Temperate Pasture Sustainability Key Program

Summary

Collectively, the four projects (DAN,074, DAV092, DAS.032, DAT.OI6), addressed the two major goals of the Temperate Pasture Sustainability Key Program:- Goal 1 a that potentially responsive perennial grass based pastures can be cost effectively upgraded through grazing management to become a 'desirable' pasture for animal productivity and sustainability; and Goal 1 b that newly sown perennial grass based pastures can be cost effectively maintained through grazing management as a 'desirable' pasture for animal productivity and sustainability.

Twenty two grazing management sites were established throughout the High Rainfall Zone (HRZ) of south eastern Australia to provide the core of the program. Because of their important role in environmental sustainability and total pasture productivity, the emphasis in the experiments was on the perennial grasses. Paddocks were selected to represent:

Newly sown pastures

Degraded or run down pastures

Native pastures.