<< Back to pasture management

Pasture renewal

Resowing a pasture represents a significant cost and considerable effort. Sometimes, however, resowing provides the radical change in productivity needed.   
 
Getting value from resowing  
  • Only resow if it’s necessary. Look closely to identify what pasture plants are present. If the pasture is not run out, and instead just run down, new plants alone will not fix the problem. Equally, if you won’t use, don’t want or don’t need more feed, then reconsider resowing. Identify all the current production constraints and address them. Question why the pasture has got to this situation, and what can be done to prevent or significantly delay it happening again.  
  • Implement a plan to change to a new growing and/or grazing situation. 
  • Identify the existing pasture species and plan a program of weed control ahead of resowing. 
  • Select pasture species that are well adapted to the environment and your purpose. 
  • Run through a resowing checklist that seeks to minimise risk of failure. Avoid shortcuts that add risk.  
  • Approach the entire exercise with a long-term view of investment in feed – not in six weeks, but forever. Look beyond short-term cost. A pasture that establishes, survives, then thrives is the goal. The longer it thrives the better the return.  
 
At the core of the checklist is the AAA rated resowing approach. 
  • Absolute weed control (no competition from existing plants)
  • Adequate soil moisture (make sure the conditions are right for growth not death).
  • Accurate seed placement (just right, not too deep, not too shallow, with seed-soil contact). 
There’s no getting around the fact that resowing is expensive, but if done correctly there are great benefits to be had. It simply takes a risk assessment and a little investigation into what species and techniques are best for your property. The result can be more quantity, more quality, more grazing value and more livestock product 

Useful resources

  • Prime pastures checklist