Case Study 7 Stutterheim backslope planting.

1 month old Russian Grass on a backslope of a hillside also in Stutterheim, but with a clients who had the wrong assumptions and did not heed the footslope planting guidance and wanted the grass closer to his house and sheep shed. The customer assumed that he would have a normal winter with normal irrigation water and thus planted on the backslope of the hill instead of on the footslope where it would have been able to self-irrigate. This is closer to his house and sheep kraal and more convenient to the farmer. Big mistake. Then 5 drought years came with no irrigation winter at all in winter.The higher production would have been at the footslope where water seepage appears, and in drought on a backslope with thin soil hillside production without any irrigation was low.
1 month old Russian Grass on a backslope of a hillside also in Stutterheim, but with a clients who had the wrong assumptions and did not heed the footslope planting guidance and wanted the grass closer to his house and sheep shed. The customer assumed that he would have a normal winter with normal irrigation water and thus planted on the backslope of the hill instead of on the footslope where it would have been able to self-irrigate. This is closer to his house and sheep kraal and more convenient to the farmer. Big mistake. Then 5 drought years came with no irrigation winter at all in winter.The higher production would have been at the footslope where water seepage appears, and in drought on a backslope with thin soil hillside production without any irrigation was low.
Russian grass on a hillside backslope instead of at the footslope as recommended due to assuming that rain would enable irrigation from that dam in winter. Didn’t rain, didn’t irrigate and didn’t get commercial production levels during the worst drought in the Eastern Cape in 50 years. Dissapointed in the Russian Grass ofcourse, it must be the horse, not the jockey. Lesson: choose the right ecological niche for self irrigation.
Russian grass on a hillside backslope instead of at the footslope as recommended due to assuming that rain would enable irrigation from that dam in winter. Didn’t rain, didn’t irrigate and didn’t get commercial production levels during the worst drought in the Eastern Cape in 50 years. Dissapointed in the Russian Grass ofcourse, it must be the horse, not the jockey. Lesson: choose the right ecological niche for self irrigation.
4 week old Russian grass on the hillside backslope instead of at the footslope and toeslope with multi hectare run-off and seepage even in drought. Some run-off from higher up keeps it alive in a 5 year drought but it could have performed much better lower down at the footslope and toeslope with the entire valley on both sides seeping water down to the vlei floodplainarea even in drought, creating a safety buffer and drought moisture margin.
4 week old Russian grass on the hillside backslope instead of at the footslope and toeslope with multi hectare run-off and seepage even in drought. Some run-off from higher up keeps it alive in a 5 year drought but it could have performed much better lower down at the footslope and toeslope with the entire valley on both sides seeping water down to the vlei floodplainarea even in drought, creating a safety buffer and drought moisture margin.
7 week old Russian Grass with more slope and water seepage. This was the start of the drought, just in time.
7 week old Russian Grass with more slope and water seepage. This was the start of the drought, just in time.
Note that the Russian Grass does best where water seepage and run-off concentrate at the footslope and toeslope. This is in Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape with the lower elevations having better growth and the higher elevations less production due to water stress.
Note that the Russian Grass does best where water seepage and run-off concentrate at the footslope and toeslope. This is in Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape with the lower elevations having better growth and the higher elevations less production due to water stress.
You want Russian Grass in the low laying waterlogged areas where 2-20 ha worth of rainwater seeps into it from both sides, instead of on the hillside where you only get 1 ha worth of Rain water from directly above and a marginal amount from uphill. What you don’t see in this picture is the lofty assumptions of the farmer before the drought, no irrigation.
You want Russian Grass in the low laying waterlogged areas where 2-20 ha worth of rainwater seeps into it from both sides, instead of on the hillside where you only get 1 ha worth of Rain water from directly above and a marginal amount from uphill. What you don’t see in this picture is the lofty assumptions of the farmer before the drought, no irrigation.
More water leads to quicker and higher seed production and a thickening of the stand sooner. This is the same location in Stutterheim and was also planted in 2017, but lower down-the lowest grass went all the way to seed heads while the top of the backslope grass went into severe moisture stress. Guess what happened during the drought when the damn had no irrigation water due to no rain?
More water leads to quicker and higher seed production and a thickening of the stand sooner. This is the same location in Stutterheim and was also planted in 2017, but lower down-the lowest grass went all the way to seed heads while the top of the backslope grass went into severe moisture stress. Guess what happened during the drought when the damn had no irrigation water due to no rain?
The Russian Grass at the upper footslope made seed and the moisture stopped on the backslope hill and the Russian Grass higher up went into moisture stress.
The Russian Grass at the upper footslope made seed and the moisture stopped on the backslope hill and the Russian Grass higher up went into moisture stress.
The ecological assumptions of the customers didn’t hold. No rain. No irrigation. No ability to self irrigate with the taproot on a dry hill with shallow soil. Poor location poor result from a poor location decision.
The ecological assumptions of the customers didn’t hold. No rain. No irrigation. No ability to self irrigate with the taproot on a dry hill with shallow soil. Poor location poor result from a poor location decision.
The same hill as in previous pics drying out. This was year 1 of the drought starting. The grass lasted from 2018 to nearly 2023 but once the customer got the idea to no-till in oats into the Russian Grass using all winter moisture in the shallow soil profile with no irrigation in winter of 2022 it was the end of it. The customer is disappointed in the Russian Grass, while the plant breeder is disappointed in the location location location and assumptions assumptions assumptions. Lesson learned: don’t assume rain and don’t assume no loadshedding enabling irrigation and don’t assume you can do it better than a Russian grass taproot in a vlei self irrigating. Never plant annual grass/crops with perennial grass in severe moisture stress conditions.
The same hill as in previous pics drying out. This was year 1 of the drought starting. The grass lasted from 2018 to nearly 2023 but once the customer got the idea to no-till in oats into the Russian Grass using all winter moisture in the shallow soil profile with no irrigation in winter of 2022 it was the end of it. The customer is disappointed in the Russian Grass, while the plant breeder is disappointed in the location location location and assumptions assumptions assumptions. Lesson learned: don’t assume rain and don’t assume no loadshedding enabling irrigation and don’t assume you can do it better than a Russian grass taproot in a vlei self irrigating. Never plant annual grass/crops with perennial grass in severe moisture stress conditions.

Case Study 8: Kokstad

This is in Kokstad. The higher the mountain behind the pasture, the more water seepage as a general rule of thumb. The lower down on the footslope the more available the water seepage. The sweet spot is with 5 cm of soil to spade head depth of soil above permanently wet subsoil moisture year round. The higher areas are planted to a legume containing nitrogen molecules due to biological nitrogen fixation. See the Clover in the foreground and the grass with a nitrogen flush..

This customer did not start off with a clean seedbed and planted Russian Grass into Rhodes grass pasture. The Rhodes seedbed exploded in summer and smothered the Russian Grass during the summer months setting back its growth. In winter the Russian Grass recovered but 6 months was wasted due to trying to combine a summer and a winter perennial species in the same soil. In Kokstad summer grazing is not the limiting factor, winter grazing is. Having severe summer competition delays seed production and seed set and it takes longer to smother the summer grass.

If you want good winter grazing start on a clean seedbed and not with a huge seedbed of summer grass seeds from a previous crop if you can help it, as it will slow down the Russian Grass establishment and is a time consuming issue. If floods force you to no-till and gradient force you to plant in existing pasture so be it.

You can use round-up or mechanical means to clean up the first summer grass germinating into disturbed soil if you have the budget. Or not and take more time. Once the Russian Grass is hand height you can make use of 2-4D to kill broadleaf weeds.
This is in Kokstad. The higher the mountain behind the pasture, the more water seepage as a general rule of thumb. The lower down on the footslope the more available the water seepage. The sweet spot is with 5 cm of soil to spade head depth of soil above permanently wet subsoil moisture year round. The higher areas are planted to a legume containing nitrogen molecules due to biological nitrogen fixation. See the Clover in the foreground and the grass with a nitrogen flush..

This customer did not start off with a clean seedbed and planted Russian Grass into Rhodes grass pasture. The Rhodes seedbed exploded in summer and smothered the Russian Grass during the summer months setting back its growth. In winter the Russian Grass recovered but 6 months was wasted due to trying to combine a summer and a winter perennial species in the same soil. In Kokstad summer grazing is not the limiting factor, winter grazing is. Having severe summer competition delays seed production and seed set and it takes longer to smother the summer grass.

If you want good winter grazing start on a clean seedbed and not with a huge seedbed of summer grass seeds from a previous crop if you can help it, as it will slow down the Russian Grass establishment and is a time consuming issue. If floods force you to no-till and gradient force you to plant in existing pasture so be it.

You can use round-up or mechanical means to clean up the first summer grass germinating into disturbed soil if you have the budget. Or not and take more time. Once the Russian Grass is hand height you can make use of 2-4D to kill broadleaf weeds.
Russian Grass and Rhodes being baled in November.
Russian Grass and Rhodes being baled in November.

Case Study 9: Stutterheim Clover Hill

Stutterheim: Note the Clover on the hill and the Russian Grass growing inbetween. This was a solid Clover stand and the farmer made the mistake of seeding some Russian Grass into nearly 100% Clover without any fences to keep his sheep out. The clover smothers the Russian Grass and the sheep selectively graze it short, and the ratio between the two is not right 80:20 Russian Grass:Clover. This delays establishment as sheep graze the taller Russian Grass which is not fenced off preferentially and leave the short Clover to seed continuously. Lesson learned: Start on a clean seedbed and start with the right ratio in a fenced area if possible. Selective grazers will hammer nitrogen rich sweet palatable Russian Grass of 30% protein all day long and leave the Clover.
Stutterheim: Note the Clover on the hill and the Russian Grass growing inbetween. This was a solid Clover stand and the farmer made the mistake of seeding some Russian Grass into nearly 100% Clover without any fences to keep his sheep out. The clover smothers the Russian Grass and the sheep selectively graze it short, and the ratio between the two is not right 80:20 Russian Grass:Clover. This delays establishment as sheep graze the taller Russian Grass which is not fenced off preferentially and leave the short Clover to seed continuously. Lesson learned: Start on a clean seedbed and start with the right ratio in a fenced area if possible. Selective grazers will hammer nitrogen rich sweet palatable Russian Grass of 30% protein all day long and leave the Clover.
Russian creasing carrying capGrass and Clover. The more Clover you have above the Russian Grass on the hill the more nitrogen you can produce for free and capture in the Russian grass with run-off, inacity to 5-10 LSU per ha or 50 SSU sheep per ha yr.

Lesson learned:
➢ Russian Grass on the footslope ir toeslope of hill and not on the backslope..
➢ Russian Grass fenced off.
➢ Clean seedbed.
➢ Right ratio Clover and Russian Grass.
➢ Wild Cover uphill from Russian Grass.
Russian creasing carrying capGrass and Clover. The more Clover you have above the Russian Grass on the hill the more nitrogen you can produce for free and capture in the Russian grass with run-off, inacity to 5-10 LSU per ha or 50 SSU sheep per ha yr.

Lesson learned:
➢ Russian Grass on the footslope ir toeslope of hill and not on the backslope..
➢ Russian Grass fenced off.
➢ Clean seedbed.
➢ Right ratio Clover and Russian Grass.
➢ Wild Cover uphill from Russian Grass.
The optimum ratio is 80% clover above the Russian Grass in the area where water will seep through, and only 20% Clover in the Russian Grass itself. The Russian Grass can handle up to 500 kg of Nitrogen per ha per year so the entire mountain slope above it becomes a fertilizer factory. Water molecules seeping downwards due to gravity pick up nitrogen molecules in the roots of the Clover/Legume and washes it into the Russian Grass root system where it is converted into 25-35% high protein biomass. If you cannot control your animals they will eat the sweet Russian Grass and leave the Clover, with more nitrogen improving palatability and preventing seedheads forming and then no thickening of the stand takes place. If you are a weekend farmer and your sheep run free you will overgraze the Russian Grass and not get the desired result.
The optimum ratio is 80% clover above the Russian Grass in the area where water will seep through, and only 20% Clover in the Russian Grass itself. The Russian Grass can handle up to 500 kg of Nitrogen per ha per year so the entire mountain slope above it becomes a fertilizer factory. Water molecules seeping downwards due to gravity pick up nitrogen molecules in the roots of the Clover/Legume and washes it into the Russian Grass root system where it is converted into 25-35% high protein biomass. If you cannot control your animals they will eat the sweet Russian Grass and leave the Clover, with more nitrogen improving palatability and preventing seedheads forming and then no thickening of the stand takes place. If you are a weekend farmer and your sheep run free you will overgraze the Russian Grass and not get the desired result.

Case Study 10: Stutterheim, Winston Palmer

Russian Grass planted with a Piketberg No-till fineseed planter instead of hand sowing in Stutterheim. Note the optimum row spacing. Recipe had been 5 kg of Breeder Seed with 20 kg of Lime and 20 kg of KAN fertilizer.
Russian Grass planted with a Piketberg No-till fineseed planter instead of hand sowing in Stutterheim. Note the optimum row spacing. Recipe had been 5 kg of Breeder Seed with 20 kg of Lime and 20 kg of KAN fertilizer.
Month later, Stutterheim
Month later, Stutterheim
Piketberg No-till fineseed planter. The Optimum recipe is 5 kg of Breeder Seed mixed with 20 kg of lime and 100 kg of KAN fertilizer planted 1-2 cm deep on a fine seedbed as the Russian Grass can handle the nitrogen.
Piketberg No-till fineseed planter. The Optimum recipe is 5 kg of Breeder Seed mixed with 20 kg of lime and 100 kg of KAN fertilizer planted 1-2 cm deep on a fine seedbed as the Russian Grass can handle the nitrogen.
Stutterheim Russian Grass Seeding the first time
Stutterheim Russian Grass Seeding the first time
Stutterheim F1 Seed Drop
Stutterheim F1 Seed Drop
F1 Seed Drop
F1 Seed Drop
The Russian Grass visible from the air with a drone.
The Russian Grass visible from the air with a drone.

Share With Your Friends