Pasture and Livestock Update | Brookton and Pingelly, WA

Visit Colin and Anna Butcher's property, 'Mailrock Farm' looking at Serradella and Biserrula pastures, and also cereal crops grown without fertiliser nitrogen. Brad Nutt (Murdoch University), Ron Yates (DPIRD), Angelo Loi (DPIRD) and Chris Poole (ALOSCA) will be on hand to discuss annual legume options, twin and summer sowing, nitrogen fixation and inoculation techniques.

Then to the UWA Farm for lunch and the afternoon session.

Afternoon session speakers and topics:

• Tim Watts, producer: Driving profitability of livestock within a mixed farming system. Managing crops, pastures and livestock through good seasons and bad to maximise profitablity while managing risk.
• Phil Nichols, DPIRD: Pasture varieties for here, there, but not everywhere. Phil will bring us up to speed on newly available species such as Messina and Tedera and some exciting new sub clover varieties.  
• Phil Barrett-Lennard, agVivo: Chaff carts and crop grazing – do they stack up?  Phil Barrett-Lennard will discuss the results of recent research on chaff carts and crop grazing, and will provide tips on how best to use these tools.
• Local producers: The Pasture & Livestock Updates Producer Panel. Three local producers will discuss how they manage their pastures and livestock, the challenges they are facing in 2017 and what they plan to do differently in 2018 and beyond.
• Phil Barrett-Lennard, agVivo and Dave Collins, Greening Australia: Inspection of perennial pastures, shrubs and trees. The UWA farm successfully established a mix of perennial pastures in a small lowlying paddock in 2015. Phil Barrett-Lennard will discuss species options and establishment techniques. UWA Farm has also planted large numbers of trees and shrubs in recent years. Dave Collins from Greening Australia will discuss the pros and cons of different establishment techniques for trees and shrubs.

Download the flyer here.