A FIELD day aimed at improving awareness, identification and management of oestrogenic ‘bad’ clover will be held at Conmurra this month.
Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) in collaboration with Mackillop Farm Management Group, Meat and Livestock Australia and Agriculture Kangaroo Island will host the field day.
Oestrogenic clovers have been identified in pastures on properties in the South East and Kangaroo Island as well as in the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and lower Eyre Peninsula.
PIRSA soils and land management consultant David Woodard said oestrogenic clovers can have a significant impact on lambing percentages.
“It is important for producers to know if the bad clovers are present in their pastures,” Mr Woodard said.
“If pastures contain more than 20pc of these clovers, there could be impacts on lambing percentages.”
The oestrogenic subterranean clover cultivars of concern are Dinninup, Dwalganup, Yarloop and Geraldton.
Sheep grazing pastures containing oestrogenic subterranean clover can be affected by a number of reproductive disorders, which together form clover disease.
PIRSA livestock consultant Tiffany Bennett said helping producers correctly identify problematic clovers would be a big first step to minimising the issues associated with clover disease.
“There are several distinct ways to identify these clovers and it is important producers are confident with how to do this,” Ms Bennett said.
The on farm field day will be held at Richard Kirklands property at Conmurra and include speakers Mr Woodard and PIRSA livestock consultant Ian McFarland.
The afternoon will also cover electronic identification programs and include a practical session on equipment presented by Michelle Cousins from Cousins Merino Services.
The Good Clover, Bad Clover field day will be held next Thursday at Richard Kirkland’s property at 155 Kirkland Road, Conmurra, from 1pm to 5.30pm.
For further information and registration contact the Struan PIRSA office on 8762 9100.
