Improved Pasture Management Systems

Summary

The producer demonstration site project aims to improve the pasture management systems implemented in the Upper North of South Australia through demonstrating:

1. Better pasture options that improve the mixed farming enterprise, and

2. That a better understanding of Food On Offer, including feed budgeting and the use of remote sensing pasture assessment tools will improve overall livestock productivity, enterprise profitability and farm sustainability.

Objectives

By January 2025, in the Upper North region of South Australia:

1. Demonstrate three options for a mix of pasture/fodder species that can provide superior FOO measured by:

   • Improved liveweight growth of lambs

   • Improved CS of ewes

   • Improved biomass production

   • Improved ground cover

2. Conduct an analysis of the cost:benefit of the trialed pasture mixes

3. Adoption:

   • 60% of core/engaged producers will have adopted improved pasture mixes that have resulted in either an improved biomass production by 10% or groundcover over summer by 5% depending on the pasture mix and site objectives.

   • 10% of observers (measured from workshop and field day participants) will have adopted improved pasture mixes that have resulted in either an improved biomass production by 10% or groundcover over summer by 5% depending on the pasture mix and site objectives.

4. Awareness, Knowledge and Skills:

   • 100% of core/engaged producers will have an improved understanding of pasture mixes, the role they play in improved biomass production and maintaining groundcover over summer and how to measure and manage them to improve livestock production outcomes.

   • 50% of observers (measured from workshop and field day participants) will have improved understanding of pasture mixes, the role they play in improved biomass production and maintaining groundcover over summer and how to measure and manage them to improve livestock production outcomes.

5. Conduct ground truthing for Cibo Labs at 3 sites across the region on at least 6 different pasture types (3 sown mixed pastures (demonstrations), 3 single species or self-regenerating pastures (controls))

6. Demonstrate the use of satellite pasture monitoring technology for feed budgeting and encourage adoption of the new technology by 6 producers

7. Implement a series of training activities to increase producer understanding of assessing FOO and feed budgeting and encourage adoption of these practices by 25 producers

Progress

Upper North Farming Systems (UNFS) is hosting a Producer Demonstration Site aiming to improve the pasture management systems through demonstrating: 1. Better pasture options that improve the mixed farming enterprise, and 2. A better understanding of Food On Offer, including feed budgeting and the use of remote sensing pasture assessment tools to improve overall livestock productivity, enterprise profitability and farm sustainability. The demonstration site is near Caltowie North and is in its third and final year. Each year a paddock has been split in two with electric fencing and temporary water points. On one half, a single species pasture was sown (vetch in 2022 and subzero in 2023). On the other side, a mixed species pasture was sown (vetch/barley in 2022 and subzero/vetch/barley in 2023). Sheep grazed the sites for approximately 1 month. Sheep were split into 2 even mobs of 150 ewe hoggets to graze the treatments. Sheep were weighed on and off the pastures and condition scored. Biomass, feed tests and satellite imagery data was collected at three timings; pre grazing, post grazing and 1 month recovery. Satellite imagery data was integrated into a farm management App through a subscription to provide food on offer estimates and a guide of number of grazing days remaining. 2022 results showed that although the two treatments had similar biomass (t/ha), the ewe hoggets on the mixed pasture were able to gain more weight due to higher dry matter content in the vetch/barley mix in comparison to the sole vetch treatment. The 2023 results showed opposite trends to 2022 with sheep gaining slightly more weight on the single species pasture. This may be due to the single species pasture having greater amounts of subzero which is high nutritional value and less competition with no other sown species. There were also significant amounts of voluntary ryegrass and barley grass which contributed to the single species resembling a mixed species pasture this season. Henderson’s site highlighted the importance of not only pasture biomass, but also pasture quality when identifying stocking rate and duration. This demonstration has shown a strong correlation between satellite imagery and biomass measurements. So far, results are providing optimism that with a combination of tools and information, it is reasonable to have confidence to make decisions around grazing timing, stocking rate and grazing length using satellite imagery in this scenario. Improved Pasture Management Systems PDS will run this year with a workshop planned for Spring 2024.

For more information, please contact Rachel Trengove, UNFS Project Officer, rachel@unfs.com.au.