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More pasture management information...
This page is where you can find more about pasture management. There are general articles and links about grasses, pasture, hay & forage (below), recommended reading (books/publications), pasture/grazing problems, Australian Native Grasses, Grass species/pasture websites, Pasture Services websites.
Please note that we do not necessarily endorse any of the information sourced on this page.
New South Wales HSC Online - Native pastures
Victorian Department of Primary Industries Native grasses
Stipa Native Grasses Association aims to promote native grass as pasture and for conservation; to educate the community about native grasses; to document pasture systems using native grasses; to distribute information to agencies and landholders and to network with other groups with complimentary activities.
The Native Grass Resources Group (NGRG) is based in South Australia and is interested in Australian native grasses. They encourage the conservation and active management of all types of remnant native grassy ecosystems, promote pasture, land management and landscaping uses of native grasses. On this website you can learn about native grasses and find out more about the organisation. Also you can look at their database of Grass Seed Suppliers and Growers. You can then contact the growers and suppliers directly (mainly in SA).
Native Seeds Pty Ltd was established in 1988 by Ian Chivers and has a strong research base and links with many Australian universities and researchers. This website has lots of information about Australian native grasses and the company supplies native seeds www.nativeseeds.com.au. Based in Vic.
Cumberland Plain Seeds - Whether you are a land manager, property developer, nursery producer, landscape architect or restoration practitioner, Cumberland Plain Seeds may be able to assist you. We can assist you to reduce your maintenance costs, restore native habitat, and to meet regulations and requirements of vegetation management plans. Operating since 1994 and undertaking research and field trials since that time, our expertise transforms seed products into sustainable landscapes www.cpseeds.com.au. Based in NSW.
Natural Capital www.naturalcapital.com.au are Native Vegetation Specialists - Director's Owen Whitaker and Alison Elvin embrace projects from all tiers of Government, various NGO’s, numerous Corporations, and Individuals. ACT/NSW area.
Temperate grass problems/endophytes/toxicity
AUS - Perennial Ryegrass Staggers Tasmanian DPI factsheet.
Tropical grass problems/oxalates/calcium deficiency/Big Head
AUS - Big Head Dr. Jennifer Stewart - Hoofbeats magazine article.
AUS - Calcium & Oxalate Pastures - Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Dr. John Kohnke BVSc RDA.
AUS - Keeping an Eye on Calcium Balance in Australian Horse Nutrition Sonja Gardner - Kentucky Equine Research.
AUS - Big head - Stance Equine.
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Grass species/pasture websites
Keep in mind that these websites are predominantly about beef and dairy cattle when they talk about productivity etc.
INT - Tropical Forages has produced a fabulous site called Tropical Forages: An Interactive Selection Tool which is a collaborative effort between CSIRO (Australia) Sustainable Ecosystems, Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (Qld), Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
INT - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – Plant Production and Protection Division (AGP) promotes Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production. This site has a wonderful Grasslands Species Profiles section INT - New Crop Resource Online Program (NewCROP) - is an information-rich site related to crop plants. It is a project of the Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products and is associated with the New Crop Diversification project and the Jefferson Institute.
AUS - Australian Herbage Plant Cultivars web site - contains registration statements that were contained in the Register of Australian Herbage Plant Cultivars (3rd ed, 1990) and those published subsequently in the Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture. Information is provided on the origin and development of each cultivar, a full morphological description, and referenced information on the agronomic uses and merits of the cultivar.
AUS - Queensland Department of Primary Industries website has a good section on pasture grasses
AUS - The Tropical Grassland Society of Australia website - promotes the practical application of research information on pasture improvement in tropical and sub-tropical environments.
AUS - New South Wales Department of Primary Industries website has a good section on pasture grasses
AUS - New South Wales Flora Online - PlantNET - The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens
AUS - Victorian Department of Primary Industries website has a section called Pasture management which has various informative articles about pasture.
AUS - Pastures Australia www.pasturepicker.com.au. A collaboration between AWI, GRDC, MLA, RIRDC and Dairy Australia.
NZ - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand - Te Ara - offers many pathways to understanding New Zealand. It has a pastures section
Recommended reading (books/publications)
AUS - Horse pasture management Jane Myers and Stuart Myers (2011) Equiculture. This
publication explains the benefits of good pasture management and then shows you how
to manage your land in a way that is a win-win situation for all concerned. See our
shop for more information.
AUS - Understanding horses and pasture Jane Myers and Stuart Myers (2011) Equiculture. Some people believe that pasture is not good or is even dangerous for certain types of horses. However with the correct knowledge all these issues can be addressed and managed to the benefit of both horses and pasture. Both publications available as ebooks or in a printed version. See our shop for more information.
AUS - Managing Horses on Small Properties Myers J (2005) Landlinks Press, Melbourne. See our shop
AUS - Pastures for horses – a winning resource Avery A (1997) RIRDC Sydney.
NZ - Pastures for horses Hunt W F (1994) New Zealand Equine Research Foundation. New Zealand
AUS - Diamondvale Pasture & Farm Improvements - Small Acreage Specialists Servicing South East Qld & Northern NSW www.diamondvalestud.com.au
AUS - MB Equine Services offers a consultancy service for land owners seeking Biological and Holistic Equine Pasture management using Permaculture principles. Mariette is also an equine nutritionist and Classical Dressage coach.
General articles about grasses/pasture, hay and and forage for horses
AUS - Pasture for horses on the Darling Downs Queensland DPI factsheet
AUS - Pastures for Horses New South Wales DPI factsheet - Feb 2007
AUS - Pastures for horses Victoria DPI Angela Avery
AUS - Pasture composition Horses, Land and Water website
AUS - There are several pasture/hay/feeding articles on this page of Carol Layton’s website - Balanced Equine Nutrition.
AUS - There are several pasture management/feeding articles on the website of M van den Berg MB Equine Services