MAXImiser™ Millet 'n' Herbs
Enterprise Type
Sowing Rate
10-20kg/haRainfall / Irrigation
600mm+The MAXImiser® Millet 'n' Herbs mix allows producers to extend the growing season of a millet crop by adding perennial herbs Ecotain® environmental plantain and Choice chicory. The addition of herbs to the millet also aims to
increase pasture quality and animal performance.
Ingredients Ingredients Show All
This mix contains the following products
Millet
Quick maturing summer crop
Suitable for grazing, hay and silage production
Tolerates moderate levels of soil salinity
Millet is another forage crop alternative, mainly sown late spring when soil temperatures are very high and there has been good summer rainfall. The great value of millet lies in its fast grownig habit providing quick feed during the hot dry months of January to March. It can be grazed within 6 weeks of emergence depending on rainfall; it is palatable to sheep and cattle and is completely free of prussic acid, which occurs in forage sorghums. It is not very drought tolerant and will quickly run to seed under moisture stress or cold temperatures. Soil temperature requirement at is sowing is 14-16 degrees.
There are two main varieties: Japanese and Shirohie, and both have similar characteristics. Millet can preform quite well under irrigation, especially under warm conditions in December/January. Millet is generally the last resort by farmers late in the season, to get quick feed for their stock.
Sowing Rates:
Approximately 15-25kg/ha alone or 10 kg/ha with herbs and clovers.
Rainfall:
Min 600mm with irrigation
- 600mm+
Ecotain®
Ecotain® - The Plant
Ecotain® environmental plantain is a mineral rich perennial grazing herb. Ecotain® is fast establishing and tolerant to a wide range of soils. This includes less fertile soils and especially dryland regions of approximately 600 mm rainfall. Ecotain® has a deep coarse root system, which gives it a degree of drought tolerance and the ability to respond quickly after summer dry conditions. Ecotain® pastures offer some great animal performance potential for sheep, beef and dairy farmers, particularly in winter and spring, as well as supporting a high level of animal health, reduced incidence of dags in sheep and good micronutrient supply. Pure stands of Ecotain® can be used during lambing to increase lamb and ewe weights at weaning.
Ecotain® has also been shown to reduce the amount of N lost from farm systems. Ecotain® can reduce N leaching from the urine patch by up to 89%*.
Ecotain® can be sown alone as a pure stand or recommended in perennial pasture mixes, especially medium term, quality finishing mixes (refer page 53, SPS Signature Range - Autumn Ecotain® Blends).
Sowing rates for mixes:
3-5kg/ha in perennial pasture mix
6-8kg/ha when mixed with clover
4kg/ha in a lucerne stand
6-8kg/ha when mixed with 2kg/ha brassica
- 600mm+
Choice
Choice is a perennial chicory herb demonstrating 3-4 year persistence and a high level of summer dry matter production. This inexpensive herb provides high forage quality and warm-season pasture growth, with a deep taproot resulting in a consistent growth rate, even during dry spells.
Choice chicory can be added to new grass pasture mixes to boost animal performance and feed production.
Sowing rate:
6-10 kg/ha alone
1-5 kg/ha in a mix
- 600mm+
USA Red
A general-purpose spring producer mainly suited to hay production, USA Red has high oestrogen levels and persists only for 1–2 years. Demonstrating an upright growth habit, it is broadly adaptable to most conditions as an annual clover, though generally requires highly fertile deep soils.
Sowing rate:
6-10 kg/ha alone
1-3 kg/ha in a mix
- 700mm+