Ecotain Establishment

Ecotain^® environmental plantain establishment

Ecotain^® environmental plantain can be used in a variety of ways - from new pasture, undersown to pure sward and mixed with other cultivars. Understanding your fertility status early on is critical. Learn more about soil structure and fertility here.

Key points

Adding Ecotain to a new pasture is the most reliable establishment method for maximising Ecotain content in a mixed pasture
Environmental effectiveness of young pastures is very high
It will take time to get Ecotain across a farm system as it is limited by farm pasture renewal rate (industry average is 8-14% of farm per annum)

Establishment process

Manage all hard-to-kill weeds prior to sowing
Establish pasture mixes with Ecotain the same as you would a ryegrass/white clover pasture
As with best practice establishment for white clover, sow at 10 – 15mm in depth
Apply establishment fertiliser – nitrogen (N) for rapid establishment and phosphate for long term production (DAP is generally applied at a rate of 200-250 kg/ha at establishment)
First graze at six weeks following sowing and apply nitrogen after each grazing

Deployment

Direct drill 4-8 kg/ha of Ecotain into kikuyu-dominant, damaged or open pasture with or without perennial or Italian ryegrass

Key points

Best practice for extending the life of pastures
Complementary to current undersowing practices
Can also be added to perennial ryegrass or Italian ryegrass and clovers for undersowing
Increase summer forage quality

Establishment process

Select paddocks and then graze or mulch prior to undersowing
Manage all hard-to-kill weeds prior to undersowing
Some environments may require slug bait and/or treated seed
Drill at 10 – 15mm in depth

Deployment

Broadcast 4 – 8 kg/ha Ecotain into damaged or open pasture

Key points

Success is based on openness of pasture (proportion of open ground)
Ideal quick fix for winter and spring damaged pastures to extend their life
Useful addition when applying fertiliser
Increase summer forage quality
Seed soil contact essential for success

Establishment process

Select open paddocks and then graze prior to broadcasting
Manage all hard-to-kill weeds prior to broadcasting
To avoid banding across the paddock, use Prillcote^® treated seed

Deployment

Include 3-4 kg/ha of Ecotain in your perennial pasture mix

Include 6-8 kg/ha of Ecotain in your Italian or hybrid pasture mix

Key points

Adding Ecotain to a new pasture is the most reliable establishment method for maximising content in a mixed pasture
Environmental effectiveness of young pastures is very high

Establishment process

Manage all hard-to-kill weeds prior to sowing
Establish pasture mixes with Ecotain the same as you would a ryegrass/white clover pasture
As with best practice establishment for white clover, sow at 10-15 mm in depth
Apply establishment fertiliser – nitrogen (N) for rapid establishment and phosphate for long-term production (DAP is generally applied at a rate of 200-250 kg/ha at establishment)
First graze at six weeks following sowing and apply nitrogen after grazing when required
First year Ecotain retains high leaf quality through summer relative to unirrigated ryegrass

Deployment

Sow 10-12 kg/ha of Ecotain

Key points

Provides high and consistent levels of plantain
Fits very well as a short rotation pasture as a break crop in a pasture renovation programme (similar in use to Italian or hybrid pastures)
Ideal tool to break grass weed lifecycles with use of grass-specific herbicides

Establishment process

Plan to plant pasture when soils are 10-12^oC and rising
Spray out existing pasture
Apply establishment fertiliser – nitrogen (N) for rapid establishment and phosphate for long-term production (DAP is generally applied at a rate of 200-250 kg/ha at establishment)
Monitor weeds and if found contact your local retail representative. Clean the tank thoroughly before adding water/chemical, and maintain agitation while spraying. If grass seedlings are also present (e.g. summer grasses), a grass-specific herbicide should be added to the mix
Apply nitrogen 3-4 weeks after planting, then after grazing when required
First grazing of the whole paddock should occur when plants have seven true leaves (the crop will be about 25 cm high), and aim to leave a 3-5 cm residual

Ecotain Dominant with Clover

Deployment

Sow 12 kg/ha of Ecotain and 4 kg/ha of white clover

Key Points

Increases productivity over Ecotain dominant stands but decreased weed control options
High per head and per ha performance vs conventional pasture
Ideal for 2-3 year lactation feeding or an inter-crop restorative phase
High mineral content and good shoulder season growth
Suppression of weeds naturally when fertility and establishment optimised
Ideal tool to break grass weed lifecycles with use of grass specific herbicides
Less reliance on applied nitrogen and lower kg/DM costs vs Ecotain dominant option

Establishment Process

Plan to plant pasture when soils are 10-12^o C and rising
Spray out existing pasture
Apply establishment fertiliser – nitrogen (N) for rapid establishment and phosphate for long-term production (DAP is generally applied at a rate of 200-250 kg/ha at establishment)
Monitor weeds and if found contact your local retail representative. Clean the tank thoroughly before adding water/chemical, and maintain agitation while spraying. If grass seedlings are also present (e.g. summer grasses), a grass-specific herbicide should be added to the mix
Apply nitrogen 3-4 weeks after planting, then after each grazing
First grazing of the whole paddock should occur when plants have seven true leaves (the crop will be about 25 cm high), and aim to leave a 3-5 cm residual