Productive grazing - native and introduced pastures
| Project start date: | 01 March 2011 |
| Project end date: | 21 May 2014 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | NSW |
|
Download Report
(1.2 MB)
|
|
Summary
There was a strong interest among members of the AIMS Grazing Management Group in the cost effectiveness of fertilisers, animal manures and composts. Composts that were available locally were a variable mixture of organic matter, animal wastes, soil and other components of which the temperature and moisture were regulated to produce a stable product. In contrast to this interest, there was little local evidence of measured pasture or livestock responses to these treatments.
On that basis, the aim of this Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) was to quantify the effectiveness of soil treatments for increasing pasture and livestock production.
Several soil treatments led to significant increases in herbage production of which chicken litter, single superphosphate and mixtures of chicken litter and cow manure with single superphosphate gave the largest response.
Objectives
The objectives of the project were to:
• identify the most effective soil treatment for pasture and red meat production
• increase red meat production from 130 to 280 kg/ha per annum where an effective soil treatment was used.
Progress
The results from the plot experiment were broadly supported from the paddocks with changes in soil fertility indicators associated with nutrient applications. Annual average stocking rates were increased by 15–20% (approx. 2 DSE/ha) above untreated control paddocks by a number of treatments including cow manure + SS, compost 2 + SS, SS and chicken litter.
The factor that best accounted for differences in pasture production was phosphorus application and this was reliably measured by both Olsen and Colwell tests for plant available phosphorous.
Extra herbage produced in response to treatments was cost effectively achieved and a subsequent shift to maintenance rates is likely to further lower the cost of extra pasture production.
