Maggie Raeside

Ecology and management of summer-active tall fescue in southern Australia

Climate variability has created a new challenge for pasture production in recent years, with long dry periods and unprecedented heat waves resulting in pasture shortfalls at crucial times. Climate variability is likely to increase in the future. Therefore, future pasture systems must be based on species that use water more efficiently and that are heat tolerant; one such species in summer-active tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum. syn. Festuca arundinacea). However, summer-active, tall fescue is rarely used in southern Australia and little is known about how the species should be managed to ensure its production and persistence.

Maggie’s project is testing the response of summer-active tall fescue to different establishment, grazing and fertiliser practises.

Her research falls into the CRC’s Program 1 research area and is related to the EverGraze project.

Objectives:

• Improving the productivity of low lying tracts of land in southern Australia while simultaneously achieving environmental outcomes, such as reducing deep drainage, by sowing these areas to summer-active tall fescue
• Testing the response of summer-active tall fescue that has been sown on low lying tracts of land to different establishment, grazing and fertiliser practises.

For more information, email Maggie.