Key messages
+ Chicory is best suited to light soils and areas where its drought tolerant attributes (deep tap root) can be exploited.
+ A stand-alone crop should persist for three to five years. A reduction in plant population of approximately 30% per year can be expected.
+ Due to its nutritional qualities chicory is well suited to finishing lambs or carrying ewes and lambs during lactation.
+ Chicory and plantain have a shorter growing period than PRG.
+ Chicory and plantain are not legumes and require a source of nitrogen.
+ Rotational or strip grazing is essential to see the benefits of chicory or plantain as a stand-alone crop or as part of a mixed sward.
+ The crops can be ensiled as a last resort.
+ Chicory has been proven to reduce faecal egg counts in lambs and could reduce the use of anthelmintics.
+ Chicory and plantain’s plant growth pattern is not the same as grass so it requires different management.
+ Plantain is adapted to a wide range of soils but does not tolerate waterlogged soils or deep sands.
+ Annual yields of plantain have been known to reach around 17t DM/ha (6.8t DM/ acre).
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