B.ERM.0108 - Wambiana: Grazing strategies and tools to improve profitability and land condition

Summary

The Wambiana grazing trial was established near Charters Towers in 1997 to test and develop evidence-based management strategies to manage for rainfall variability. This fourth phase (2018-2022) of the project focused on developing and demonstrating adaptive strategies and decision tools to help producers sustainably manage for climate variability.

Trial conditions were challenging with extended drought years. Pasture condition declined to very low levels under heavy stocking but in contrast to previous years, also declined to varying extents in the other strategies.

Importantly, the results show that simply stocking at long-term carrying capacity (LTCC) inevitably leads to land condition decline, unless stocking rates are adjusted downwards in lower rainfall years.

The key recommendation is thus to stock as close to LTCC in better seasons, but promptly reduce stocking rates with approaching drought. This long-term strategy allows producers to maintain viability in dry years, minimise land degradation and maximise the potential for post drought recovery.

Results indicate that for a 20,000ha property, adopting such a strategy would give an extra $3 million over 24 years in accumulated gross margin compared to heavy stocking.

Objectives

1. Test and develop flexible, adaptive grazing management guidelines to help producers manage climate variability and improve profitability and land condition.
2. Use satellite monitoring, walk over weighing and paddock data to develop decision support tools to assist producers making stocking rate and marketing decisions.
3. Establish on-property demonstration sites to show what can be achieved with good grazing management.
4. Improve adoption by working closely with producers and extension programs funded by MLA and Reef Water Quality initiatives.

Key findings

Stocking at long-term carrying capacity (LTCC) inevitably leads to land condition decline, unless stocking rates are adjusted downwards in lower rainfall years.

The key recommendation from the Wambiana field trial is thus to stock as close to LTCC in better seasons, but promptly reduce stocking rates with approaching drought. This long-term strategy allows producers to maintain viability in dry years, minimise land degradation and maximise the potential for post drought recovery.

Results indicate that for a 20,000ha property, adopting such a strategy would give an extra $3 million over 24 years in accumulated gross margin compared to heavy stocking.

Benefits to industry

The Wambiana trial is the first to provide long term, peer reviewed data showing the economic benefits of adopting more sustainable grazing strategies. More recent data from the trial has also shown that even if stocked at long term carrying capacity, degradation and economic loss can occur in drought unless stocking rates are adjusted appropriately.

Industry would benefit in the following ways from adopting the management guidelines generated from this project:

• Improved individual animal production resulting in faster turn-off, improved prices per kilogram and better grades at the meatworks.
• For breeders, heifers would reach puberty sooner while breeders would have greater re-conception rates and reduced calf mortality.
• Improved profitability through greater product prices and importantly, reduced costs particularly of drought feeding.
• Greater drought resilience resulting from reduced variability of forage production, improved rainfall infiltration and improved rainfall use efficiency.
• Reduced runoff from grazing lands and improved biodiversity both of which would improve the social licence of the grazing industry.

MLA action

The outcomes of the project have been used to guide new investment in an expanded project that includes an extension of the Wambiana field trial but also 10 demonstration farms across Queensland where producers will be able to see best-practice grazing land management in their own region.

Future research

Key future research targets arising through the project investigations include:

• Developing advanced management strategies to manage climate variability.
• Developing strategies to accelerate recovery of carrying capacity on C-condition land
• Understanding how to manage tree/grass balance and controlling the woody weed Carissa ovata.
• Developing an improved understanding of the ecology of key pasture species, to better target management interventions that allow these species to survive and thrive.