In long hot dry summers, perennial ryegrass growth either stops or considerably slows down, restricting grazing options at the time when fattening lambs or feeding other livestock is the goal.

Ryegrass has a shallow rooting system which leaves the plants susceptible to drought and damage from pests such as grass grub. So, what can be sown either as a stand-alone or a pasture mix that compliments pasture grazing, be tolerant to drought, and subterranean pest attacks? Herbs are an option.

The most common varieties of herbs are plantain or chicory. These can be sown as a pure sward or in a mix with clover and or grasses. Chicory is a high quality forage with fast growth from spring to autumn, and has good drought tolerance due to the tap root system it produces. Plantain is a variety with improved cool season growth and also has good drought tolerance due to its large fibrous root system.

Both of these herb varieties boost animal intake and performance as they have high mineral content. However both varieties are relatively short lived if you want to get the best production benefit from them. Commonly, chicory is a six month to one year crop and plantain is an 18 month to three year crop.

Plantain can be used in deer, beef, sheep and dairy systems and some varieties are better than others in their resilience and production. Livestock often perform better with the inclusion of clover, as this has the potential to improve liveweight gain, nitrogen fixation and ground cover to reduce weed burden. Plantain has a Dry Matter (DM) yield of 8 to 14 T DM per ha and a Metabolisable Energy (ME) of 11 to 12 MJ per kg per DM, but the grazing management has to be controlled. Plantain should be placed where longer term and/or cool season production is a goal.

Chicory also suits deer, beef sheep and dairy systems and should be the crop of choice for reliable production in summer dry conditions. With its tap root system, it can deliver high DM yields in hot dry conditions. Chicory can produce a DM yield of 8 to 15 T DM per ha in six to seven months, with an ME of 11.5 to 13 MJ per kg per DM at a time when unirrigated ryegrass can struggle.

If you are looking at sowing herbs as an option for spring, contact your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative.

TIPS:

• Plantain and chicory require good seedbeds for successful establishment. Where possible spray-out old pasture/crops with a quality glyphosate, adding a broadleaf spike if  needed. Be careful of residual herbicidal activity from that spike that may be detrimental to the herb/clover mix.
• Soil fertility requirements are similar to ryegrass but always soil test to see where your fertility is and then form a plan. Chicory is more responsive to nitrogen fertiliser than plantain. It is also good practice to apply DAP at planting to aid establishment.
• Do not plant herbs and clover deeper than 15 mm (a roller drill is best).
• Beware of slugs at establishment and treat with bait as required.
• First graze should be when the crop has reached six to seven true leaves regardless of the partner crop.