Gatton Panic Grass

We recommend Gatton Panic Grass. It is a deep-rooted bunch grass that is persistent in dry conditions once established, and it responds quickly after rain. Its roots are concentrated in the upper soil layers, so it makes good use of light showers. It performs best where there is some summer rainfall and needs pH 5 or higher.

Gatton Panic Grass is tolerant of shade, so it is a good choice for paddocks with scattered trees or shelter belts. It has broad, long, dark green leaves and better palatability than green panic. It suits well-drained soils but will perform on other soils with good fertility, and it is summer active wherever soil moisture is available.

We recommend sowing Gatton Panic Grass with other sub-tropical grasses, as it can be hard to get enough plants on its own. Sow 4 to 8 kg/ha of our coated seed in early spring as soils warm, into a fine, firm seedbed. Manage the first summer carefully so enough plants survive into the following year.

Yes, Gatton Panic Grass can be grown on lighter soils, but it needs good soil nutrition to persist there. It suits light sands through to loams with pH 5 or higher (CaCl2) and 300mm or more of rain, and does best on well-drained soils. We suggest planning fertiliser so soil nutrition stays up, and managing the first summer carefully.

Gatton Panic Grass is sensitive to frost and does not tolerate waterlogging, so it is best kept to warmer districts and well-drained soils. It will perform on other soils with good fertility, but not where the paddock sits wet. For wetter ground north of Perth, we suggest Callide Rhodes Grass, which tolerates waterlogging and mild salinity.

Gatton Panic Grass is quick to respond after the first autumn rains and after light showers, because its roots sit in the upper soil layers. It is summer active where soil moisture is available and stores more of its carbohydrates in the upper part of the plant, where stock can eat them. Rotational grazing gets the best production from it.

Being deep-rooted, Gatton Panic Grass can handle reasonable grazing pressure, but we recommend rotational grazing for the best production. Wait 8 to 10 months after sowing, or until plants are going reproductive, before the first grazing. Then graze from 25 to 30cm down to a residue of 12 to 15cm, and do not overgraze over summer.

We don't recommend Gatton Panic Grass as the main pasture for horses. Panic grasses contain oxalate, which can cause big head (calcium deficiency) in horses grazing them for long periods. If horses will graze it, we recommend a calcium supplement and advice from your vet. For horse paddocks, our Equi1st Pasture Mix, which includes low-oxalate Rhodes grasses, is a better choice.

We suggest adding Gatton Panic Grass. It is a useful addition to Rhodes grasses in mixtures, establishes more easily than other panic grasses and can give very good first-year production. As a bunch grass it pairs well with stoloniferous Rhodes grasses such as Finecut Rhodes Grass and Katambora Rhodes Grass. Our WA Northern Perennial Pasture Mix combines all three and is sown at 6 to 8 kg/ha.

Choose Gatton Panic Grass for well-drained soils, shaded areas and places where fast response to summer rain matters. Choose a Rhodes grass for wetter or saline paddocks: Callide Rhodes Grass tolerates waterlogging, Reclaimer Rhodes Grass is bred for salinity, and Katambora Rhodes Grass is the more cold-tolerant option south of Perth. Gatton is a frost-sensitive bunch grass and Rhodes grasses spread by stolons, so we often recommend sowing both together.