Site Preparation

The grazing trial area was grazed heavily (2000 dry ewes, 160 DSE/ha) pre herbicide application (1 March – 5 March 2020). Both plots were treated with Basta herbicide on 7 March, applied at a rate of 1.5 L/ha with 100 L water/ha.

Grazing trial plots were sown on 10 March 2020; the single species plot was sown with barley at 50 kg/ha and the multispecies plot was sown with barley, field pea, faba bean, Winfred forage brassica, tillage radish and turnip at rates of 30, 10, 10, 2, 2 and 1 kg/ha, respectively. Both plots were fertilised with Croplift 15 (N 14.6, P 12, S 11.6), applied at a rate of 50 kg/ha.

Seed & fertiliser cost were $140/ha and $183/ha for single species (barley) and multispecies, respectively.