Sunlight, moisture and working with nature.
The ideal dryland permanent pasture is to grow a flush of legumes (protein) when required most by the animal, then grow cool season grass species on the nitrogen fixed by the legumes, in this way plants are not fighting for available sunlight and your pasture remains productive for longer i.e. March-December.
Photo: Prima Gland Clover growing in Wairau River Floodway with Omaka Barley and grasses 15th October 2013, summer production in this area, normally Nil.
Summer is down time for your pasture, no moisture and heat means little if any pasture growth, Lucerne being the exception, but it too has limitations, mainly fertility, environmental and extreme dry. Lack of winter production must also be taken into consideration.
Cooler, wetter months are in fact the safest months to grow pasture, provided your pasture plants are up to it.
Kiwi Seed have the largest selection of dryland grass and clovers all with decent root systems and a wide range of flowering dates.
Prima Gland clover is todays focus.
Prima Gland clover is an annual that will produce bio-mass early, July-Oct, this is the earliest growing habit of all the clovers on the NZ market.
Prima Gland clover will be most useful on early lambing properties, north facing sites, shingle sub soils and any situation where moisture is lost early.
Prima Gland clover is best used in permanent pastures with non-ryegrass species, subs clovers, perennial clovers and plantain etc.
Another option is to broadcast Prima with fertiliser and lime, two jobs in one and work on your seed bank for the future.