A study of three important pasture mixtures in the Queensland subtropics: Progress Report, 1955-1958

Abstract

The first four years' results of a grazing trial of three pasture mixtures are presented. The mixtures were Rhodes grass, green panic and Gayndah strain buffel grass, each sown with Hunter River lucerne and phasey bean. All mixtures carried beef cattle at a heavy rate through a severe drought, and during seasons of good rainfall uninterrupted liveweight increases through the winter occurred. Animal weight gains on the Rhodes grass-legume mixture were inferior to those on the other mixtures.
The liveweight increases per acre on sown pastures were more than three times as great as those on native pasture grazed continuously at the rate normal for the district, which was half the stocking intensity of the sown pastures. The buffel grass-legume pasture produced the highest yields of dry matter and of crude protein. Consistent differences occurred in the crude protein status of the grass components in each mixture, the order being green panic, buffel grass and Rhodes grass. The value of Hunter River lucerne in all mixtures was demonstrated and its ability to persist under rotational grazing confirmed. Seasonal pasture productivity trends and liveweight changes are discussed. Of the pasture indices considered, the legume crude protein yield bore the closest relationship to liveweight changes.