Which Rhodes grass should I sow on a salt-affected scald?
Reclaimer Rhodes Grass. It was selected through a salinity screening program and bred for production in saline areas: established plants stay productive at 4 to 10 dS/m and can survive up to 20 dS/m.
Seedlings can struggle where there's salt on the surface, so sow in early spring once soils are above 18°C and rising. In saline areas sow it on its own, using coated seed at 6 kg/ha, and add salt-tolerant legumes later.
I'm south of Perth with cold winters. Which Rhodes grass will cope?
Katambora Rhodes Grass is the safer choice. It's more cold tolerant than Callide, so it can be sown south of Perth, while Callide is less cold tolerant and better suited to sowings north of Perth.
Katambora also has drought tolerance, mild tolerance to waterlogging and salinity, and provides nematode resistance. It suits 300 mm-plus rainfall on light sands to loams, and is best sown in early spring as soils reach 16 to 18°C and rising.
Which Rhodes grass is best if I want to cut hay or silage?
Finecut or Reclaimer. Finecut was bred from Katambora for establishment, dry matter and silage or hay, with a 23% dry matter increase over Katambora in trials, an upright habit, uniform flowering and finer stems. Reclaimer retains Finecut's attributes, adds salt tolerance and has produced up to 20% more dry matter than Katambora.
Cut before flowering, when forage quality is highest, and leave 12 to 15 cm for regrowth.
Which Rhodes grass will handle a paddock that gets wet in winter?
Callide Rhodes Grass has waterlogging tolerance and Katambora has mild tolerance; Finecut and Reclaimer aren't rated for waterlogging. Callide needs 400 mm-plus rainfall and is better sown north of Perth, as it's less cold tolerant.
Callide is a tetraploid with good palatability and a high number of growing points. For wetter areas south of Perth, Katambora is the more cold-hardy option.
How much Rhodes grass seed should I sow per hectare?
For dryland sowings, Katambora, Callide and Finecut go in at 4 to 8 kg/ha, and Reclaimer at 6 kg/ha. Katambora under irrigation is sown at 12 to 20 kg/ha.
These rates are for our coated seed. The coat helps light, fluffy Rhodes seed flow through the seeder and makes placement easier to check, but it adds weight, so coated rates are higher than bare-seed rates you may see quoted. Sow less than 2 cm deep.
Why is my Rhodes grass still coming up months after sowing?
That's normal, particularly with Reclaimer. Some of its seed carries a level of dormancy and can keep germinating over the 6 months after sowing, which can thicken the stand.
Rhodes seed also sits in the soil until there's enough rain to germinate, so staggered emergence after patchy spring and summer rain is common. Hold off grazing until plants are well anchored, usually 8 to 10 months after sowing, so later seedlings get a chance.
How should I graze Rhodes grass to keep the feed quality up?
Graze it before it goes to head. Like all Rhodes grasses, forage quality is highest when grazed or cut before flowering, so a rotation that keeps plants leafy pays off.
Give a new stand 8 to 10 months before the first grazing. From then on, go in at 25 to 30 cm and leave a residue of 12 to 15 cm, and don't overgraze over summer. Katambora tolerates heavy grazing once established, but still needs rest to recover.
Cattle keep picking out one grass in my Rhodes mix. Which variety is most palatable?
Probably Callide. As a tetraploid, Callide is more palatable and tends to be preferentially grazed when sown with other sub-tropical grasses. Finecut and Reclaimer also have finer stems and higher palatability than Katambora, which is coarser in the leaf and stem.
Rotational grazing with good rest periods stops the favoured species being grazed out. Callide needs 400 mm-plus rainfall and suits sowings north of Perth.
Which Rhodes grass covers bare, blowing sand the fastest?
Reclaimer. It's highly stoloniferous, with more stolons and growing points than Finecut, so it forms a dense mat more rapidly than other varieties and binds the soil for good erosion control.
Katambora is another strong option: its prostrate, spreading habit gives rapid ground cover, it establishes easily and tolerates heavy grazing once established. Both suit 300 mm-plus rainfall on light sands to loams, sown less than 2 cm deep.
I'm in a 300 to 350 mm rainfall area. Can I still grow Rhodes grass?
Yes. Katambora, Finecut and Reclaimer Rhodes grass are all suited to 300 mm-plus rainfall on light sands to loams with a soil pH (CaCl2) of 5 or more. Callide needs at least 400 mm.
In low rainfall, timing matters most: sow in early spring as soils warm, onto or just below the surface (under 2 cm), when there's a good chance of follow-up rain. Katambora also has drought tolerance.
