PASTURE
PASTURES
Australia's first settlers brought 5 cows, 2 bulls and 29 sheep. In 2015-2016 it was estimated that there were almost 25 million head of cattle and just over 67.5 million sheep.
When properly managed, stocked, and fertilised, pastures can produce high quality forage crops that meet the nutritional needs of livestock, year round. Pastures are intensively managed through cultivation and sustainable grazing, and are treated with the same potential as high yielding crops due to the high profitability of livestock.
Kidman Aviation understands that we are a spoke in the wheel that improves forage quality and quantity. Listed below are some of the identified applications that we can provide for nutrition and weed management.
NUTRIENTS
The need for pasture nutrition is highly associated with the intended grazing intensity. For optimum pasture growth all essential nutrients must be present in sufficient amounts. Phosphorus is essential for plant cell division, growing the tip of the plant, animal reproduction and animal appetite. Typically applied as Superphosphate, it has a high analysis of phosphorus and also contains calcium and sulfur.
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Kidman Aviation works with farmers and agronomists to provide pasture nutrients. Top dressing is generally applied 6 monthly or annually, dependent on our client's individual grazing requirements.
Weed Management
The early prevention of weeds is the most economic way to maintain pasture productivity. Preventing weeds coming on to pastures with machinery, reducing weed germination and seed set, and developing competitive pastures are some of the most effective weed management strategies. Kidman Aviation understands that weeds reduce grazing capacity and land value, and we work with farmers and agronomists to provide spraying services that help to control weed reproduction.
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Thistles are responsible for millions of dollars of production loss each year and can reduce pasture carrying capacity by up to 30%. They have both annual and biennial seedling growth, and thrive in pastures due to their high nutrient content.
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Effective management of thistles includes cultivating competitive pastures to prevent seed set, rotational grazing to reduce pressure on the pasture, and herbicide control applied at the ideal time during the plant's lifecycle. Herbicide is most effective at breaking the thistle lifecycle when applied before flowering.
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Kidman Aviation works with farmers and agronomists to spray herbicides that reduce thistle pressure and pasture grazing loss. Aerial spraying as part of a weed management program helps to decrease the following year's pressure also.
Scotch and Illyrian Thistles
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Blackberries reduce pasture production by shading out native species and competing for moisture and nutrients, restrict stock access to water, reduce available grazing land, and
provide food and shelter for pests like rabbits and foxes. It has prickly stems that readily take root where they touch the ground and forms thickets growing up to several metres high. Sheep will graze blackberry seedlings only if more palatable pastures are not available.
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Kidman Aviation provides aerial spraying, as part of an overall weed managaement program. Herbicide options for blackberry include Metsulfuron- methyl, Picloram, Triclopyr and
Picloram + Triclopyr mixtures. Aerial options are most effective for dense infestations.
Blackberry
With very low nutritional value, stock grazing on tussock grasses will not meet maintenance requirements regardless of stock type or class. When desirable pasture species are selectively grazed they will take longer to recover. Desirable species numbers can decline if grazing pressure is applied.
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Effective management of Tussock grasses include combinations of cultivation, herbicides, fertiliser, over
sowing and removing stock
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Kidman Aviation works with farmers and agronomists to apply herbicides, spread fertilisers and sow paddocks. We have experience in the spreading of super phosphate with clover seed and other assorted desirable pasture species.
Serrated and Nassella Tussock Grass
