Brendon Austin has found the decision to give tall fescue a go is paying dividends.
Tall fescue’s deep root structure means it is able to search out and suck up any moisture in the soil and keep growing in a dry season, even when all the other grasses on their properties are brown.
Austin has experienced four droughts in the last six years and his farm resembled the Sahara Desert until a recent fall of rain – with the exception of the green tall fescue, which he sowed over 12-14ha last autumn.
“I’m really happy with the performance in summer. It’s slow to get going in the winter but it was basically the only green grass on the farm that was alive and growing all of February.”
Austin says the tall fescue has helped get him through the dry summer. He has been able to graze it continuously on a 16-20 day rotation while the rest of his farm was on a 35-day rotation.
“You’ve got to keep grazing it. It loves to be grazed hard. The lower you keep it, the better the quality.”
Planting the tall fescue is like taking out an insurance policy and means he knows something will still be growing on the farm if it gets dry.
“I wouldn’t be where I am production-wise if I hadn’t planted part of the farm in tall fescue.”
Twenty years ago tall fescue was unpalatable but SF Finesse Q is both highly palatable and productive. Its key features are its growth habit and compatibility with legumes. It is a hardy species when it comes to heat, moisture, pests and overgrazing.
Advances in technology mean it is now a real option for farmers to consider as an alternative to ryegrass.
For more information visit www.seedforce.co.nz.
