Productive Saltland Pastures for southern WA

Summary

This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) aims to improve members’ knowledge and skills in the establishment, management, and benefits (profitability, productivity, and sustainability) of salt-tolerant forage systems on moderately salt-affected land for sheep producers in the Mediterranean zone of southern WA. 

Objectives

By January 2028, in the Great Southern and South Coast Region of WA:

1. Establish 6 paddock-scale PDS sites in year 1 to demonstrate variation in productivity of key shrub and understory varieties and a paddock scale increase in:

   • late summer/autumn (February – April) biomass production (up to 300%)

   • soil organic carbon and total carbon

2. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine relative economic performance of the salt-tolerant feed-base systems (using the Saltland Genie SGSL Economics Calculator), focusing on BCR and payback period

3. 50% of core producers will have established a salt-tolerant forage system on their moderately salt-affected land for sheep grazing systems

4. 50% of observer producers will have established (or intend to establish) a salt-tolerant forage system on their moderately salt-affected land for sheep grazing systems

5. 90% of Core producers and 70% of observer producers will have increased their knowledge and skills in the establishment, management, and benefits (production and sustainability) of salt-tolerant forage systems on moderately salt-affected land for sheep grazing systems

6. Results of the PDS are widely disseminated through the following targeted extension/adoption activities:

   • SaltlandGenie App: Showcasing the PDS sites in conjunction with other R & D sites (across southern WA) through an interactive map

   • Salt Summit: Industry event to be held in 2024

   • Biennial Field Walks (2023, 2025 and 2027)

   • Project to presented at an industry event in 2026 or 2027 with PDS Core Producers

   • Publications (articles, case studies, flyers, etc.)

     • Gillamii Membership (newsletter, email, website and social media)

     • Wider Community (newsletter, regional/state conferences, Saltland Genie Web-app, MLA publications and media platforms)

Progress

The Gillamii Grower Group in the Great Southern of WA has set out to improve the productivity of marginal saltland land, with 150 hectares of salt-tolerant forage systems being established over the past 12 months in collaboration with 4 farming families.  

This PDS Project aims to improve members’ knowledge and skills in the establishment, management, and benefits (profitability, productivity, and sustainability) of salt-tolerant pasture systems on moderately salt-affected land. Following on from the third year of pasture analysis we have begun to see the differences in the pasture only PDSs (House 1 & 2) compared to the pasture and fodder mixed sites (Tomlinson and Standish).  

The mix fodder and pasture sites have been rested and minimally grazed to allow the saltbush to establish, demonstrating the biomass potential of the species mixes with the Tomlinson PDS again showing the largest increase in digestible summer-autumn biomass (dry matter) when compared to the original volunteer pasture (258% increase from 2023 analysis, 338% from baseline in 2022 prior to establishment).  

House PDS 1 & 2 have continued to be utilized regularly, generating the largest financial benefit in the form of grazing days, resulting in an expected loss of overall biomass across the sites from 2022. The live export industry (or lack of it) has caused a backlog in domestic sales/processing (regardless of if the enterprise is live exporting sheep or not) and many WA producers are overstocked, leading to overgrazing of paddocks. This, in combination with extremely dry and hot summer-autumn conditions has put pressure on livestock enterprises and grazing land across our region. This dry period has also resulted in the unsuccessful establishment of Addis PDS 1 & 2. For further information about the project please visit Gillamii’s website -> https://www.gillamii.org.au/all-projects-blog/saltland-producer-demonstration-site