Volume 27, 344

Tropical Grasslands (1993) Volume 27, 344–348

Tropical pasture establishment.
8. Management of establishing pastures

C.P. MILLER¹, J.A. TAYLOR ² and M.F. QUIRK³

¹Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Mareeba, Queensland, Australia;
²Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia;
³Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Gayndah, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Pasture sowing can be expensive and efforts to ensure survival and early productivity have large financial benefits. Grazing and fertiliser application have only minor effects during germination and emergence of sown pasture because of the overwhelming influence of seed and seedbed characteristics and soil moisture supply. Thereafter, and until pasture survival is assured, root competition is the major influence on seedling growth and survival, with limited capacity for management to moderate that competition. We suggest some grazing management and fertiliser application guidelines but conclude that regular care and attention to new pasture is the most important role for management.