The ultimate choice for grazing tolerant lucerne or hay production 

Stamina^® GT5 is a high performing lucerne variety that will produce quality hay and grazing opportunities for seven to ten years. It is a true grazing tolerant lucerne that has been trialled over many years under the internationally recognised Standard Test Protocol for grazing tolerant lucernes. It has low, broad crowns and is naturally of high forage quality with fine stems and high leaf to stem ratio. Stamina^® GT5 lucerne is the ultimate choice where a stand is required for prolonged periods of set-stocking.

Sowing rate (sole): 5-25kg/ha
Sowing rate (mixed): 2-8kg/ha

Breeding

Developing grazing tolerant lucernes for Australia’s dryland farms has taken nearly two decades and was a joint venture project between DLF Seeds (operating as PGG Wrightson Seeds)  and CalWest Seeds in the USA. The products were initially developed in the USA after a 6 year screening programme in which elite breeding lines and successful commercial varieties were set stocked by both sheep and beef cattle for a period of 6-7 months per year. Paddocks were maintained at a constant vegetative height of 2-5cm throughout the grazing periods.

Further screening was conducted in Australia by DLF Seeds who evaluated 24 advanced lines in trials that ran for 7 years. Plots were grazed for periods of 10 months at a stocking rate of 40 sheep/ha.

Lucerne varieties bearing the Stamina^® designation were selected as ‘best of the best’ in these ultra-rigorous evaluations. Australian farmers are encouraged to ask other seed companies that claim their lucerne varieties are grazing tolerant were they developed. Farmers are advised to plant the best, proven grazing tolerant (GT) varieties from DLF Seeds.

Activity/dormancy

Semi winter dormant (5): Persistent stands with slow winter growth. In comparison to winter active types (6-7), semi winter dormant (5) varieties are well suited to grazing and quality hay production due to a lower crown and a semi-prostrate but denser growth than winter active types (6-7).

Stamina^® GT5: Lucerne trial analysis

• Stamina^® GT5 is a true standout for grazing tolerance and persistence. After 2 consecutive years of the grazing tolerance protocol and another 6 years of grazing, Stamina® GT5 maintained the highest ground cover of all dormancy 5 varieties
• Stamina^® GT5 ground cover remained extremely high at 76.7% after the first hard set stocking period, 50.9% higher than Aurora after 1 period of set stocking
• After the second set stocking period in 2015, Stamina^® GT5 remained at 76% when measured in August 2015, showing its true grazing tolerance
• When another ground cover measurement was taken in September 2020, after 8 years, Stamina® GT5 had an impressive ground cover of 71.6%. During this time the lucerne trial had been managed normally and grazed when feed was available
• Using Stamina^® GT5 lucerne with proven grazing tolerance and persistence increases the amount of dry matter grown per hectare, provides longer lasting feed and increases your economic return compared to non-proprietary varieties such as Aurora and other nongrazing tolerant varieties

Sowing and establishment

Stamina^® GT5 like all other lucerne is small seeded, so therefore it is important to ensure that the sowing of Stamina® GT5 pasture seed is done correctly to ensure the best results for establishment. There are some key fundamentals when sowing lucerne including seedbed preparation, weed control, sowing depth and sowing technique. Following these key steps will help achieve a good establishment of lucerne. Discover more about lucerne sowing and establishment.

Grazing Management

To discover information on lucerne grazing management, click here.