Phalaris Seed

Probably not. Phalaris is winter-active and mostly dormant over a dry WA summer, so the tops brown off while the deep root system keeps the plant alive until the autumn break brings regrowth. Amplify can go summer dormant under adverse conditions, which is part of what helps it persist as a long-term pasture. Look after dormant stands by not grazing them too low. DPIRD advises keeping at least 1000 kg DM/ha of cover so the crowns aren't exposed.

It may be phalaris sudden death, a different problem from phalaris staggers. Deaths can occur within hours to a couple of days of stock going onto phalaris, usually on young regrowth after rain in a dry spell, or on pasture high in nitrogen. Hungry stock new to the paddock are most at risk, and cobalt does not prevent it. Feed stock hay before they go in, avoid putting them straight onto fresh regrowth, and ask your vet to confirm the cause. Amplify has lower toxicity, but management still matters.

It depends on your soil pH. On neutral to alkaline country that waterlogs or is mildly saline, Strawberry Clover is a natural partner: it tolerates waterlogging and mild salinity, needs a pH (CaCl2) of 6 or more, and phalaris is one of its listed companions. On more acid wet soils, Haifa White Clover tolerates low pH and waterlogging, and Riverina Subterranean Clover handles wet winters on loams. All three have rainfall minimums at or below Amplify's 500 mm.

Phalaris is not the best choice on light sands. It does best on deep loams and heavier soils, and Amplify's ideal soil range runs from loams to heavy clay soils. DPIRD notes phalaris can succeed on coarser soils where clay sits within about 30 cm of the surface, as on shallow duplex country. On deep, pale sands, look at Mission Veldt Grass, which suits light sands to loams. On well-drained sand over clay or gravel, Treposno Cocksfoot is another option.

Yes, where the salt is mild. Amplify tolerates mild salinity as well as waterlogging and low pH, which makes it useful on wetter flats and the better ground around salt-affected areas, with 500 mm or more of rain. It is not a salt-land grass, though. Where salinity is moderate to severe, or the soil stays wet and salty through winter, sow puccinellia or tall wheatgrass instead and keep phalaris on the less affected ground above the scald.

In an established stand, yes, within limits. DPIRD suggests keeping phalaris below about 3000 kg DM/ha, roughly 15 cm high, through spring so it stays leafy, but avoid repeated heavy grazing or cutting at that time. In drier, marginal country, let established stands flower in late spring, because that is when phalaris forms the dormant buds that carry it through summer and keep the stand persistent.

Only very lightly. Phalaris is slow to establish, and a very light grazing in the first year can encourage tillering, but otherwise keep stock off, especially while it is flowering in late spring. That is when the dormant buds needed for long-term persistence are forming. Treat year one as an investment. Once established, Amplify tolerates heavy grazing and should keep producing for many years.

Sow Amplify at 2–8 kg/ha on its own, or 2–4 kg/ha in a mix with other grasses and legumes. Use the higher rates on areas with high levels of waterlogging. Sow shallow, about 5–10 mm deep, into a firm seedbed. Phalaris seedlings are slow and sensitive to competition from annual grasses and broadleaf weeds, so a good knockdown before sowing matters as much as getting the rate right.

Sow phalaris in autumn, on or soon after the break, while the soil is still warm. Germination is slow below about 10°C, with an optimum of 15–20°C, so earlier sowing gives seedlings the best start before winter. Direct drilling into a paddock with a good knockdown reduces weed competition. Amplify needs 500 mm or more of rain. South of Perth, the WA Southern Perennial Pasture Mix, which includes Amplify, is sown in spring once soils reach 16–18°C.

Phalaris does best in the higher-rainfall south-west, on deep loams and heavier soils that hold moisture. Amplify needs at least 500 mm of rain and suits loams through to heavy clay soils, including country that waterlogs in winter. DPIRD research pointed to the coastal belt within about 30–70 km of the west and south coasts from Perth to Albany, and near-coast land between Cape Riche and Esperance. Past failures in WA were mostly put down to unsuitable soils, dry summers and poor grazing management.