Managing grazing and hay production in Eragrostis fields

Summer is almost gone, so it’s time to start thinking about your pastures and hay for winter

- Dr Mac.

In Gauteng, we’ve had an amazing rainy season this year; not enough for floods but enough for the roadsides to be overgrown with Eragrostis over a metre high.

As I drive I wonder if I should climb out of the car and cut it by hand.

However, in between the weeds, all my fields are also overflowing with thick stands of Eragrostis. Cutting by machine has been a problem, as the heavy rains have made the fields too soggy.

So, we’re going in with a hand cutter powered with paraffin, as well as long scythes. So far, it has been too wet for the grass to dry, but we turned it over a few times, and the sun and heat in February have dried it enough for us to harvest it!

Oh, the fun we had turning it into a huge haystack inside the barn, instead of the usual stacks of bales.