What forage cereal will grow on acidic, high-aluminium sandplain where wheat and oats struggle?
Cereal rye is the most reliable choice for acidic, infertile sands. Our Cereal Rye (Ryecorn) tolerates high aluminium and soil pH down to 4.8 (CaCl2), needs 350 mm or more of rainfall and grows on sands through to heavy soils. On lighter acid soils, yields are usually 70–100% of wheat and triticale when sown in May to June.
Sow 80–100 kg/ha on its own. Where rainfall is 400 mm or more, Joey Triticale is another option, with low pH and drought tolerance.
My break came late and the soil is already cold. Which cereal will still get going for winter feed?
Cereal rye is the cereal to sow into cold soil. It germinates at soil temperatures as low as 1°C and keeps growing from about 3°C, and it will germinate even in quite dry soil, which makes it a reliable option for early grazing in cold country.
Hold off grazing until plants are 15–25 cm tall and well rooted, especially on sandy soils, and don't graze below 5–6 cm if you want good regrowth. Rotate or strip graze so the crop can recover between grazings.
Which forage oat can I graze several times through autumn and winter without it running to head?
Ezigraze Forage Oats is our pick for repeat grazing. It is a spring x winter oat that tillers heavily, recovers well after grazing and can be sown early without the risk of running to head.
It suits areas with 500 mm or more of rainfall and soils of pH 5.5 (CaCl2) and above. Sow 40–120 kg/ha, 1.5–3.5 cm deep. Start grazing once plants pass the pluck test, rotate rather than set-stock, and apply nitrogen after grazing to drive regrowth. You can close the paddock later for hay or silage.
I want one cereal to graze in winter and then cut for hay or silage, but parts of the paddock get wet. What should I sow?
Joey Triticale suits that job. This wheat x rye hybrid grows fast for winter grazing and can then be cut for hay or silage, and its tolerances cover waterlogging, low pH and drought.
It suits sands through to heavy soils in areas with 400 mm or more of rainfall, sown at 60–100 kg/ha. As with any young cereal, introduce stock gradually, and take them off early enough to leave plenty of leaf so the crop can bulk up for the cut.
What can I sow for a season to clean up a paddock before putting in a perennial pasture?
A Saia oat crop is a good way to prepare a paddock for perennial pasture. Saia is a robust black oat often used for weed control and soil preparation before renovation, and as a pioneer crop on new land.
Sow 60–100 kg/ha on its own, or 15–50 kg/ha in a mix, from late summer to early autumn into a cultivated seedbed 35–70 mm deep, at soil temperatures of 12–25°C. It needs 350 mm or more of rainfall and well-drained soil. Graze before stem elongation and leave 12 cm of stubble.
What's the difference between Saia black oats and ordinary oats?
Saia is a different species: a black-seeded oat (Avena strigosa), whereas most grain and hay oats are Avena sativa. Saia has a fine stem and a high leaf to stem ratio, grows to nearly 2 m tall and is late maturing, so it is sown in autumn for bulky winter feed.
Its winter feed typically runs at about 70% digestibility and 7–8% crude protein, and it can grow up to 7 t DM/ha by spring with good moisture and fertility. Dropped seed can regenerate for a season or two.
Cattle are grazing lush winter oats. How do I avoid nitrate poisoning and grass tetany?
Introduce stock gradually and watch the conditions. Young cereals can build up high nitrate, which is a particular risk for cattle, and levels rise with slow growth, hot dry weather, or frost and hail damage. Fill stock up on hay first and keep roughage available.
Young grass and cereals are also low in magnesium, so grass tetany is a real risk, with older cows with young calves most vulnerable. Causmag at around 60 g/head/day is the usual preventive and takes 2–3 days to protect stock. Talk to your vet.
Is Bannister a good oat for oaten hay and grain in WA?
Yes. Bannister Oats is a high-yielding, mid-season, tall-dwarf milling oat grown for grain, oaten hay or both, and it is widely grown on WA's sands and gravels, including acidic sands. It establishes fast and produces plenty of bulk from autumn through to spring.
Sow from autumn into early winter after a reliable break, into moist soil at a typical cereal depth. It can be lightly grazed before stem elongation and then locked up, though grazing may cut grain yield in a tight season.
Why is the crop after my cereal rye cover crop short of nitrogen?
Cereal rye can tie up soil nitrogen as its residues break down, which can leave the next crop short. Sowing the rye with a legume such as vetch offsets this, because the legume fixes its own nitrogen.
In a mix, sow cereal rye at 15–30 kg/ha rather than its full rate. Its deep roots also scavenge nitrogen, potassium and other nutrients from deep in the profile, and these become available again as residues decompose. Our Cover Crop Plus Winter Mix already pairs cereal rye with field peas and common vetch.
How much forage cereal seed should I sow per hectare?
It depends on the cereal and whether it is sown alone or in a mix. On their own, we recommend 80–100 kg/ha for Cereal Rye (Ryecorn), 60–100 kg/ha for Joey Triticale and Saia Oats, and 40–120 kg/ha for Ezigraze Forage Oats. In a pasture or cover crop mix, drop to 15–30 kg/ha of cereal rye or 15–50 kg/ha of Saia.
Use the higher end of the range in better rainfall areas or where you want quick, dense cover, and the lower end on drier country.
