Chicory premium forage option that supports exceptional animal nutrition, offering a balanced protein-to-energy ratio. It is low in fibre, promoting improved live weight gains and enhanced milk yield in dairy cattle, while delivering excellent performance outcomes for grazing livestock.

Selecting the Right Type

The first step in choosing a chicory variety is to identify its role in the pasture system. Whether you need a perennial type for longer-term use or a bi-annual variety for shorter durations will influence the selection process, helping to narrow down the options.

The longevity of perennial chicory depends on factors like soil fertility, pest and disease management, environmental conditions, and how well it is maintained.

Spring Sowing Advantages

Chicory establishes rapidly in warm soils with sufficient moisture, making spring an ideal time for sowing. Its deep taproot system allows it to access water from deeper soil layers during establishment, helping the plants become well-anchored. This strong foundation enables chicory to handle grazing pressures early on.

Soil type

The soil type is important when selecting a paddock to grow chicory, make sure that the soil is free draining and is not prone to water logging for extended periods of time.

Weed control in chicory

Weed control in a chicory pasture is challenging due to the lack of registered post-emergent herbicide options. To address this, it’s essential to apply a pre-emergent herbicide such as Trifluralin, as it targets annual grass and broadleaf weeds, reducing competition for resources like nutrients, water, and light during the critical establishment phase.

Key pests to watch

Chicory is known to have very good insect tolerance once established, however its young plants can be particularly vulnerable to insect damage, which can significantly reduce plant populations if not addressed promptly.

Red Legged Earthmite is the most damaging pest for chicory, especially during the seedling stage. These mites feed on emerging seedlings, causing silvering, distortion, and, in severe cases, plant death. Slugs can also pose a significant threat to chicory, particularly in damp or high-residue environments. Slugs feed on seedlings, often leaving irregular holes in the leaves or completely destroying small plants.

Step by step process to establishing a summer chicory crop

Here is the process to establish a chicory crop for summer forage.

  • Spray out paddock in late winter with a complete knockdown of Glyphosate and Rage Carfentrazone for a rapid burndown and root release.
  • Work ground, creating a fine, non clumpy seed bed. Use what implements you or your local contractor have access to, and best do this job.
  • In late September spray with the pre emergent herbicide Trifluralin and incorporate with power harrow. If you cannot incorporate, target a rainfall event to wash Trifluralin in.
  • Sow Chicory at 8-10kg/ha to a depth of 10mm, with 100kg DAP starter fertiliser sown with seed, and roll afterwards. By adding DAP with the seed, the Phosphorus fertiliser will be available more immediately for emerging crop than broadcasted DAP – this will ensure more even establishment of all species.
  • Graze when chicory has reached 35cm height. Do not graze below 5cm to protect the crowns of the chicory plants. This will ensure that high levels of production are optimised as well as maintaining the stand for as long as possible.
  • 80-100kg/ha Urea after each grazing, depending on how much extra feed you need & whether moisture available to wash N in.
  • Graze again when crop has reached 35cm height again – 20-30 days climate dependent.
  • Target sowing Italian ryegrass over chicory crop in late March to improve winter feed – can discuss this more next year