Cocksfoot And Other Grasses

Grazing brome is a perennial grass, closely related to prairie grass, but with a denser habit of fine tillers ensuring persistence under harsher climatic and grazing conditions. The strong cool season production suits well-drained soils in areas of average minimum 600 mm rainfall.

The value of cocksfoot is its ability to persist and be productive in dry, moderately fertile, light and free-draining soils. As an endophyte-free pasture, it can be a good summer pasture for the grazing of sheep, cattle and dry stock (if managed to minimise seedhead development and maintain clover content). It is an option to be considered in areas where ryegrass persistence is unachievable. Cocksfoot exhibits better drought tolerance and improved tolerance to acidic soils, compared with perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. It is best suited to areas of 600 mm+ rainfalls.

Tall fescue is a highly productive perennial grass with a deep root system, it most suited to fertile conditions. Tall fescues tend to have explosive spring growth habit. They are highly productive over summer where they respond particularly well to summer moisture in hot conditions that is often limiting to perennial ryegrass performance.