Case Study 6: Stutterheim Cattle Stud

Russian Grass at a footslope of a mountain 3 weeks old in Stutterheim Eastern Cape, 800 rainfall, - 10 cold, hand seeded, with supplemental irrigation.
Russian Grass at a footslope of a mountain 3 weeks old in Stutterheim Eastern Cape, 800 rainfall, - 10 cold, hand seeded, with supplemental irrigation.
Russian Grass at footslope of a hill in waterlogged area 4 weeks old Stutterheim. Seeded at 5 kg per ha by hand.
Russian Grass at footslope of a hill in waterlogged area 4 weeks old Stutterheim. Seeded at 5 kg per ha by hand.
4 weeks old Russian grass Stutterheim. It is in a lower toeslope area below a hill with a thick A soil horizon and lots of earthworms. Legacy clover and lots of manure.
4 weeks old Russian grass Stutterheim. It is in a lower toeslope area below a hill with a thick A soil horizon and lots of earthworms. Legacy clover and lots of manure.
8 week old Russian Grass, two months old, Stutterheim toeslope just below the footslope.
8 week old Russian Grass, two months old, Stutterheim toeslope just below the footslope.
8 week (2 months old) Russian Grass on lower toeslope below footslope of hill-complete Russian grass ground coverage achieved. Some legacy clover, some legacy rye grass and some legacy summer grass seed all wash down the hill into the waterlogged area. The soil disturbance when planting the Russian Grass activated all these seeds and they also germinated.
8 week (2 months old) Russian Grass on lower toeslope below footslope of hill-complete Russian grass ground coverage achieved. Some legacy clover, some legacy rye grass and some legacy summer grass seed all wash down the hill into the waterlogged area. The soil disturbance when planting the Russian Grass activated all these seeds and they also germinated.
Stutterheim: Supplemental Irrigation Clover and Seepage. The toeslope land had a lot of different legacy seeds germinating such as Rye grass and various summer grasses which the Russian Grass will smothered over time. The supplemental irrigation helped the taproot to develop and then the switch over to self-irrigation happened.
Stutterheim: Supplemental Irrigation Clover and Seepage. The toeslope land had a lot of different legacy seeds germinating such as Rye grass and various summer grasses which the Russian Grass will smothered over time. The supplemental irrigation helped the taproot to develop and then the switch over to self-irrigation happened.
Note the dense legacy grass stand
Note the dense legacy grass stand
Note the summer pasture grasses which germinated once the Russian Grass was planted. Over time the Russian Grass formed seedheads and caused seed drop all summer long and towards winter these seeds germinated and smothered everything else.
Note the summer pasture grasses which germinated once the Russian Grass was planted. Over time the Russian Grass formed seedheads and caused seed drop all summer long and towards winter these seeds germinated and smothered everything else.
Russian Grass seedheads appearing and dropping seed
Russian Grass seedheads appearing and dropping seed
End of summer Clover and Russian Grass seedheads
End of summer Clover and Russian Grass seedheads
Irrigation, Clover nitrogen and Seepage result in a very high F1 seed drop and thickening of the stand in winter, leading to maximised carrying capacity in winter.
Irrigation, Clover nitrogen and Seepage result in a very high F1 seed drop and thickening of the stand in winter, leading to maximised carrying capacity in winter.
High population density to follow due to seed drop, smothering summer grass and weeds.
High population density to follow due to seed drop, smothering summer grass and weeds.
Note the thickening stand.
Note the thickening stand.
This was the end result. The Breeder Seed caused 300 kg of F1 sees to drop, which in turn germinated with the help of supplemental irrigation and rain in spring and it completely smothered the summer grass and weeds. Protein increased and the impact on animals became more pronounced.
This was the end result. The Breeder Seed caused 300 kg of F1 sees to drop, which in turn germinated with the help of supplemental irrigation and rain in spring and it completely smothered the summer grass and weeds. Protein increased and the impact on animals became more pronounced.
6 month old Russian Grass in toeslope up to footslope of hill in Stutterheim. Grazed for the first time.
6 month old Russian Grass in toeslope up to footslope of hill in Stutterheim. Grazed for the first time.
6 month old Russian Grass after first grazing. Note how thick it is. A lot of soil fertility washes down the hill and ends up in the toeslope. The water seeping down pick up nitrogen.
6 month old Russian Grass after first grazing. Note how thick it is. A lot of soil fertility washes down the hill and ends up in the toeslope. The water seeping down pick up nitrogen.
6 month old Russian grass Stutterheim after being grazed-close up.
6 month old Russian grass Stutterheim after being grazed-close up.
6 month old vlei below footslope of hill with Russian grass seedheads appearing.
6 month old vlei below footslope of hill with Russian grass seedheads appearing.
Russian grass in winter with -15 degrees Celcius frost conditions after irrigation same location Stutterheim toeslope. It is colder on the lower elevations than on the hill. Supplemental irrigation water which runs with gravity easily freezes at night if applied late in the day. The Russian Grass doesn’t care.
Russian grass in winter with -15 degrees Celcius frost conditions after irrigation same location Stutterheim toeslope. It is colder on the lower elevations than on the hill. Supplemental irrigation water which runs with gravity easily freezes at night if applied late in the day. The Russian Grass doesn’t care.
Russian Grass in July in severe frost same Stutterheim location. Most grasses would be killed due to thermic shock going from frozen to sunshine as the sun clears the hill.
Russian Grass in July in severe frost same Stutterheim location. Most grasses would be killed due to thermic shock going from frozen to sunshine as the sun clears the hill.
Irrigated Russian Grass at footslope of hill with severe July winter frost. The supplemental irrigation is from a spring and gravity fed and most of the pasture gets seepage water from the hill. Note the seedhead in the foreground.
Irrigated Russian Grass at footslope of hill with severe July winter frost. The supplemental irrigation is from a spring and gravity fed and most of the pasture gets seepage water from the hill. Note the seedhead in the foreground.
Russian Grass thriving in cold and wet frost which would kill any other grass in winter.
Russian Grass thriving in cold and wet frost which would kill any other grass in winter.
Russian Grass thriving with severe cold, ice and snow. The cold is not the issue. The water is not the issue. The oxygen and compaction is not an issue due to earthworm action. The footslope Russian Grass ensured success in the toeslope Russian Grass.

Kindly see this video for the impact of the Russian Grass high protein -with Stud Livestock being given a little bit of lick and 95% Russian Grass in mid winter:
Russian Grass thriving with severe cold, ice and snow. The cold is not the issue. The water is not the issue. The oxygen and compaction is not an issue due to earthworm action. The footslope Russian Grass ensured success in the toeslope Russian Grass.

Kindly see this video for the impact of the Russian Grass high protein -with Stud Livestock being given a little bit of lick and 95% Russian Grass in mid winter:

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