Legumes and Herbs of the North Coast of NSW Field Day
Landholders from Coffs Harbour and Bellingen have an opportunity to gain the skills of identification and management during a Legume and Herbs field days being run by Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare and Industry & Investment NSW on Saturday the 20th March.
While grasses provide the bulk of the pasture yield and are visually obvious, there are a large number of non-grass species that are also present, such as ferns, sedges, rushes, legumes, daisies, orchids and pennyworts. These non-grass species are often poorly recognised, yet usually outnumber the species of grasses and so significantly contribute to the biodiversity of pastures. Many species provide out of season green feed and a different composition of energy, protein and minerals, helping to reduce or overcome some of the nutritional problems of north coast pastures. On the other hand, not all non-grass species are desirable, as there are many invasive and/or toxic pasture species on the north coast, such as crofton weed, fireweed and mother-of-millions.
Kempsey-based district agronomist Carol Rose said many legumes and herbs could be difficult to recognise and urged landholders to take the time to attend the field day.
“Knowing what legumes and herbs you have, whether they are a valuable feed resource or poisonous and what influences their abundance is the first step in their management,” Ms Rose said.
“This year presents an opportune time to inspect what you have in your pastures, as many plants are currently flowering and therefore are at their best in terms of identification.
“Seeing what you have is important in assessing management tactics in the future. Understanding your species also allows you to assess your potential production and any possible problems.”
“The composition of a pasture varies from year to year depending on climate, grazing and fertiliser, and other factors, giving landholders the scope to alter species composition to meet management and sustainability goals. However, this is only possible if the individual species can be recognised.”
The Legumes and Herbs field day will highlight the recognition features of plants that are currently flowering and seeding in the pastures of the region, along with their strengths and weaknesses. This field day is free. However numbers are strictly limited and bookings are essential. Bookings can be made by contacting Craig Stehn at Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare on 6651 1308.
The day runs from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, with morning tea supplied. However, participants will need to bring their own lunch, chair and sun protection. They can also bring along pasture plants (preferably flowering) from their own property for identification. Copies of the book “Legumes and Herbs of the North Coast of NSW” will be provided on the day.