Tall Fescue Online Monograph

Northern New South Wales Tablelands and Slopes

This region is one of the most suitable for tall fescue, where it has been used extensively for many years. Continental tall fescue cultivars can be sown confidently in the higher rainfall areas around Glen Innes, Guyra, Armidale, Ebor, and Walcha. They also can be used around Tamworth under irrigation and Quirindi on black flats or with irrigation. Advance tall fescue has been used successfully for growing young and trading stock (Milne, 2000a).

Mediterranean cultivars have been used in the lower-rainfall western districts of the tablelands and slopes, such as Bundarra, Inverell, Tamworth, and Quirindi. They have persisted very well through droughts, are one of the few successful cool-season perennial grass options, and are more sustainable and productive than oat (Avena sativa L.), which is planted each autumn for green feed.

Central New South Wales Coast and Hunter Valley

Very little tall fescue is used on the central coast of New South Wales because it cannot compete with subtropical grasses for more than 2 to 3 yr. It has been used successfully on irrigated dairy farms in the Hunter Valley since 1999, but it has not persisted more than 3 to 4 yr. Persistence has been improved since the introduction of tall fescue cultivars with the novel endophyte MaxP, suggesting that the lack of persistence may have been related to insect damage. Tall fescue provides an excellent alternative to lucerne (Medicago spp.) and annual ryegrass for growing quality feed year-round. The availability of traveling irrigation systems will be beneficial for tall fescue use in this area.

Central New South Wales Tablelands and Slopes

Continental tall fescue cultivars are used widely around Orange and Bathurst and are well suited to the climate, particularly on the heavier and more fertile soils, valley floors, and areas with reasonable summer rainfall. Other areas around Cowra and Boorowa are also suitable, provided the sites are valley floors with soils that can hold moisture through summer.

Mediterranean tall fescues are well suited to the western areas of the tablelands and the slopes. The general region of suitability is bounded by Dubbo, Mudgee, Bathurst, Cowra, Boorowa, Wagga, and Forbes. Trials in this region have shown persistence of Mediterranean tall fescue through droughts to be superior to that of phalaris. Performance is better on heavy soils than sandy soils.

Southern New South Wales

Continental tall fescue cultivars are suited to moist, fertile soil types in the Goulburn, Tumut, and Tumbarumba regions, and under irrigation in all regions (Fig. 7-6). Tall fescue with the novel endophyte Max P has been persistent and more productive than perennial ryegrass on the South Coast. Tall fescue stands without endophyte are susceptible to black beetle and persist less than 2 yr. Tall fescue is very successful under irrigation in the Riverina.

Mediterranean tall fescue is well suited to the western tablelands and slopes. Flecha showed very good persistence during the 2002-2003 drought when compared with phalaris and cocksfoot (unpublished data, M. Uttley, personal communication). Areas of suitability include Holbrook, Wagga Wagga, Junee, Young, Temora, Cudal, Goulburn, Gundagai, and the southern tablelands.