Forage Plantain Seed

Probably not well. Tonic Plantain grows across a range of soils where fertility is good, but it isn't tolerant of waterlogged soils, and plantain generally establishes and persists poorly where water lies. Keep plantain to the well-drained parts of the farm. For ground that sits wet through winter, sow a waterlogging-tolerant legume instead: Paradana balansa clover for an annual pasture, or Haifa white or strawberry clover where you want a perennial.

It's not the best fit. Tonic Plantain is rated for loams through to heavy soils, and it performs best where good soil nutrition is maintained, which is harder to hold on infertile sands. On sandy country, Six Point Chicory, rated from light sands to heavy soils, is the more adaptable herb, provided you get 550 mm of rainfall or more. Tonic itself needs 600 mm of rainfall or more.

It can if cows graze it heavily for long periods. Where plantain is sown on its own or becomes a dominant part of the sward, it may cause milk taint when grazed for extended periods. Keep it as one part of a ryegrass and clover pasture rather than the whole diet; we recommend 3–4 kg/ha of Tonic Plantain in a mix. Fed that way, it adds highly digestible, high-protein feed for dairy cows without dominating the ration.

Plantain is one. Being deep rooted, Tonic Plantain is known to carry higher levels of calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, cobalt, copper and phosphorus, along with high protein and digestibility. Adding it to a pasture mix can lift the mineral content of the diet, but it isn't a fix for a diagnosed deficiency. If you suspect trace element problems in your stock, have them tested and talk to your vet.

Keep grazing it on a steady rotation. A three to four week rotation through late spring helps keep plantain, seed heads included, palatable and stops the stand getting stalky. Tonic Plantain tolerates frequent grazing, so you can stay on top of it. If the stand is getting sparse, let some heads mature and drop seed before grazing the paddock back, as plantain can self-seed to fill gaps.

Graze it rotationally for the best production. Tonic Plantain tolerates frequent grazing, but rotation lets the crowns recover and keeps it leafy. As a guide, graze when plantain leaves are around 25 cm tall in a mixed pasture and leave a residual above 5 cm. A rotation similar to perennial ryegrass, around four to six weeks depending on growth, usually suits. Keep stock off when the soil is wet, as treading damages plantain.

It can, within limits. Tonic Plantain is deep rooted and relatively drought tolerant, but its drought tolerance is mild, and it's suited to districts with 600 mm of rainfall or more. Like any pasture, it slows when soil moisture runs out. Avoid hard grazing on drought-stressed plants, leave a residual above 5 cm, and give it time to recover after the break.

Wild ribwort plantain is naturalised across much of the South West, but forage plantains are selected for pasture. Tonic Plantain was chosen for high dry matter production, with an upright, leafy growth habit and high palatability that all classes of grazing stock accept well. Because it's the same species, keep it away from bushland and remnant vegetation, where it can establish and spread.

Tonic Plantain is rated for soils from pH 5.0 (CaCl2) upwards, so it handles moderately acidic soils. Below that, lime the paddock before sowing to lift the pH, which also helps the clovers and grasses sown with it. Get a soil test first, as acidic subsoils can also limit root growth. Tonic also needs good soil nutrition, loam to heavy soils and 600 mm of rainfall or more.

Plantain is a short-lived perennial, and in a mixed pasture it usually makes its biggest contribution in the first couple of years before thinning out. Tonic Plantain has shown persistence under a range of conditions in beef, sheep and dairy systems in New Zealand. You'll get the most years from it with rotational grazing, good fertility, a residual above 5 cm and no treading damage on wet soils. Letting some plants seed in late spring helps recruit new ones.