Is fertilising sown pastures economically worthwhile?
| Project start date: | 25 March 2019 |
| Project end date: | 30 May 2022 |
| Project status: | In progress |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Queensland |
| Site location: | Jandowae, Queensland |
Summary
This producer demonstration aimed to demonstrate the economic value of strategic fertilising regimes on existing rundown sub-tropical pastures on the Darling Downs, QLD.
Objectives
By May 2022, using paired paddock comparisons across four properties:
1. Demonstrate how strategic fertilising can improve long-term pasture productivity via:
a. At least 25% (starting land condition B) to 55% (starting land condition C) increase in average growing season pasture yield (kg DM/ha) and long-term carrying capacity (AE/ha) within three years.
b. Improved pasture quality (up to 30% increase in pasture crude protein measured via plant tissue analysis)
c. Improved diet quality (up to 20% increase in annual diet quality measured via fNIRS)
2. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to clearly demonstrate the economic value of fertilising existing sown pastures to red meat producers compared to doing nothing (good grazing management alone). This will be measured as additional kilograms of beef per hectare and per Adult Equivalent.
3. All 14 core members and an additional 10 observer members know:
a. the production benefits of addressing soil nutrient imbalances,
b. how to initiate a successful pasture fertilising program
c. key principles to managing grazing pressure to encourage and maintain good pasture condition
4. Eight of the 14 core group members have started soil testing rundown pasture paddocks with a plan to act to optimise pasture productivity.
5. Communication materials will be produced to publicise the outcomes of the PDS to producers in similar environments.
Progress
Poor sown pasture vigour underpinned by chronically low levels of key soil nutrients is limiting productivity on many grazing properties in the southern Brigalow Belt region in Queensland. Fertilising pastures is not common practice for beef producers in this region and they were interested in investigating if it was economically worthwhile to adopt this practice and what sort of application strategies would suit their local environment.
Paired paddock comparisons of fertilised and unfertilised paddocks were used across four properties to demonstrate how strategic fertilising based on regular soil testing can improve long-term pasture productivity. The project demonstrated that even at maintenance levels and during dry years, fertiliser application significantly increases the quantity of plant biomass produced. Average pasture yield in the fertilised paddocks was consistently double that of the unfertilised paddocks and the diet quality (protein, energy and digestibility) was also consistently better, regardless of season.
The benefit cost analysis demonstrated that fertilising was an economically worthwhile investment with a benefit to cost ratio of 2.2:1 using 2018-2021 input cots.
