Sowing pastures has played a key role in lifting the productivity in Australia’s temperate grazing zone. As pasture plant improvement programs develop more productive cultivars it is appropriate to resow pastures to achieve the even higher levels of productivity these plants offer. While these two points have been well researched and demonstrated for over 50 years, surveys in several areas over the last decade found a majority of pastures would be more productive if they were resown and managed better.
Australia produces about 30,000 tonnes of pasture seed annually, with a value of over $70 million. There are no technical or environmental reasons why this could not be doubled. The stimulus required for this to happen is an increase in demand.