Which Rye Grass Works For You?

Agricol has several types of Rye Grass available, including:

SR 4600:
- perennial
- known for its ability to spread quickly and recover from turf injury
- excellent resistance to Grey Leaf Spot, Crown Rust and Red Tread diseases
- dark green colour
- grows actively in winter and has high stress tolerance
- makes an ideal winter overseed on permanent Bermuda Grass turf

ZOOM:
- perennial
- excellent resistance to Grey Leaf Spot and other diseases
- has great tolerance for “traffic” and is suitable for sports fields and parks
- highest turf quality across all maintenance regimes, from golf courses to home lawns....

SOS:
- annual
- the quickest overseeding solution all year round
- extremely rapid germination and establishment, even in low temperatures
- pitches damaged due to heavy play can quickly be renovated using this type

Pensacola - "Wings" of Grass

The  Y-shaped seed "wings" (image taken from www.seedland.com)

Bahia Grass Pensacola (Paspalum Notatum) is easily recognised by its characteristic “feathery” Y- shaped seedhead. It is a subtropical bunch grass which grows aggressively, both through seeds and vegetatively (through rhizomes and stolons).






Bahia Grass originates from Mexico and South America, is mostly used in summer rainfall areas and very well adapted to damp low lying areas.  It prefers sandy soil and full sun, but is shade tolerant. It also copes with drought and salty conditions well and is relatively free from damaging insects and diseases. Pensacola is grown and planted more than any other type of Bahia grass, as it is more tolerant to cold weather. Even though frost can kill the top layer, it usually recovers when the weather warms up again.

Bahia Pensacola is often used on airstrips

Bahia Pensacola Grass is used as forage and as low maintenance turf grass (sometimes in combination with Bermuda grass) for polo fields, horse-racing tracks, park areas and landing strips for aeroplanes.

Also popular on polo fields

BERMUDA - Don't be LOST when choosing the ideal grass...

DID YOU KNOW?

Bermuda grass (also known as Couch grass, Cynodon in Latin or Kweek gras in Afrikaans) originally came from the savannas of Africa, but was named Bermuda grass in the United States after being introduced from the Bermuda Island. In India Bermuda grass was a “holy” grass as it was fed to their sacred cows and in ancient Rome the juice squeezed from the grass was used medicinally. In spite of a somewhat enigmatic sounding name and past, it is definitely no mystery that Bermuda grass has many remarkable qualities which allow it to thrive in many areas as a lawn grass, as pasture or on sports fields.

Bermuda grass is popular on golf courses.

TOUGH AND DROUGHT RESISTANT

Bermuda is a creeping grass which spreads through stolons and rhizomes and has a deep root system, making it drought resistant. It is fairly tough and can grow in areas which are frequently disturbed by grazing, flooding and fire. It has been known to save many a farm from soil erosion.

LAWN, PASTURE AND SPORTS FIELDS...

Bermuda is utilized as a lawn, pasture (makes for nutritious cattle grazing) and on sports fields. It’s a very popular choice for tees and putting areas on golf courses. Seeded varieties of Bermuda can be used on sport fields i.e. soccer, hockey fields or golf fairways. When Bermuda is used on golf greens or bowling greens, seeded varieties are not suitable, here a vegetative variety is required due to the low mowing height required for playability and green speeds.  Being a warm season grass Bermuda tends to be dormant throughout winter, to overcome this golf courses inter-seed their greens with a cool season grass before winter.



TYPES OF BERMUDA GRASS AVAILABLE FROM US:

COMMON

Common Bermuda grass is well adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions but is not shade tolerant. In areas where frost occurs it will lose its green colour in winter. Very popular as a basis for fine lawns, it is used for lawns, fairways, hockey and athletic fields.

LA PRIMA XD

La Prima XD Bermuda grass is a blend of superior Bermuda grass cultivars selected to make for a grass variety that germinates quickly and is soon established. It also stays green for longer in winter, has a dark green colour and is perfect for golf course tees, fairways and roughs, sports fields parks and home lawns.

YUKON

Yukon Bermuda grass is fashionable for sophisticated turf grass projects such as golf tees, fairways and roughs throughout the world. Also used on sports fields, parks and commercial landscapes. It has a dense fine texture and is dark green in colour.


Contact us for more advice on which grass is the ideal choice for your needs.

'n Woord oor Melkboerdery

Artikel deur Wille Cronje soos verskyn in die Daily Mail op 16 Januarie 2013

Mnr. Lorenz Schreve boer al die afgelope 13 jaar met melkbeeste in die Riversdal distrik. Agricol bedien  hom  reeds vanaf 2004 met advies en help hom ook met die keuse van verskillende weidingsvariteite. Mnr. Schreve boer met ‘n gemengde kudde vanaf ongeveer 55 ha weidings onder besproeiing, waarvan die grootste persentasie  kikuju is,wat  jaarliks versterk word met raaigras en klawer.  75% van die melkbeeste se totale Droë Materiaal (DM) behoefte word op die plaas geproduseer en die ander  25% aangekoop in die vorm van kragvoer. Die gemiddelde hoeveelheid kragvoer per koei per dag vir die afgelope 8 jaar, beloop 300g/liter. Hy koop feitlik geen ruvoer aan nie en het vir dieafgelope aantal jare slegs gedurende 2010/2011 lusernhooi as addisionele ruvoer ingekoop.  Hierdie was ‘n abnormale droë tyd in die omgewing. Kuilvoerbale word gemaak van die surplus weiding en strategies aangewend deur die jaar.

Die kudde het vanaf 2004 met 76 % gegroei,  terwyl  die oppervlakweiding onder besproeiing met slegs 24 % toegeneem het. Die resultaat hiervan is dat die drakrag van die plaas baie verbeter het en daarmee saam ook ‘n geweldige effek op winsgewendheid het.

 














Enkele vrae is aan hom gestel waarop hy soos volg geantwoord het:

1.    Wat is die redes vir jou sukses as melkboer?

• Ek volg ‘n konserwatiewe benadering wat my boerdery en lewenswyse betref. Ek koop nie gereeld nuwe implimente nie, maar hou dit wat ek het goed instand en sorg dat reperasiekoste laag bly. 
• Ek het naas my boekhouer ‘n eenvoudige boekhoustelsel wat ekself beheer en dit help my om sekere bestuursbesluite te neem. Ek weet presies wat my inkomste en uitgawes is.
• Jy moet jouself as ‘n weidingsboer en nie as ’n melkboer kwalifiseer.
• Sorg dat daar altyd meer as genoeg weidings vir jou diere beskikbaar is. Weidings is die goedkoopste bron van ruvoer en daarom moet jy alles in jou vermoë doen om jou weidings se kwaliteit en kwantiteit te optimiseer. Ekvul hulle energie en vitamien/mineraal behoefte aan met ‘n minimale hoeveelheid kragvoer.As my weiding te min raak sal ek eerder koeie verkoop as om ruvoer in te koop.
• Ek wil melk produseer vanaf weidings  en nie vanaf gekoopte voer nie. Dit is nie vir my ‘n uitdaging om te kyk hoeveel koeie ek kan melk nie, maar die wins wat ek op die plaas  maak is baie meer belangrik. Hoë stalgemiddeldes is nie noodwendig hoë wins nie.
• Die stalgemiddeld wat my kudde handhaaf  dra by tot meer laktasies per koei – die uiers hou baie langer – mastitis is nie ‘n probleem nie en my veearts en medisyne rekening is onder beheer.

2.    Met watter tipe weiding versterk jy die kikuju?

• Ek gebruik beslis ENERGA as basis en kombineer dit met ‘n ander variteit soos Agri-Hilton. 
• Meerjarige raaigras word ook gebruik. Nui gebruik ek al vir ‘n paar jaar, maar gebruik ook Bealey. Die intensiteit van die somer het ‘n groot effek op die sukses van die meerjarige raaigras, maar ek sal dit nogsteeds in ‘n mengsel gebruik.
• Wat klawer betref het ek al Assegaai-, Berseem-, en Persiese klawer gebruik.

3.    Wat is die prosedure wat jy volg om die kikuju te versterk?

• Ek wil net sê dat die stelsel wat ek volg vir my werk en dat dit nie noodwendig op elke ander plaas sal werk nie.
• Ek gebruik ‘n kapper (mulsher) om die kikuju vanaf die eerste week van Februarie kort te kap. Dit gebeur net na beweiding.
• Hierna word ongeveer 100kg/ha ureum toegedien en goed besproei.
• Die koeie wei weer hierdie ” gekapte”  kikuju na ongeveer 4 weke.
• Na hierdie beweiding (vanaf 1ste week Maart gebruik ek ‘n weidingsplanter om die saad in die kikuju in te plant).
• Die saadmengsel bestaan uit eenjarige raaigras, meerjarige raaigras en eenjarige klawer teen 30kg/ha.

4.    Watter aspekte sal jy nog wil aanspreek in jou boerdery?

•  Ek sal aanhou eksperimenteer  met nuwe weidingsvariteite sonder om te veel af te wyk van my huidige stelsel. 
• Ek wil my weidingsbestuur nog baie meer verbeter .

5.    Watter advies het jy vir jou mede produsente? 

• Indien jou plaas dit toelaat moet jy baie aandag aan jou weiding gee.  Koop so min as moontlik ruvoer in. 
• Kry kundige mense in om jou te adviseur.
• Moenie koeigetalle en melkproduksie “jaag” nie, maar fokus op WINS.

Mnr. Schreve kan gekontak word by:                    
082 343 9929                    
028 713 3975

Is Kikuyu right for you?

KIKUYU HAS ITS ROOTS IN KENYA

Did you know that Kikuyu grass originates from tropical eastern Africa, and is named after the proud Kikuyu people of Kenya? This low-growing, warm season perennial grass has become one of the most popular turf grasses in Africa, Australia and Southern California. It flourishes in basically any part of South Africa and adapts well to wet and dry conditions. 

 A REMARKABLE MULTIPURPOSE GRASS

Kikuyu is very versatile: it’s one of the favourites as a homelawn, works excellently on sports fields and is highly productive as a pasture crop.

HOMELAWN: As a homelawn, Kikuyu is often the preferred choice, as it is affordable, tough, drought tolerant and quickly spreads across an area (through rhizomes and stolons) to create a thick carpet of bright green.

SPORTS FIELDS: Kikuyu also forms the base turf grass of many sport stadiums in South Africa, and is usually oversown with Ryegrass in autumn so that the field stays a perfect green surface throughout the cold winter months. 

PASTURE: Many milk producers in South Africa use the same principle for their Kikuyu pasture by oversowing with Ryegrass. This keeps the cows happy all year round and increases their winter milk production and carrying capacity.

HOW TO PLANT KIKUYU:

If you want to have a great Kikuyu lawn, we recommend planting in spring. The same applies for the pasture crop, although some farmers tend to establish it in autumn with a nurse crop like rye grass.

Recommended seeding rates are as follows: for lawn purposes 2g/sqm and 2kg/ha for a pasture crop.

Make sure not to plant the seeds too deep (± 1cm) and give them a fine, weed free seedbed. After seeding ensure that there is good contact between seed and soil by rolling. Light watering should be done after seeding and can slowly be cut back on after germination. The grass will be established quickly.  

WHEN IS KIKUYU THE IDEAL CHOICE?

As mentioned Kikuyu makes an excellent lawn, sports field and pasture grass. It loves sunshine and thrives in areas which receive at least 70% sunlight per day. If you need a tough, hardy grass which will cover an area quickly with a lush green mat, Kikuyu will do it for you. Although it is a warm season grass and eventually loses its colour in winter, it stays greener for longer than other summer grasses, for example Bermuda.

WHEN SHOULD I USE ANOTHER VARIETY?

Kikuyu is sometimes not the preferred choice, because of its invasive properties. The grass can smother other vegetation and also needs to be mowed more regularly than other grasses. It also has to be watered frequently in summer, during its main growth season, which could be more challenging in areas where water restrictions apply. 

WHERE CAN I GET IT?

Kikuyu is one of the many turf grass varieties available from Agricol. Come talk to us about which grass types will work the best for what you need!