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Farms Advice Podcast

Richard Hayes: Establishing Clovers & Creating Your Own Seed Insurance

Season 5, Ep. 236

Welcome to this week's episode with Richard Hayes. You're in for a long one. He is a researcher in agricultural science, discussing his work on pasture management and legume crops on the Farms Advice podcast. He shares his journey into agricultural science and his passion for working with pastures. Hayes explains the importance of attention to detail and timing in farming and offers advice for maximizing farm productivity.


He also discusses his research on serradellas, a type of legume, and their potential benefits for grazing and cropping farms. Additionally, Hayes talks about the Clover for Bees project, which aims to identify legume species that are beneficial for honey production. He emphasises the need for collaboration between the honeybee industry and the broadacre industries to optimise pollination and sustainability. In this conversation, Richard Hayes discusses the importance of sowing rates and the use of coated seed in pasture establishment.


He emphasises the need for farmers to adjust their sowing rates when using coated seed to ensure the appropriate number of seeds are planted. Richard also discusses the benefits of lime application before sowing and the impact of lime on pasture establishment and persistence. Advising farmers to assess their sowing success and strike rate by counting the number of seeds that germinate and adjust their sowing rates accordingly.


Richard also highlights the importance of managing soil moisture, timing of sowing, and the need for an evidence-based approach to pasture management. He suggests that farmers should treat their pastures as mixtures rather than crops and focus on utilisation and growing good quality forage. Richard also discusses the limitations of soil moisture probes in pasture establishment and the importance of attention to detail and timing in pasture management.


Every farm is different so check in with your advisers and see what works best for you!


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