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Perennial pastures

Perennial pastures are plants that live for more than two years and include herbaceous legumes, herbs, grasses and fodder shrubs.

The interest in perennial pastures in south-western Australia was initially due to the growing realisation that farming systems based solely on annual crops and pastures are not sustainable in many regions. Farmer experience and research have shown that incorporating well adapted perennial pastures into these systems can improve production, protect natural resources and build the capacity of these systems to adapt to future production and environmental challenges.

Perennial pastures have two key attributes: firstly they have a deep root system which enables them to use water and nutrients from deeper soil layers than annual plants and secondly, they can extend the growing season at both ends when conditions are favourable.

General topics

• Why perennials for WA
• Matching species to environment
• Perennial pastures in farming systems
• Grazing
• Animal production
• Animal toxicity
• Internal parasites
• Diseases and the green bridge
• Perennial pastures: rules of thumb
• Monitoring the impact of perennials on groundwater
• Grazing management
• Managing waterlogging and inundation in pastures
• Furrow sowing for improved pastures on water repellent soils
• Cutworms: pests of pastures

Useful links

• Pasture legumes ute guide
• Timerite
• Pastures Australia selection tool
• Evergreen Farming and WA Lucerne Growers
• Perennial pastures for WA bulletin order form
• Evergraze