How much perennial ryegrass do I sow?

Today’s Plan Strengths and weakness of perennial rye & annual rye Changes to feed supply patterns Water use & WUE Cost of production What size area to grow? Payback period – How big of a commitment is it? Basics of getting it right

Advantages of all Ryegrass?

Strengths of All Ryegrass High quality High direct grazing % Easy to establish Forgiving to mistakes Tolerates wide range of soil types and conditions Safe & Reliable Reasonably pest & disease resistant

Strengths of Perennial Ryegrass Provides year round feed Doesn’t require annual resowing Higher % of feed directly grazed Simple system? Maintains quality for longer

Strengths of Annual/Italian Ryegrass Doesn’t require irrigation over the summer Suitable for poorer paddocks (irrigation) Consequences aren’t as high for mistakes Cheaper seed Quicker to establish Possible higher winter growth rates Some achieve yields similar to perennial

Weaknesses of Perennial Ryegrass Needs to be irrigated over summer Summer growth can be poor in hot conditions Higher and slower establishment cost Winter growth can be less of annuals

Weaknesses of Annual Ryegrasses. Needs to be sown every year Doesn’t provide grazing for the whole year Needs higher % to be conserved

Altering Feed Supply Pattern The higher the % of home grown feed that can be directly grazed the ↑ profit Forage growth ideally should match the herds feed demand.

The real cost of conservation Some of the costs associated with conserving feed are; Cost to cut, rake, bale & wrap/cover Cartage Wastage during conservation (Quality & Quantity) Cost to feedback out Wastage when feeding back out

Cost to make round bale silage Cut, rake, bale and wrap = $116t/DM Cartage = $10t/DM ? Wastage during conservation = 8% of DM (12% for Pit) Quality losses = 5% ME Cost to feed back out = $20? Wastage when feeding it back out = 15% of DM = $180t/dm + 5% loss in quality + this is doing a good job of it. This doesn’t include the cost to grow the feed.

Cost to make round bale hay Cut, rake, bale = $95t/DM Cartage = $10t/DM ? Wastage during conservation = 10% of DM prior to baling and then 8-25% in the first year post baling Quality losses = 10% ME (worse if it rains) Cost to feed back out = $20? Wastage when feeding it back out = 20% of DM = $162t/dm + 10% loss in quality + this is doing a good job of it. This doesn’t include the cost to grow the feed.

1. No growth for annuals during summer

2. P rye slower to establish first year but already established 2 nd year

3. Annuals have yield advantage over P Rye

4. Annuals quality and quantity drops quickly. May be to early?

Still going to be a feed pinch!

Dry periods = low demand for feed

Peak Demand = highest feed needed + high quality

Joining time = Need consistent high quality feed

Do you have a surplus or a shortage of feed here

Rapid feed decline vs. important feed demand period for spring calvers.

Water Use Forage treatmentForage removed (t DM/ha) Irrigation water applied (ML) Irrigation WUE (t DM/ML) Perennial ryegrass / white clover Persian clover / Italian ryegrass Sub clover / Italian ryegrass Double crop (oats / millet) - total

Seasonal Water Use Perennial ryegrass/white clover Italian ryegrass/Persian clover DM Removed (t DM/ha) Irrigation water used (ML/Ha) WUE DM removed (t DM/ha) Irrigation water used (ML/Ha) WUE Autumn Winter Spring Summer 2006/ Totals

Water Use Perennial range is normally 8-12ML/Ha (but can be 2-14ML/Ha) Early start/Late finish Annuals 4-7ML/Ha Late start/Early Finish 2.5-5ML/Ha Soil type, layout, seasonal conditions and management all have a very large influence over water use and WUE.

Are you puffed yet?

“Cost of Production” 3 main factors that influence the difference in cost of production between Annuals and Perennial Ryegrass »Conservation costs »Establishment costs »Water costs/WUE Need to also think about quality and the cost of extra feed that may need to be purchased in

Conservation costs This is a big deal! Every extra tonne that is conserved is adding around $ t compared to grazing. Nearly all farms are going to need to conserve something otherwise they are overstocked and exposed to the purchased feed market.

Conservation costs Perennial ryegrass/white clover Italian ryegrass/Persian clover DM Removed (t DM/ha) Irrigation water used (ML/Ha) WUE DM removed (t DM/ha) Irrigation water used (ML/Ha) WUE Autumn Winter Spring Summer 2006/ Totals Conservation costs are $126/Ha more for Italian ryegrass In 2005 season it was 4.1t/DM or $738/ha 3.2t/dm of extra feed is needed to be purchased per Ha = $702/Ha – How many ML of water is this?

Establishment costs Often only difference is the cost of seed Seed costs varies greatly between varieties Often about $100/ha difference (easy to do your own sums) Annuals have this cost every year Perennials have this cost every 3-5years Annual = $150/ha Perennial = $250/ha ÷ 3 = $83/ha

Water price & WUE When water is relatively cheap then the following becomes more important; Feed demand vs. feed supply Conservation costs Establishment costs When water becomes expensive then WUE becomes important

2006 Example PerennialItalian Total DM Total water Establishment83150 Amount conserved00.7 Conservation costs180 Water price300 Purchased feed price180 Extra Feed purchased03.2 Cost per tonne Can change any numbers to make it more realistic for you

What size area to grow? Need to allow for dry years – 10-12ML/ha? Can not go over your annual water use limit! Have you got enough delivery share? Expensive if you don’t Feed budget to work out how much you need & when Water budget to get a feel for a maximum area To small an area is inefficient (water, labour and grazing)

Chicken or the Egg – How to work out the right size area?

508 tonnes needed If P rye yielded 12t/ha = 42ha needed to fill gap. This would then need water for: 40ha annual x 5ML = 200ML 42ha p rye x 10ML = 420ML = 620ML How does this compare to: water right maximum water use limit Delivery share

Payback Period Around $100/ha extra establishment cost in first year –= half tonne of feed? Slower establishment and winter growth? Less conservation Higher quality and quantity late spring & early summer feed Cashflow? If it is irrigated through until late November/December it will have likely repaid itself depending on the timing of feed demand

Can I dry off perennial ryegrass over summer? No absolute answer available without hindsight Soil type and climate will impact this Rainfall – both frequency and quantity effect this Weeds can be a massive problem To have a chance of success you need to Always leave 4-6cm residual Never graze off fresh pick until it reaches 2 leafs Keep rotations out to 45+ days How much water will it save? How much production will it cost the following Autumn, Winter and Spring

Basics of getting it right Wait until soil temp is less than 25 degrees (mid march) Sooner the better after this The closer you are to having a fine, firm, weed-free seedbed, the better your chances of success Maintain adequate soil moisture Control pests and weeds as the plants establish Get the first grazing right. Don’t graze too hard and let them recover Participate in a FPFP program

Conclusion Individual decision based on your own –Resources –Perceptions –Attitudes to risk Think through the effect making any changes will have on your whole system Managing which ever option you choose well is more important than the decision itself