Landcare - Umuwa Project 1 > Site 2

This site was next to the Turkey bore horse paddock and next to the main road from Umuwa to Ernabella. The area had been eaten out and it was decided to re-seed it with a mixture of local grasses. Normally when different seeds of a similar density are being sown, they are mixed together in the seed box on the opposed disc plough and they run evenly down the seed tubes to drop into the seed bed. On this occasion seeds of different densities were being sown so saw dust was used in the mix to disperse seed evenly down the seed tubes.

The following recipe was used:

• Two handfuls of oat grass (enneapongon avenaceus).
• Two handfuls of oat grass (enneapongon polyphyllus).
• One cup (small panican) of native millet (panicum decompositum).
• 15-18 mm of coopex powder in the bottom of the cup

Mix the above in a large plastic bucket. Add sufficient water to moisten the mix while it's being stirred so the coopex dissolves and covers the seed. The coopex was used to deter ants from eating the seed.

• Add five handfuls of saw dust and mix in.
• Add another five handfulls of saw dust and stir by hand until the mix is dry.

This mix was used in small quantities in the seed box so the paddle could turn and the mix be delivered to the seed bed via the seed tube. The soil type was very sandy and would require soaking rain for germination and plant growth. Local seed of mulga grass (aristida contorta) was harvested the day before and hand sown onto the staggered furrows. It was too difficult to include this seed in the mix for the seed box because of the shape of the seed.

Picture 1. Staggered furrows being ploughed in the demonstration plot outside the Turkey bore horse paddock (March 93).

Picture 2. A close-up view of the opposed disc plough cutting staggered furrows outside the Turkey bore horse paddock. Note how sandy and dry the soil is. Soaking rain is required to stimulate germination and sustain growth of plant material (March 93).

Picture 3. The red bucket contains the saw dust and seed mix which was sown in the demonstration plot outside the Turkey bore horse paddock (March 93).

Picture 4. The white bucket contains a mix of mulga grass seed (aristida contorta) and trash harvested locally. This mix was hand planted because the seed is too sharp and the trash would prevent the mix flowing down the seed tube to the seed bed. It was easier to hand plant the seed mixed with the trash rather than clean the seed (March 93).

Picture 5. The harvester mounted on a tractor harvesting local mulga grass seed (aristida contorta). Other seed may be harvested in the process, providing a mix to be used for revegetation programs March 93).

This demonstration site was visited several times after rain periods, however germination of seed was slow because the sandy soil type required soaking rains before revegetation could be sustained. The grazing pressure of rabbits and cattle hindered the revegetation process as well.