Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a perennial temperate grass (C3) native to Europe and North Africa but highly suited to livestock grazing systems in southeast Australia.
There are two main types of Tall fescue; Continental has variable winter activity, and Mediterranean which is summer dormant. Tall fescue requires good soil fertility, warm soil temperatures, adequate moisture and effective weed management in order to establish successfully.
Paddock selection:
Paddock selection for tall fescue establishment is critical for long term persistence and optimum production. Low soil fertility reduces success of establishment and persistence. Paddocks chosen for tall fescue establishment should ideally have clay or clay loam texture, good soil fertility and a low weed seed bank.
Tall fescue is more tolerant than ryegrass of waterlogged soils but prolonged water-logging is to be avoided. If Continental cultivars are being established, paddocks need to be able to retain moisture in the spring and summer to allow for summer active growth.
Specifically, soil acidity should be no less than 4.9 pHCa and aluminium no more than 2% at sowing. Liming to reduce acidity and aluminium levels should be addressed 6 -12 months before sowing. Tall fescue is more tolerant of salinity than ryegrass and phalaris. Soil salinity levels should be less than 10 dS/m.
Nitrogen (N) fertility is also important for tall fescue establishment. N can be supplied through the introduction of legumes into the pasture mix or, more reliably through applications of N fertiliser.
In lighter soil types such as sandy loams and granite derived soils, where N may be leached, or on soils where legume growth is poor, tall fescue production will most likely benefit from applications of N fertiliser.
Prior to tall fescue establishment, paddocks selected should be soil tested and fertiliser applied to achieve the target levels required. Target soil fertility levels will depend on soil type, stocking rate, phosphorus sorption characteristics of the soil and production levels, but a guide to these levels is provided in Table 1.
If soil fertility is not at the required target levels, tall fescue can still be sown but increased maintenance fertiliser will be needed until target fertility levels are reached. The target levels must then be maintained with fertiliser applications.
Paddock preparation:
As tall fescue seedlings are slow to establish and exhibit generally poor seedling vigour, paddock preparation to eliminate weeds is critical to minimise competition during the establishment phase.
Annual cropping with weed management for one or two years will adequately prepare the paddock for tall fescue establishment. There are two ways to prepare a paddock for tall fescue establishment.
Cultivated seedbed:
For conventional sowing, a finely prepared seed bed is desirable. The seedbed should be firmed with a roller prior to sowing to achieve accurate sowing depth and the retention of moisture. Rolling should be avoided if soil moisture causes loss of structure (plasticine texture or crusting of soil surface).
Direct drilled:
Tall fescue can be direct drilled provided that weed control, especially for annual grass weeds, has been achieved. This is usually done with chemical herbicides prior to sowing to achieve a complete kill.
Another weed management strategy that can be used in dryland dairying and in a direct drilling situation involves growing a summer crop to deplete the weed seed-bank. This usually involves a spray, cultivate and sow sequence, or cultivate and sow which reduces weed competition.
This is a necessary operation with pastures containing over 20% bent-grass for example. A re-spray after the summer crop, just prior to sowing of the fescue, may be necessary to eliminate any potential competition to the new seedlings. Weed competition is the most significant cause of failure in fescue establishment, due to its slow early growth.
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