Notman Pasture Seeds have a range of 'multi species pasture cropping' blends that produce good quality forage, have a range of different root systems, includes, legume species, flowering plants and species that will add organic matter to the soil surface and in the soil as root mass.
Certain species of multi specie blends are highly competitive with other species, so we have suggested sowing rates to ensure that all species are well-represented in the pasture blends.
We have carefully designed multi species blends for growers who are looking for an alternative to standard ryegrass and clover pasture blends. Plant diversity provides for a more balanced diet of protein, fibre, energy, and minerals, and these complex mixes seem to have an extra benefit for the soil.
These different species used in these multi specie pasture blends can be purchased as bare seed without seed coating making them suitable for organic farmers.
Delivery available across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland & South Australia.
LONG TERM MULTI SPECIES BLEND
- Matrix Ryegrass
- Vision Cocksfoot
- Leona Prairie Grass
- Reaper Red Clover
- Mantra White Clover
- Chico Chicory
- Oracle Plantain
- Stamina GT6 Lucerne
Sowing rate: 25-35kg/ha
Sow: March-May, August
Unit size: 25kg, 1000kg
SUMMER FORAGE MULTI SPECIES BLEND
- Forage Millet
- Forage Sorghum
- Forage Brassica / Rape
- Chicory
- Plantain
- White Clover
- Red Clover
- Forage Radish
Sowing rate: 15-20kg/ha
Plant: October-December
Unit size: 25kg, 1000kg
WINTER MULTI SPECIES BLEND
- Saia Oats
- Ed MAX Ryegrass
- Southern Green Ryecorn
- Appin Leafy Turnip
- Arrowleaf Clover
- Balansa Clover
- Shaftal Clover
- Forage Radish
Sowing rate: 60-70kg/ha
Plant: March-June
Unit size: 25kg, 1000kg
NITRO PLUS MULTI SPECIES BLEND
- Benetas Vetch
- Field Peas
- Balansa Clover
- Persian Clover
Sowing rate: 20-40kg/ha
Plant: March-June
Unit size: 25kg, 1000kg
Custom Multi Species Blends
After a custom multi species pasture blend? Get in touch with our pasture team.
Ready to find out more?
Drop us a line today for more agronomy information
WHY GROW A MULTI SPECIE CROP?
- Improve soil and root structure
- Improve pasture persistence
- Use water and nutrients more efficiently
- Interrupt pest and disease life cycles
- Prevent soil erosion.
- Improve moisture holding capacity
- Increase nitrogen with introduction of legume
- Prepare soil/paddock for following crop
- High quality forage for livestock
- Increase production, healthier stock, faster weight gains
WINTER MULTI SPECIES BLEND - Quick feed, ground cover, nitrogen fixation & beneifical to soil fertility.
This autumn sown annual multi species blend features fast emerging species (Oats, Ryecorn, Annual Ryegrass) that can produce good quality feed in winter and early spring with large erect soft seeded clovers (Arrowleaf, Balansa, Shaftal) offering excellent winter and spring production and deeper rooted plants (Forage Radish & Leafy Turnip) to break compaction layer in soil and relocate nutrients further down in the soil profile.
For livestock, this blend can compliment your winter feed ration by delivering large amounts of feed early and adding quality species to the grazing diet. This blends early ground cover also aids in weed suppression.
It is suited to a wide range of environments and operations, however if potential of severe pugging for example please get in touch and we can arrange a custom Winter Multi Species Blend suited to your farm.
MANAGING MULTI SPECIE CROPS
Start on small areas and work out which varieties prosper on your property. Observe the results and then make adjustments as necessary.
It's important that with multi specie blends that contain broadleaf species (such as chicory, plantain) that we do not apply any post emergent herbicides such as 2,4D Amine or MCPA. This will suppress or kill they species in the pasture sward. Multi species do a great job of suppressing weeds anyway!
With all new forage crops it's important to introduce animals slowly to the new forage to avoid any animal health issues.
We are continuing to learn more on the interactions of different species in multi specie blends, so we will bring more management information as it comes to light.
CASE STUDY: WALCHA DAIRY
“At Walcha Dairy, for our spring plantings we aim to plant achieve a good balance of fibre and protein with the likes of millet, forage rape, leafy turnip, chicory, plantain and legumes”
“Multi specie blends like these give us more feed than traditional ryegrasses, reliability/flexibility in drier conditions and probably most importantly our animals milking well off it”
“Some of the locals, namely beef producers, have marvelled at the amount of feed we have as they drive past, with the cultivars planted having had tremendous resilience to drier conditions and after each rain event their re-growth has been quite amazing”
Farm Manager
Walcha Dairy
SOIL BUILDING FORAGE CROPS
The combination of different species anchors soil and provides weed suppression with its diverse canopy, also protecting soil erosion. The mixture of diverse root structures also builds soil organic matter and feeds soil microbes, leading to long term soil health and fertility.
Deep rooted plants in our multi specie blends can break up soil compaction layers also.
BENEFICIAL INSECTS
Our multi species blends are often grown to promote populations of beneficial insects and forage for honey bees. We want to encourage naturally occuring populations and encourage population increases with a cropping species that provide feed for beneficials within the farming system.
Beneficial cultivars include:
- Mantra White Clover
- Reaper Red Clover
- Chico Chicory
- Trikkala Subterranean Clover
- Arrowleaf Aerial Seeded Clovers
- Crimson Aerial Seeded Clovers
WINTER FORAGE CROP OPTIONS including:
| Grasses | Legumes | Brassica | Herbs | Cereals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual ryegrass | White Clover | Forage Rape | Chicory | Forage Oats |
| Italian Ryegrass | Red Clover | Leafy turnip | Plantain | Triticale |
| Perennial Ryegrass | Subterranean Clover | Turnip | Barley | |
| Tall fescue | Vetch | Kale | ||
| Cocksfoot | Lucerne | Forage Radish | ||
| Phalaris | Field Pea |
SPRING & SUMMER FORAGE CROP OPTIONS
| Grasses | Legumes | Brassica | Herbs | Summer crops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual ryegrass | White Clover | Forage Rape | Chicory | Shirohie Millet |
| Italian Ryegrass | Red Clover | Leafy turnip | Plantain | Forage Sorghum |
| Perennial Ryegrass | Lucerne | Turnip | Maize | |
| Tall fescue | ||||
| Cocksfoot | ||||
| Phalaris |