grazing management both to control weed maturity and give favourable pasture species a chance to recover from selective grazing was imperative.
"When cattle are on a low quality diet of mature grass weed pastures, intake decreases and this is where bypass proteins like urea can help improve rumen function, increase intake and weight gain and reduce weight loss," Mr Hoffman said.