Cultivation
Involves breaking up the soil prior to sowing with the likes of a plough, power harrow, discs or rotocrumbler. It is necessary where there is a need to eliminate compaction or levelling, or lime incorporation is required.
Spray and drill
A direct-drill is used to sow treated seed into an uncultivated paddock after existing pasture killed by herbicide.
Undersowing
Use a direct-drill to sow treated seed into existing pasture.
Works very well in the narrow window of time when a pasture has thinned out but has not yet been overtaken by weed ingression.
Use after extended dry conditions where large areas need to be sown, or after winter pugging damage.
Results are variable where it’s used in pastures too dense for the new seedlings to establish well.
Oversowing
Treated seed is broadcasted on to the surface of the soil.
Generally used
- to repair smaller areas, for example after pugging damage, or
- to establish white clover in spring into pastures
- where the land is too steep or stony for cultivation.
Not recommended for improvement of lowland pastures due to high seeding mortality.
Sowing rates are generally higher, as establishment rates of seed placed on the ground surface are lower.