Oversowing Clover Success at TableTop

TableTop, sheep and beef stock farmer, Terry Wright seeded 500 acres of his undulating pastures this year. Terry segmented the 500 acres into two 50acre bundles and a 400 acre general area.

Terry used a base of four clover varieties across the entire 500acres:

• 1kg/H Prima Gland
• 1kg/H Haifa White
• 1kg/H Balansa Perdona
• 1kg/H Roion Medic

On the first 50 acres Terry used the clover mix to oversow his wheat crop. His method was to round-up and harrow prior to direct drilling the wheat, then the next day over-sowing the clover mix (Prima Gland, Haifa White, Balansa Perdona and Roion Medic) at 1kg/Hectare in one pass with the Lehner Mini-Vario Spreader. Terry said the Prima Gland comes from Israel and has a particularly short growing season to take advantage of current favorable conditions.

PADDOCK 2

The second 50 acres was round-up in preparation for the same clover mix plus 3kg/Hectare of Cocksfoot and 1kg/Hectare of Tetilla added.

• 3kg/H Cocksfoot
• 1kg/H Tetilla (Rye)
• 1kg/H Prima Gland
• 1kg/H Haifa White
• 1kg/H Balansa Perdona
• 1kg/H Roion Medic

The Tetilla (Rye) was included in the mix in case the cockswood failed as it can be quite difficult to establish.

PADDOCK 3

On the larger 400 acre sowing Terry prepared the soil by round-up and scarifying and added 15kg/H of Tetilla and 1kg/H of Riverina Clover to the seeding mix. Still seeded all in the one pass. Terry had had stock on these paddocks all year and they had no clover present at all.

• 15kg/H Tetilla (Rye)
• 1kg/H Riverina Clover
• 1kg/H Prima Gland
• 1kg/H Haifa White
• 1kg/H Balansa Perdona
• 1kg/H Roion Medic

“You can see the different colours of each type of clover showing how even the spread is. The mini-Vario has certainly proven its point.” Says Terry.

The clovers and tetillas in paddocks A & C were over-sown in one pass in mid May. The clovers, Cockswood and Tetillas in paddock B were over-sown in one pass in Mid July. With all pictures shown taken October 18 ^th .

“I can tell you, I was better off sitting in the cab of the Ute rather than on the tractor putting the seed and super out with the spreader mounted on the tray. Not to mention to cost virtually nothing in fuel!”

On the reliability of the Mini-Vario Terry says:

“I’ve worked that machine 100 hours in hot, dry, dusty conditions. It amazes me that it never heats up. In fact the only problem I have encountered is to replace one bearing, keeping in mind that it lives on the back of the old ute and is permanently out in the weather!”

“Put it this way, my neighbor Garry Hore saw mine and went and bought one himself, I think one of the Super-Vario’s. He is rapt with it and runs it on the back of his 4 wheeler.”

Terry plans on purchasing a second Mini Vario unit next year and setting them up on a telescopic mount to work them in tandem, with the ability to fold away for easy road transport.

Learn more about disc mowers and mulching.