L.FAP.1903 - The Persistent and productive pastures package
Pasture Paramedic enables rapid assessment of a pasture and signposts potential actions or pathways for producers to take.
| Project start date: | 29 September 2018 |
| Project end date: | 16 May 2022 |
| Publication date: | 12 April 2024 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep, Goat, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania |
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Summary
Achieving persistent and productive pastures can be a challenge. They need to be as productive as possible, but also persist. If productive and persistence pastures are wanted, then they need producers to take a keen and ongoing interest in their wellbeing.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) contracted Southern Farming Systems (SFS) to develop new products to renew interest in pasture management. The target audience of this project was advisors in the southern feedbase. Product development was to consider personality (temperament) type and their preferred styles for learning. Specifically, a high proportion of producers are visual learners and so use greater visual imagery in products.
Objectives
Objectives of the project were completed by:
• creation of a simple method to rapidly assess existing pasture condition called Pasture Paramedic and support package of technical manual (hard copy and online copy), recording booklet, instructional video and frequently asked questions on use.
• promotion to approximately 550 producers and 170 advisors through expos and media and training of 290 producers and 165 advisors through workshops on how to use PP.
• filling gaps in pasture resources to enable modernised pasture management materials in the PP treatment pathways of manipulation, and resowing by creation of six factsheets, two videos, and 10 producer stories.
Key findings
Decision matrices within Pasture Paramedic have worked exceptionally well and allowed the development of an effective but simple process of pasture assessment to inform future management. Producers and advisors have embraced Pasture Paramedic and shown high demand for the tool and the information created to complement it.
Benefits to industry
The benefit from having a new and rapid assessment method of pastures, has been reinvigorated producers who are taking more interest in their pastures. Creation of legacy products that are valued for their objectivity and information that can be used to engage more producers. Trained agronomists promoting the products and producers who are actively managing their pastures. Producers actively managing their pastures and improving their condition, will improve red meat production.
MLA action
While training of PP has occurred, more training of agronomists/advisors to assist with utilisation and understanding of the key information contained in factsheets would be encouraged, given the favourable response they have had in initial training events.
Future research
While this project has developed many products for PP treatment pathways, attention is still needed in some areas such as pasture species selection. Further promotion of products and their key components is needed to maximise their value and take advantage of the demand for them by producers and advisors. While some of this could be met within the project, it was limited by Covid and has mainly occurred in southwest Victoria.
More information
| Project manager: | Andrew Morelli |
| Contact email: | reports@mla.com.au |
| Primary researcher: | Southern Farming Systems |
