Sprinkler irrigated pastures
Seasonal 'to do' list for establishment of sprinkler irrigated pastures in the Ellen Brook Catchment, Perth region Western Australia.
Extracted from the publication Sustainable Land Management in the Ellen Brook Catchment. See link in Resources below.
Sprinkler irrigated pastures can play an important role on small properties. To ensure success, close attention needs to be paid to the establishment of pasture and subsequent watering, fertiliser application and grazing management.
- Winter - Graze for winter feed.
- August/September - Heavily graze to remove the bulk of feed.
- Early September - Prepare a fine seedbed with few large clods. This can be done with a disc cultivator, a scarifier or a rotary hoe. Then harrow with tyne harrows to break up the clods, firm the seedbed and level the surface.
- September - Weed control is essential. After the final seedbed has been prepared, water the area to encourage a full germination of weeds, then spray with glyphosate (360 g/L 0 at two litres per hectare) to kill weeds. Add insecticide for redlegged earth mite and lucerne flea control.
- September - Inoculate and lime pellet the clover seeds.
- Late September/early October - Mix the seed with the fertiliser in the fertiliser box of a combine and sow by dropping the mixture onto the surface (hoses out). Cover the seed with a set of light harrows and roll to compact the soil around the seed.