Balansa clover

[Kiwi Pete]

I agree, need to cut balansa early if you are going to see it regrow. If you wait until you see flower buds, likely you waited to long. Have to catch it before it goes reproductive.

If you want growth further into the summer, you should try a multi-cut berseem.

Thanks for that..
In your trials abroad, did you run any spring planting/sowing trial? If so, how does that work, by comparison?
All that varies down here is temperature and daylength, rainfall is even year round on average, about 3.5 inches every month.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

I agree, need to cut balansa early if you are going to see it regrow. If you wait until you see flower buds, likely you waited to long. Have to catch it before it goes reproductive.

If you want growth further into the summer, you should try a multi-cut berseem.

Usually grow shaftal (persian) here, pure stand will give you at least 3 maybe 4 cuts from August/ spring through to early summer/December.

 

[jlhall2]

Thanks for that..
In your trials abroad, did you run any spring planting/sowing trial? If so, how does that work, by comparison?
All that varies down here is temperature and daylength, rainfall is even year round on average, about 3.5 inches every month.

Yes, spring sowing reduces the yield. This is because maturity is based on photoperiod.

We have found that we can spring sow into standing maize at the V4-5 stage. It will sprout and then just stalls as the maize canopies over. When the maize starts to dry down it gets growing.

I think latitude greatly affects the maturity. We have a lot being planted this Spring in Canada. Initial tests looked good.

I would guess that in New Zealand ours will behave differently than the Australia varieties that have been tested in the past. We sent some seed for testing was supposed to be sown this fall.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Yes, spring sowing reduces the yield. This is because maturity is based on photoperiod.

We have found that we can spring sow into standing maize at the V4-5 stage. It will sprout and then just stalls as the maize canopies over. When the maize starts to dry down it gets growing.

I think latitude greatly affects the maturity. We have a lot being planted this Spring in Canada. Initial tests looked good.

I would guess that in New Zealand ours will behave differently than the Australia varieties that have been tested in the past. We sent some seed for testing was supposed to be sown this fall.

Interesting stuff..
Would it be semi compatible with planting along with spring-planted peas, as maize doesn't do well here. They are trialling new maize cultivars further inland in the South Island with some success, but it has a way to go yet.
Peas could go quite well as a spring crop for me, cut at the budding stage for baled silage and then grazed after, as a high protein source for fattening. Would balansa hang around for long enough, in that scenario? Thanks

I am 46.4° south here - mushroom country

 

[jlhall2]

Interesting stuff..
Would it be semi compatible with planting along with spring-planted peas, as maize doesn't do well here. They are trialling new maize cultivars further inland in the South Island with some success, but it has a way to go yet.
Peas could go quite well as a spring crop for me, cut at the budding stage for baled silage and then grazed after, as a high protein source for fattening. Would balansa hang around for long enough, in that scenario? Thanks

I am 46.4° south here - mushroom country

If you were to autumn sow your balansa you would be harvesting it in mid November. At the 46th parallel we are looking at mid May harvest for maximum forage yield. Crude Protein is high with balansa, 24-29%.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

If you were to autumn sow your balansa you would be harvesting it in mid November. At the 46th parallel we are looking at mid May harvest for maximum forage yield. Crude Protein is high with balansa, 24-29%.

I will watch the North American weather like a hawk this season- we seem to get a pattern similar to what you get over there.
If you get a mild winter, I'll try autumn sowing a paddock of peas and balansa clover... but have probably left it a little late this year to be organised. Get mild frosts here but only 60 feet ASL and a couple of miles from the coast so it's not fiercely cold, just wet.

 

[scholland]

Bit of growth now

 

[Kevtherev]

@Penmoel

 

[TelesnaAg]

Come home to a disatser....slugs...wire worm...pre em damage...crop is half buggered...and it wet...agro coming tomorrow morning...i really didnt like using pre em...and where the sprayer hasnt been the clover is thick even with the slugs...i spread clover in some lawn at fron of block and its grown at 3 times the rate...

I can see how holistic farming works...i feel you get on a merry go round with chemical..

So i will get told to spread slug bate and more seed no doubt....

I would have been better of using my own seeder to drop on top of the ground towing roller and spray afterwards...instead of using disc seeder that puts all in a nice row for the slug to march along and eat...also a light smattering of grass would have been the go so the slugs grazed that and leave the clover...

Pi**ed off!!!

The only crop i grew where i really made some yield and money was when i didnt use an agro...spring barley...i got better advice on here...

15 ha with a 4 wheel motor bike...lucky me!!

Ant...

 

[TelesnaAg]

The lease block with no pre em and sowed rough as guts by the guys sub letting...clover is fine...

Ant....

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

No slugs in the riverina Gave the young lucerne a hit of Alpha duo along with the verdict and clethodiym yesterday as there's a few lucerne flea and the odd aphid. Apparently the RLEM's are building up in the area too, although they aren't to bad here atm. Jaguar next week when theirs no frosts.

 

[CornishTone]

No slugs in the riverina Gave the young lucerne a hit of Alpha duo along with the verdict and clethodiym yesterday as there's a few lucerne flea and the odd aphid. Apparently the RLEM's are building up in the area too, although they aren't to bad here atm. Jaguar next week when theirs no frosts.

RLEM are well and truely on the march here. Slugs and snails in large numbers too, although early baiting has done a good job where it's been done.

 

[CornishTone]

Come home to a disatser....slugs...wire worm...pre em damage...crop is half buggered...and it wet...agro coming tomorrow morning...i really didnt like using pre em...and where the sprayer hasnt been the clover is thick even with the slugs...i spread clover in some lawn at fron of block and its grown at 3 times the rate...

I can see how holistic farming works...i feel you get on a merry go round with chemical..

So i will get told to spread slug bate and more seed no doubt....

I would have been better of using my own seeder to drop on top of the ground towing roller and spray afterwards...instead of using disc seeder that puts all in a nice row for the slug to march along and eat...also a light smattering of grass would have been the go so the slugs grazed that and leave the clover...

Pi**ed off!!!

The only crop i grew where i really made some yield and money was when i didnt use an agro...spring barley...i got better advice on here...

15 ha with a 4 wheel motor bike...lucky me!!

Ant...

What pre-em did you use out of interest?

 

[TelesnaAg]

RLEM are well and truely on the march here. Slugs and snails in large numbers too, although early baiting has done a good job where it's been done.

Propyzamide..1 l/ha...250ml dual gold...1 l/ha pyrinex..

All agro recommendation...apparently prop and pyrniex can make a spray seed style reaction...

Slowed crop dramatically and let slugs wipe it...no chem areas have slugs but balansa has got away..so lesson learnt but only followed there rec...

I won't use them again....i will sow early...avoid the need for slug bait..and spray tiger x on...then graze weeds out...

The problem with all the chem and slug bait is it lets all the wrong bugs in..end up with more slugs and more weeds...

In future i will mix some teff..it will germ..slugs can graze it and clover will get away...where i spilt stuff in the yard and my new lawn at front of entrance way clover is flogging along..lucky i have some areas around trees to compare....

The sooner i get out of the treadmill the better off i will be...lucklily ive noticed early in my career and dirt is healthy...

Ant...

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

No insecticide on any pasture here. Broardleaf control consisted of Agritone 750 and broardstrike. The unfortunate side effect of lot feeding dairy cattle on old pasture paddocks over summer is we now cop a load of fat hen and marshmallow in the Autumn. Not spraying is not an option. After being without my spray tractor for 6 weeks in the Autumn the fat hen nearly choked a couple of paddocks out. Got it sprayed eventually and the grass caught up in the end.

 

[CornishTone]

Propyzamide..1 l/ha...250ml dual gold...1 l/ha pyrinex..

All agro recommendation...apparently prop and pyrniex can make a spray seed style reaction...

Slowed crop dramatically and let slugs wipe it...no chem areas have slugs but balansa has got away..so lesson learnt but only followed there rec...

I won't use them again....i will sow early...avoid the need for slug bait..and spray tiger x on...then graze weeds out...

The problem with all the chem and slug bait is it lets all the wrong bugs in..end up with more slugs and more weeds...

In future i will mix some teff..it will germ..slugs can graze it and clover will get away...where i spilt stuff in the yard and my new lawn at front of entrance way clover is flogging along..lucky i have some areas around trees to compare....

The sooner i get out of the treadmill the better off i will be...lucklily ive noticed early in my career and dirt is healthy...

Ant...

Sounds a bit extravagant for a pasture clover crop. Is it for seed?

 

[TelesnaAg]

Sounds a bit extravagant for a pasture clover crop. Is it for seed?

Yes.

I was late getting it in....i wont drag my feet again...i think getting it in and up with some teff then chase the braodleaf out of it then graze is a better stratergy....but agro like to sell chemical and bait...

This crop will get sick now no doubt...once you start at the chem shop it dont stop.

Insecticide I prefer not to use...but the spring barley was very late coming off...an clover direct drilled in...no paddock prep.

LivE and learn...slugs easy enough to bait...just worried about how laced top 10mm of dirt is.

Lucky i dont have irrigation bills!! Lol...

Ant...

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

you certainly wouldn't want my water bill but at least its well up and going before the cold sets in

 

[TelesnaAg]

you certainly wouldn't want my water bill but at least its well up and going before the cold sets in

Yeah im normally organised earlier...but new shed has priority over everything this year so was getting that done before the wet...

We sowed 3rd may...normally i should have it done April 15th....the pre em slowed it so much.

Anyway today is beautiful so im off to spend a few hours rectifying this drama in the 4 wheeler...

Ant...

 

[Steel]

I put my Shaftal clover in March-April and water it up, no chemical.
MCPA early for broadleaves, knocks the clover, but it recovers. Graze all winter and spray out grasses in the spring.