Sowing methods for successful pasture establishment - a review

Methods of achieving successful pasture establishment have been broadened over the last 50 years by the introduction of no-tillage technologies, providing a viable alternative to cultivation. Parallel developments in drill technologies for seed and fertiliser placement, and methods to control competition from the existing pasture have ensured the success of no-tillage methods. This review focuses on the effects of the establishment method on seedling growth over the establishment period, defined for the purposes of this paper as the year after sowing. Undersowing existing pasture is the establishment method least likely to provide a suitable environment for seedling growth and development. New pastures must receive different management to existing pastures for at least 1 year after sowing to increase their chances of becoming persistent and productive. Long-term monitoring (5-10 years) of new pastures has received little research attention, making assessments of effects of different establishment methods on persistence difficult. Factors likely to affect seedling establishment and plant survival are discussed. Keywords: competition control, cultivation, directdrilling, first year management, Lolium perenne, ryegrass, seedling survival, Trifolium repens, white clover