Quality the key for forage this summer
23 September 2004: As South Australia heads into summer on the back of excellent rainfall, forage sorghum is set to become a major option for livestock producers not only looking for a rotational grazing option, but also for hay making.

Andrew Etherton, Pacific Seeds' manager for South Australia said, "Agronomic performance for forage sorghum should be measured not just in terms of yield but also feed quality and palatability,"

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Spring rain temptation to plant early
23 September 2004: Following a dry winter, spring rain brings the temptation for growers to plant their grain sorghum early.

However, according to Pacific Seeds' Grain Sorghum business manager, Scott Gibson spring rains are often associated with a final cold snap which can affect germination and seedling vigour if planting occurs too early.

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Corn rotation gives added benefits to CQ grower
23 September 2004: For Emerald farmer Ian Burnett, the value of growing gritting corn extends beyond the yield the crop provides. The corn’s rotational benefits with his cotton crop are also a major factor in his choice to grow corn.   View full article

Feedlot values forage sorghum
23 September 2004: High energy silage can form a big part of the feed program of many feedlots, however growing a corn silage crop in areas of lower rainfall and without high levels of irrigation can be difficult.

One viable option to maize for silage is planting a specialist silage sorghum.
These sorghums generally reach maturity faster than corn, thereby reducing the number of waterings required if irrigation is available.   View full article

Local corn grower wins DVD
07 September 2004: At last week's Heritage Ag Show, held over three days at the Toowoomba Showgrounds, visitors to the Pacific Seeds information and hospitality tent had their names entered into a draw for a Sanyo DVD player or a 50 litre Esky.

The winner of the DVD, valued at $195.00 was Craig Brough from Toogoolawah/Esk. The second prize winner was Terry Ryan from Bowenville who went home with a huge plastic 55 litre Esky – great for those upcoming field days!

Congratulations to both winners and thank you to all those people who entered the competition. We look forward to seeing you all again at next year's Ag Show!

Newer corn varieties making a mark
06 September 2004: Newer varieties of feed corn seem to have a greater tolerance to stress than those of previous years. This observation comes from Cecil Plains producers David and Pauline Scott of “Kia Ora”.

“These new varieties appear to be better than the ones that were around 10 years ago,” Mr Scott said. In the 2003/04 season, the family run farming enterprise planted 80 hectares of feed corn, Hycorn 424 at a rate of 59,000/ha, and the resulting irrigated was crop yield tested at 12,700 kg/ha (standardised to 14% moisture).

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Top silage rides in with Chopper
03 September 2004: Allora dairyfarmer, Scott Christensen chose to plant specialist silage sorghum, Chopper again last season. Around seven hectares of the dryland crop yielded 240 tonnes of silage.

Mr Christensen said silage is a large part of the 160 head dairy's feed program.
"Silage makes up around 50 percent of our feed," he said. "At the moment we're feeding the herd about 2.5 tonnes/night along with grain, so the 240t we harvested won't go too far."We use about 8-900 tonnes per year."

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Toowoomba Centenary support
02 September 2004: The Centenary of Toowoomba Committee has received a giant boost with the signing of its first major sponsor. Pacific Seeds will sponsor the Toowoomba Tomorrow Dinner at the Empire Theatre in October in an agreement worth $10,000. The dinner is one of the many centenary celebrations planned for October.

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