Oats provide good winter feed option
31 December 2003: For Southern Downs cattle, lamb and dairy producers, oats can provide an excellent winter feed option to carry them through to their next summer forage season. Pacific Seeds’ managing director and Clifton farmer, Chris Bazley said the company's oats varieties do well in both irrigated and dryland situations and are ideal either for grazing or making hay or silage.

The wisdom of putting feed aside as hay or silage when the season permits has never been more valid with feed supplies still low from ongoing drought. View full article

Southern Victoria forage options
30 December 2003: For producers in southern Victoria, the summer forage crop season is upon us, with farmers being urged to consider forage sorghum as a fodder option this season. Pacific Seeds’ Territory Manager for Southern Victoria and Tasmania, Mark Thompson said the popularity of forage sorghum among dairy and beef producers has grown over recent seasons for a variety of reasons.

"Forage sorghum is a versatile crop that can be cut for hay or silage, or grazed and can be harvested two to three times in the same season. Unlike maize, sorghum is ready for harvest in six to eight weeks, much faster than many silage corn varieties, thereby maximising the chance for growers to harvest their fodder crops in a tight season. For farmers growing fodder crops under irrigation, forage sorghum has three times the water use efficiency of lucerne and almost twice the water use efficiency of ryegrass” he said.
View full article

Trials play pivotal role
30 December 2003: A strong commitment to testing crop varieties in the field, across various soil types and climatic conditions is being evidenced across the Western Downs and Maranoa by Pacific Seeds. At various sites across the region, including Goondiwindi, Tara and Brigalow, grain sorghum trials are being planted. Pacific Seeds’ Territory Manager, Rob Johnston said the trials play a pivotal role for the company.

"Every year we plant trials across Australia to continue to evaluate our existing and new varieties across a variety of conditions," he said. "We use this both for our own records, to see if a variety should be recommended for a specific area, and also so we can let growers know how our hybrids stack up in their neck of the woods."
View full article