Brighton Cocksfoot

Product Description

• Seed Agronomy Table

  Seeding Rate - Dryland (kg/ha)

  3-4

  Seeding Rate - High Rainfall/Irrigation (kg/ha)

  6-10

  Life Span

  7+ years

  Drought Tolerance

  Y

• Seed Treatment

  XLR8™

• Enterprises For This Seed

  Beef and Sheep

  Dairy

  Equine

  Silage and Hay

  Viticulture and Horticulture

• Strengths

  Responsive to increased soil fertility Tolerates heavy grazing once established (particularly semiwinter dormant cultivars) Grows well on a wide range of soil types Tolerates waterlogging and moderate salinity Few pests and diseases Deep root system helps dry soil profile and reduces rate of soil acidification

• Limitations

  Relatively slow to establish, similar to phalaris and tall fescue Low production in the establishment year Seedlings are sensitive to competition from annual grasses Requires good management to enhance survival in marginal drier/hotter areas (e.g. North West Slopes of NSW)

• Plant Description
  Plant

  Tufted, robust, deep-rooted temperate perennial grass, growing 1 metre tall at maturity. Spreads by tillering and seedling recruitment.

  Stems

  Base of stems are folded and leaves have a light green appearance.

  Leaves

  Leaves are folded with a canoe-shaped tip. Hairless, to 20 centimetres long and about 0.5 to 1 cm wide. Light green colour with a blue tone.

  Seedhead

  Branched with clump-like panicles.

  Seeds

  Light cream colour, very small and bulky.

• Pasture Type And Use

  Used widely in the inland high rainfall zone and adjacent higher-rainfall cropping areas of southern Australia for all types of grazing stock, but mainly sheep and beef cattle. Suitable also for hay and silage.

• Rainfall

  Minimum average annual rainfall 400 millimetres in South Australia, 400 to 450 millimetres in Victoria, 500 to 550 millimetres in southern NSW and 650 millimetres on the North West Slopes of NSW.

• Soils

  Grows on most soils, but has a competitive advantage on light textured soils with lower fertility. Tolerant of low pH and aluminium relative to other grasses. Does not tolerate wet soils.

• Temperature

  Grows best in the temperature range 15 to 25°C. Survives from frosting, but tends to lose green leaf content after repeated frosts. Moderate tolerance to heat in summer.

• Establishment
  Grasses

  Other slow-establishing grasses such as phalaris and tall fescue. Can be sown with perennial ryegrass in higher rainfall areas.

  Legumes

  Clover (subterranean, white), greater lotus, lucerne in appropriate regions.

  Sowing/Planting Rates In Mixtures

  1 to 3 kilograms per hectare. Sowing time: Can be sown in autumn (all areas) or late winter/ early spring (Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Tablelands of NSW).

  Sowing/Planting Rates as Single Species

  6-9 kilograms per hectare, normally 3 kilograms per hectare.

  Sowing Time

  Autumn and Spring.

  Inoculation

  If soil is low in phosphorus (P), apply P fertiliser at sowing and maintain regular applications in later years. Use molybdenum (Mo) for clover component where recommended. Apply sulphur (S) in deficient soils. Starter-type fertiliser can be used where nitrogen (N) levels are low.

  Herbs

  Chicory and plantain are suitable companion species.

• Management
  Maintenance Fertiliser

  A productive pasture requires good levels of P, N, S and K. Build up soil P to maintain a vigorous clover component since productivity will decline if clover disappears. Maintain S and K in deficient soils. N fertiliser can be effective in the absence of a companion legume or to boost seasonal production if required.

  Grazing/Cutting

  Careful rotational grazing in the first year, then robust to a range of grazing methods

  Ability to Spread

  Spreads by tillering and clumps increasing in diameter.

  Weed Potential

  Low threat

  Major Pests

  Mature stands are generally unaffected by pests. Seedlings are susceptible to damage from red-legged earth mite, blue oat mite, aphids, field crickets, white curl grubs (scarab grubs) and slugs and snails. Seed-harvesting ants can be a problem in removing surface-sown seed.

  Major Diseases

  Leaf rust can affect cocksfoot but the plants generally grow out of the infection with no long term consequences for survival. Grazing will remove the infected leaves and encourage new growth.

  Herbicide Susceptibility

  Sensitive to glyphosate and grass specific herbicides.

• Animal Production
  Feeding Value

  Cocksfoot has moderate feed value.

  Palatability

  Palatable.

  Production Potential

  Good.

  Livestock Disorders/Toxicity

  No known disorders specific to cocksfoot.

• Establishment Guarantee

  At S&W Seed Company Australia we're so confident about our seed genetics and seed quality, we will replace seed at half the original purchase price if it fails to establish satisfactorily in the first thirty days* Read more