Permanent pasture on marginal soils is a viable alternative to crops, as we’ve proven for nearly 30 years,” says Llewellyn Angus, a leading Eastern Free State farmer from the farm Whispering Willows in the Arlington district, who has established a variety of permanent pastures on land previously cultivated for cash crops. Llewellyn farms 2 000ha of perennial pasture for his Simmentaler, Simbra and Merino stud animals and a commercial herd. “Making money is the bottom line of any enterprise,” he says.
When he started farming in 1979, the challenge was to increase the carrying capacity of our farm to ensure long term economic survival and profitability. “ We were still ploughing the marginal lands, but I soon realised there’d be problems with them in the long-term,” he recalls. “The land was just not suitable for crop cultivation. Livestock rearing on permanent pastures was the best option. “The main aim of any livestock programme is to give optimum feed when the animals need it the most – during rearing of the young.
Proper nutrition is also essential for reconception and optimum fertility. Fertility is vital to the long-term success of livestock farming and can only be achieved by proper pasture management. My management system aims at the constant availability of high-quality animal feed.” “My passion is to spread the message about the benefits of permanent pastures and proper veld management. Farmers with high potential soils can carry on cropping, but permanent pastures offer excellent alternatives for marginal soils.
Altogether 2 000ha of my farm has been converted to permanent pastures, using a variety of grasses and legumes, and 2 000ha to natural veld.’ Whispering Willows produces finger grass, lucerne, poor man’s lucerne and weeping lovegrass. It has primarily Avalon and Westleigh soil types, and some areas of Kroonstad and Escourt types. average rainfall is 640mm/year but can fluctuate from 400mm/year to 900mm/year.
Temperatures from 36ºC to -10ºC have been recorded. Smuts finger grass (Digitaria eriantha) Since 1979, 800ha has been converted to finger grass. Only 50ha is fertilised and used for rounding off young bulls, heifers and auction bulls, while the balance is treated as natural veld. “This palatable grass can be utilised in both winter and summer,” explains Llewellyn. “Unfertilised Smuts finger pasture has a carrying capacity of 2ha per mature livestock unit (MLU) to 3ha/MLU. Fertilised pasture has a capacity of 1ha/“We use a modified version of the Ermelo system of pasture and veld management, which uses three groups of camps of equal size.
The one group is grazed heavily by both cattle and sheep during the first growing season, only by cattle the next and rested in the third, before the cycle is repeated. “Importantly, for the first two to three years we only allowed cattle on the Smuts finger. The soil needs to be loosened every five to six years. We use a ripper in 1,5m rows and around 15cm deep.” T he oldest finger grass pasture on Whispering Willows is 27 years old and, according to Llewellyn, still in an excellent condition. “The grass was planted in 1,5m rows at 2kg/ha and the surface of the lands was fully covered within three or four years. We only allowed cattle on it for the first two to three years. The great benefit of Smuts finger grass is the excellent foggage (standing hay) it provides in the winter months.
The livestock is removed from the pastures at the end of January or beginning of February to ensure sufficient foggage in winter.” “We use the tractor-wheel method for planting. Between October and February, the seed is sown between the front and rear wheels of the tractor, so the rear wheel compacts it. We sometimes sow rows of silk sorghum between the grass rows, which ensures volume grazing until the Smuts finger grass is fully established. Herbicide (2,4D) could be needed in the first growing season but it’s important to make sure that the grass’s secondary root system is well-developed before applying it. The Smuts finger grass pasture needs very little maintenance, and isn’t fertilised because phosphorous has been built up over the years.
The animals actually fertilise it with their dung and urine as they graze.” Smuts finger grass with lucerne Lucerne is planted in combination with Smuts finger grass. This increases the lucerne’s lifespan from eight to 15 years and lowers root rot markedly. “The combination is symbiotic,” Llewellyn explains. “Lucerne is a legume with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing properties, and makes nitrogen available to the grass, increasing its growth and yield. This is evident in the intensity of the grass’s colour.” The lucerne is first planted under dryland conditions at 6kg/ha in 1,5m rows from March to May. The following summer Smuts finger grass seed is planted in between using the tractor wheel method. The combination ideally requires a pH (KCI) of at least 5 and a phosphorous (P) status of at least 20ppm.
No fertiliser is needed with the correct P status, and weeds are seldom a problem. These pastures are grazed in summer, first by Merino sheep and then by cattle. Because the Merinos are not as prone to bloating and remove most of the lucerne leaves which cause it, cattle should always follow the sheep. Llewellyn prefers the SA Standard lucerne cultivar because of its low growth points. Its carrying capacity can be as high as 1ha/MLU for younger pastures and 1,5ha/MLU for older ones. “The lucerne/Smuts finger grass combination ensures exceptional animal nutrition, especially when cut and baled.
However, it does take a relatively long time to dry off and shouldn’t be baled while still wet,” Llewellyn explains. He only bales when there is a surplus. Poor man’s lucerne (Sericea lespedeza) “Poor man’s lucerne, or lespedeza, is a winner in late winter and early spring when very little green pasture is available,” says Llewellyn. “Later in the season livestock prefer other green pastures such as Smuts finger grass. Lespedeza doesn’t cause bloating, and can be very successfully established on acid soils with a low phosphorous level. It’s ideal for poor soils.” While lespedeza isn’t as palatable as lucerne, it can be baled for winter feed. Its carrying capacity compares well to that of the lucerne/Smuts finger grass combination.
Llewellyn plants seed in 1,5m rows at 3kg/ha to 5kg/ha in summer, with Smuts finger grass in between – virtually the same as the lucerne/Smuts finger grass combination. Weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) Eragrostis is ideal for baling. “We fertilise some 50ha for baling while the rest of the pastures are unfertilised,” says Llewellyn. The secret is to use it intensively. It should be hammered as an aggressive grower that can handle heavy grazing well.
It’s important to keep it as short as possible to prevent unpalatable tufts. Seed is broadcast at 4kg/ha, mixed with 4kg seed of its annual relative Eragrostis tef. “Highveld farmers know the value of Eragrostis curvula, especially in early spring, in autumn and during droughts, because of its hardiness and phenomenal regrowth capacity,” concludes Llewellyn. In the next article, we’ll look at how Llewellyn manages his natural veld grazing. E-mail Llewellyn Angus at [email protected] or call 082 8055 101. |fw
