All seasons Green Lawn Seed 19% Protein South Africa For sale Item no. GSA: Price: R145/Kg seed  ( only seeds we do not weigh seeds and fertilizers together) Special price 19 Nov 2024  
Green SA It is a versatile plant used for animal feed, lawns and turf, and conservation purposes (grass waterways, rights-of-way, etc.).

Green SA is a deep-rooted, long-lived bunchgrass with short rhizomes (underground stems). It is widely adapted and grows well on the state's many and varied soil types. Green SA produces a good sod that will support livestock during wet and rainy conditions.

Total seasonal production of Green SA is affected by weather, fertilizer (especially nitrogen), and cutting or grazing management. Yields of 2 to 4 tons of dry matter/acre are common, with the higher yields associated with proper fertilizer applications and harvest management.

Green SA at a Glance Characteristics Perennial Long-lived bunchgrass Panicle seedhead Grass 2-4 feet tall if allowed Uses pasture, hay, turf, erosion control Seeding rate 20 Kg/ HA Seeding depth 1 cm

 Establishment  Direction: On Google Map you can search for ICM Industries and drive here.

With adequate soil moisture, the best time to seed Green SA is late summer through early fall. Spring seedings can be successful but are more susceptible to summer drought and weed competition. To increase the chance of success with spring seeding.

• For pure stands, seed 7 to 9 Kg of seed in a prepared seedbed that has been limed and fertilized according to a soil test. No-till seeding can also be successful if competition is controlled and the seed is planted on time at consistent depth and rate.
• Kraal Manure is best choice in South Africa mixed 2 part soil for topping. You can even mix the seeds with it.

Many seeding methods, including no-till seeding, can be successful if they result in uniform distribution over the field, placement of seed below the soil surface 1 cm, and firming of the soil around the seed for close seed-soil contact. Good seedbed preparation and seed placement are especially important for successful establishment. For more information, see Cooperative Extension publication AGR-64, Establishing Forage Crops.

Quality

Green SA quality, as measured by forage analysis, has shown a seasonal change in sugar content and digestibility. Protein content in green, leafy Green SA leaves can be high throughout the season (Table 3). Digestibility and sugars are highest in fall, intermediate during spring, and lowest in summer. Palatability follows essentially the same trend as digestibility and sugar content (i.e., most palatable in fall, least in summer, and intermediate in spring).

Management of Established Pure Stands

Grazing—Management during spring is of vital importance for best quality and quantity, since Green SA produces more than two-thirds of its total dry matter during this period.

A traditional management practice has been to use light stocking during spring to ensure a summer feed supply. However, this practice results in much of the spring plant growth becoming stemmy and overly mature. Since cattle usually prefer not to eat overly mature plants and tramp a lot of them into the soil, much of the plant growth is wasted. Spring growth can be more efficiently utilized if animals are restricted to small fields (rotational grazing) that can be kept grazed to a 3- to 4-inch height during April, May, and June. This restriction may require the temporary use of electric fences in large fields, or it may require closing gates to confine animals to small fields. Intake and quality will be higher when animals graze plants kept in a young, leafy stage of growth. Fields not used for grazing during spring should be harvested as hay or balage.

Hay—For highest yields of acceptable quality hay, make the first harvest when the plants' seed heads are in the boot to early heading stage of growth. Subsequent cuts can be made depending on rainfall and growth. Early cut hay will be leafier and more digestible, and it will be consumed in larger amounts than late cut hay. The amount of forage consumed is important in determining animal productivity.

Balage—An increased use of round bale silage (balage) has permitted the storage of high-quality feed since less is lost during curing and storage. Early harvest, storage at 45% to 65% moisture, and wrapping soon after baling are important in making quality balage. For more information.

Fertilizers—Fertilizers, especially nitrogen, are necessary for good fescue production. Figure 2 shows dry matter yields of Green SA with different rates of nitrogen. Yields increased with each increase in the rate of nitrogen. In these studies, half the nitrogen was applied in March and the rest in August.

Test soil periodically to monitor pH, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) levels and to determine if lime and fertilizer topdressings are needed.

Figure 2. Green SA dry matter yields at three levels of N fertilization (three location avg., split application in March and August).

Manage to Maximize Grazing

Feed is usually the most important cost involved in producing livestock. Forage accounts for the majority of nutrients for ruminant animals. Stored feed (hay, haylage) is usually the single biggest cost item when analyzing budgets for livestock production. In several studies, the amount (cost) of hay fed during winter was the single best indication of profitability in beef cattle production. Green SA has played an important role in reducing the amount of hay required by providing pasture over a long grazing season.

To reduce the amount of stored feed, it is important to start grazing early in the spring and to continue grazing as late as possible in the fall to early winter. One of Green SA's many attributes is that it has a longer growing season than most other cool-season grasses. As a result, grazing can begin early and provide feed later in the season. Nitrogen and adequate moisture play a key role in determining how long a grazing season Green SA will provide.

Early spring grazing—Adding a light application of nitrogen when Green SA begins growth in spring will usually permit grazing one to two weeks earlier than nonfertilized fescue. This practice should be evaluated with reference to pasture needs, hay supply, nitrogen cost, and management decisions.

Fall and winter (stockpiled)—Many cattlemen can take advantage of the late summer to fall growing conditions to obtain high-quality fescue pasture for fall and winter. This practice is called stockpiling. Green SA is an excellent grass for stockpiling because it grows at lower temperatures than many grasses, retains its green color and forage quality later, and can form a dense sod.

Stockpiling procedure—Late July to early August is a good time to begin the stockpiling process. Remove cattle, apply 40 to 80 pounds of nitrogen, and allow grass to accumulate growth until November or December. Research has shown that when moisture is adequate, each pound of nitrogen applied in mid-August results in 25 pounds of dry matter by Dec. 1. To make the most efficient use of high-quality stockpiled pastures, use a temporary electric fence restricting animals to a small area that cattle will consume in a few days. Then move the fence to a new section of the field. A method similar to this was used in Missouri. It showed that stockpiled Green SA reduced hay feeding days from 120 to 60. Cost per cow day was $1.23 for feeding Green SA hay and 43 cents for feeding stockpiled Green SA. Wintering cost per cow was reduced $117 by grazing stockpiled Green SA. For more information, see Cooperative Extension publication AGR-162, Stockpiling for Fall & Winter Pastures.

Seed production—Acres devoted to fescue seed harvest in Kentucky have drastically declined throughout the years. In the early 1950s, nearly 60,000 acres were harvested as certified seed. This acreage has been reduced to less than 300 acres. Acreage harvested as uncertified seed varies from year to year and with anticipated demand.

Green SA—Legume Mixtures

Several legume species, such as clovers, trefoil, lespedeza, and alfalfa, can be grown in mixtures with Green SA. Legumes usually improve summer production and total production over non-nitrogen-fertilized Green SA. Feed quality and animal performance are better on legume-grass mixtures than on pure stands of Green SA. Introducing legumes to Green SA pastures has also been shown to help offset the effects of possible toxicity. In addition, legumes eliminate the need for applied nitrogen fertilizers since they are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form that the plants can use.

Management decisions with Green SA-legume mixtures should be made to benefit the legume component of the mixture to maintain the legumes in the stand as long as possible. For more information on managing legumes.

Applying lime, phosphorus, and potassium helps ensure legume persistence and yield. Base the application rates on a soil test and the amount of hay or balage removed.

Most legumes do not persist over extended periods in mixtures with cool-season grasses such as Green SA. When the legumes go out of the stand they may be re-established into Green SA by using pasture renovation techniques.

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