The SowSmart Persistor blend has provided many years of high quality and high quantity production on the property of Barry Gould, of Purlewaugh, east of Coonabarabran in central New South Wales. Mr Gould said he first planted the Persistor blend into an old lucerne stand at a rate of 22 to 23 kilograms per hectare approximately five years ago and has been using it ever since for both grazing and forage.
He said the blend, which included fescue, cocksfoot, phalaris, sub clovers and clover, provided a feed option from the start of autumn and could be utilised for much of the following ten months. The 40 acre section is watered using a travelling irrigator and, on most occasions, one half is being grazed by stud cows, bulls or weaners while the other is being spelled. Stocking rates varied throughout the year although normally there were at least 50 head of stock on half of the paddock when it was being grazed. Towards the end of the season the area is cut for either hay or silage. “We normally wrap 100 bales per year,” Mr Gould said. “If I can cut a little bit of silage it takes just two to three days to wilt. The rest can go for hay.” The best hay cuts came in the early years of production, although the pasture has held on remarkably well through a range of different seasonal conditions. Mr Gould said the winter-active fescue is as thick as it was during the first season and there was also some of the cocksfoot and phalaris through the paddock. “There is also still a fair bit of Dalsa and Clare 2 (sub clovers) in there was well.”
At the start of 2013, the area was inundated with rain from the remnants of Cyclone Oswald and the clovers responded well and produced feed for the autumn. Even after the hay cut late in 2013, the paddock still produced a tinge of green across it and provided enough feed for cattle to pick at during summer. Mr Gould said the amount of feed varied throughout the year but there were grazing options for the majority of months. He said the stock performed well on the feed and they will be looking at putting in a similar paddock in future years. SowSmart Persistor blend consists of Origin Winter Active Tall Fescue, Dalsa Sub Clover, Ambassador Cocksfoot, Australis Phalaris, Clare 2 Sub Clover , Bartolo Bladder Clover and Enduro Balansa Clover.
Barry Gould, of Purlewaugh, NSW has had excellent results with SowSmart Persistor blend over many years.
