No more gaps with superior shrub systems

Summary

The Western Australia Livestock Research Council has consistently raised ‘filling feed gaps’ as a priority for research. Superior shrub systems have the potential to act as ‘standing supplements’ to fill these gaps and deliver environmental benefits. Further, drought-tolerant shrubs provide nutrients to complement, and thereby improve, the feed conversion ratio of crop and pasture residues during summer and autumn, which reduces supplementation requirements.

Research shows that adoption of shrubs leads to increased water use in discharge areas (reduced dryland salinity), increased biodiversity and lower intensity of methane emissions. High value native shrubs that can establish readily from seed have significant potential to revitalise productivity of degraded rangelands for red meat production.

This project will develop high-value shrub systems to improve utilisation of the summer/autumn/early winter feed base in mediterranean and low rainfall mixed farming systems. A key element of the project is to investigate the viability of developing an elite saltbush cultivar, which can be established via seed, rather than saplings.

Objectives

This project will:

• accelerate development of new shrub genotypes that can be readily established by seed
• define management and grazing practices for existing and new genotypes for optimum production
• document cost reductions associated with establishment of saltbush and rhagodia lines by seed.

Benefits to industry

There are multiple benefits that shrubs can deliver on farm:

• reduced supplementary feeding
• improved nutrition, gut function and health
• flexibility to defer the grazing of stubbles or annual winter pastures
• land condition and salinity improvements and reduced methane emissions
• provision of shade and shelter, which are particularly beneficial at lambing or calving.