Antas sub clover leaf.
Parnassus hill-country farmer Richard Reed sees potential in sub clover and says he has been looking for a perennial green feed crop and this is what trial plots and blocks on Mt Benger looked like. Two sub-clover varieties recently imported by Luisetti Seeds were used in the Mt Benger sowings.
Two varieties
Andrew Johnston from Luisetti Seeds says the two varieties they have imported are adapted to different soil conditions.
“Monti” tolerates wet soils in winter, while the larger-leafed “Antas” likes soils with a higher pH of over 5.7. “Antas” is a high-yielding variety which is likely to respond to some spelling rather than set-stocking right through lambing to weaning.
Dick Lucas says the soils on Mt Benger, which has an annual rainfall of around 550mm-600mm, are naturally fertile with good phosphate content but with a high requirement for sulphur which is a key nutrient for clover vigour.
Once established, sub-clover paddocks will stay productive for many years if the late spring management can be organised to build and maintain the clover seed bank. Nitrogen from clover N fixation will build up so grass will eventually dominate. Various options are available at that stage. One is to capitalise on the soil N with a winter feed crop.
Standing in the sub clover rich sward on Mt Benger, Lucas calculated the pasture was producing 20-25kg DM/mm of water used during autumn. Similar rates can be expected in spring.
When the sub clover dies back in November/December the grass has the clover fixed nitrogen to drive growth, so hill country that was growing 3t/ha/year should grow 6-10t/ha/year depending on rainfall.
In other words, production is doubled and Lucas points out that this feed allows twin lambs to grow at close to their biological potential before weaning.
