Future Farm Issue 13 April 2013 by greg Lawrence

ISSUE 13 APRIL 2013

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in this issue

4 Perennials pave the way to commercialisation

10 Clean slate offers perennial opportunity

14 Saltbush fills the feed gaps in marginal mix

The power of perennials Providing profitable options in a changing climate

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Agriculture in a changing climate

contents • Biofuel project moves

beyond mallees ............... 3

• Perennials on path

to commercialisation ......... 4

• Lucerne and livestock offer

risk management options .... 6

• Perennials have profit

potential in changed climate ......................... 8

• Clean slate offers perennial

opportunity .................. 10

• New options increase

forage shrub potential ..... 12

• Saltbush fills marginal gaps

in mixed-farming system .. 14

• Perennials productive for

native animals ............... 16

• Postgraduate research

adds value .................... 18

our cover Saltbush planted for livestock forage has been found to also have biodiversity benefits.

By Peter Zurzolo CeO, Future Farm Industries CRC

ith dire weather events and predictions of climate change part of everyday media coverage, it is timely to ask explicitly what role perennial plants could have in our future farming systems. The CRC’s recently-completed EverFarm project, (see pages 4–5), took a detailed look at how farming systems based on perennial plants would perform under projected future climate scenarios. The results are encouraging. We can now say with confidence that farming systems based on perennial plants offer resilience under projected climate change scenarios, although it is fair to say a degree of caution is still necessary in stating how important that contribution could be. There are many factors that contribute to how well farmers and farming systems will adapt to a changing climate. For instance we know that on an annual basis, and indeed as part of their day-to-day and year-to-year decision making, farmers adapt well to variability in weather. It’s just part of what they do — they adapt to existing climate variation. Farmers interviewed during the EverFarm project were generally confident they could adapt (at least in the shorter term) to changes in temperature and rainfall.

• See full story page 16. Photo: Stuart Collard

Given their knowledge and experience, they were looking for new technologies (sometimes expressed as plant varietal improvements and other technologies) to help them in the adaptation process. The CRC’s research has focused on the use of perennial plants due to their ability to cope with declining and variable rainfall. The deep roots of perennial plants enable them to capture and effectively use water at depth when there is little moisture. These plants, particularly the woody perennials such as mallee grown as energy crops, can also remove excess water in times of plenty, which could otherwise contribute to salinity by recharging groundwater during wetter periods. We are now in a position where we have several new perennial plant species and varieties entering into commercialisation (see pages 12–13). These plants, coupled with the farming systems the CRC has also developed, will help farmers adapt to a changing climate. Our research shows that farming systems based on perennial plants can improve profitability, with or without climate change.

Erratum The case study ‘Rejuvenate or re-sow — weighing up the options’ published in Future Farm Issue 12, December 2012 referred to applying molybdenum at 60 kg/ha as a foliar spray. This should have read 60 g/ha. A corrected version is available at: http://www.futurefarmonline.com.au/ knowledge-base-1/rejuvenate-or-resow-weighing-up-the-options

16 Future Farm magazine is published three times a year by the Future Farm Industries CRC Ltd (FFI CRC) ACN 125 594 765. Future Farm Industries CRC is a unique co-investment between meat, grains and wool industry research corporations, the Landmark agribusiness company, and the combined research power of CSIRO, seven State agencies and four universities. It was established in 2007 under the Commonwealth Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Program to build on the research of the former CRC for Plantbased Management of Dryland Salinity (CRC Salinity).

ISSUE 13 7 APRIL APRIL2011 2013

DISCLAIMER The information in this document has been published in good faith by Future Farm Industries CRC Limited to promote public discussion and to help improve farm proﬁtability and natural resource management. It is general information and you should obtain specialist advice on the applicability or otherwise of the information in this document. Neither Future Farm Industries CRC Limited nor any of its Participants endorse the information contained in this document, nor do they endorse any products identiﬁed by trade name. The information in this document is made available on the understanding that neither Future Farm Industries CRC Limited, nor any of its Participants will have any liability arising from any reliance upon any information in this document. This document is subject to copyright, and the prior written consent of Future Farm Industries CRC Limited must be obtained before it is copied.

For further information about the CRC visit www.futurefarmonline.com.au E: enquiry@futurefarmcrc.com.au T: (08) 6488 1952 Future Farm editorial enquiries Jill Griffi ths Publications Manager E: jill.griffi ths@futurefarmcrc.com.au T: (08) 6488 7353 ISSN (Print) 1835-9906 ISSN (Online) 1835-9914 Published April, 2013

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Biofuel project moves beyond mallees

esearch by Future Farm Industries CRC on the mallee-to-aviation fuel project continues to gain momentum, with the project recently expanding beyond its original scope. As outlined earlier in Future Farm (August 2011, April 2012), the CRC is working with aviation industry partners Airbus, virgin Australia and Ge, as well as biofuels processors, to develop and promote a renewable transport fuels industry via the harvesting and processing of mallee trees and other biomass feedstock into transport grade fuels. Since 2012 Airbus has been directly involved with the CRC’s research by funding a sustainability assessment and life cycle analysis of the proposed mallee biomass-toaviation fuel industry in Australia, beginning with a case study based in Western Australia. The report of this project is on track for release later this year. Future Farm Industries CRC Research Director, Dr John McGrath, said since the CRC began work in this area, it has continued to broaden its knowledge and involvement. “We’ve been encouraged by our collaborators to move beyond our initial research on mallee as a potential biomass source, to taking on an integrated approach by using a wider range of biomass sources and considering the complete ‘farm to fly’ supply chain,” John said. “It’s clear that the aviation industry is serious about reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, with international targets of five per cent of aviation biofuels to be produced from sustainable sources by 2020. For Australia, that means about 400 million litres of biofuel. The estimates are that to reach

TOP: Professor Susan Pond (AISAF) and David White (Virgin Australia) are enthusiastic about the potential of biomass feedstock for transport fuels. ABOVE: Meeting at the Avalon Airshow (L to R) John McGrath (FFI CRC), Frederic Eychenne (Airbus), David White (Virgin Australia), Colin Stucley (Enecon) and Paul Turnbull (FFI CRC).

this target would require around 4 to 5 million dry tonnes of biomass material — for example, wood, straw and mallees.” The vehicle proposed to move the supply chain research forward is a Sustainable Biofuels Alliance (SBA), and the CRC has been driving discussions with the Australian Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (AISAF), and other aviation and research organisations to help raise greater awareness of the biomass-to-biofuels supply chain possibilities. The SBA was a hot topic of discussion at the recent Avalon Airshow in victoria, the largest airshow in the southern hemisphere. The CRC and its aviation industry partners were invited to present at the Low Carbon Jet Fuel Forum at the airshow, with the CRC’s research highlighted in Airbus’ presentation, as well as John McGrath’s presentation on the potential biofuels industry. The CRC and proposed SBA members also met with Airbus’ New energies Programme Manager, Frederic eychenne, to update him on the status of Australian supply chain developments.

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“The objective of the SBA is to help the aviation industry in Australia reach its biofuel targets. We are actively seeking funding and continued investment by all parties involved to develop these new Australian industries, which would be based around regional production and processing hubs that provide farmers with a new crop option,” John said. “It’s an exciting time to be involved in the aviation biofuels story, as the end-users — that is, the aviation industry — are ready and waiting for the product, unlike many other customer relationships. The CRC has an important part in this development by using research and collaboration to show how this industry-in-waiting is sustainable and economically viable.”

contact

• John McGrath, FFI CRC

M: 0417 995 100 E: john.mcgrath@futurefarmcrc.com.au

ISSUE 13 APRIL 2013

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Perennials on path to commercialisation

s Future Farm Industries CRC draws to a close, there are many forage plants waiting in the wings, in varying stages of readiness to take their place centrestage on farms across Australia. But the path from prospective plant to commercial reality is a long, and often arduous, one. From the time researchers collect prospective plant material to the time a new plant cultivar is in farmers’ hands can be many years, but the steps and knowledge gained along the way are crucial to the ultimate commercial success of the cultivar (see Table 1). Peter Zurzolo, Future Farm Industries CRC Chief Executive Officer said it takes the trust and vision of agencies and industry bodies to commit resources to this journey. “Selecting varieties and cultivars starts with identifying a need,” Peter said. “From there, researchers collect prospective plant material and begin the process of selecting the best.” “Since beginning work on plant selection and breeding, the CRC and its partners have investigated many options but will only take the most prospective through to commercialisation. The process of getting to those final few selections requires a great many factors to be considered.

key points Farm Industries CRC has • Future many prospective forage plants

Putting plants to the test

Plants such as tedera (main picture) undergo extensive field and

laboratory testing before becoming commercial propositions. Dr Clinton Revell (DAFWA), INSeT: Dr Daniel Real (DAFWA), Tedera Breeding Project leader. who leads the CRC’s Future (Photos: FFI CRC) Cropping Systems program, explained that before a new • potential to become an environmental weed variety or cultivar could be released, there or an unmanageable crop weed were certain tests required to minimise the risk of negative outcomes. • potential for problems in managing the agronomic performance or health of the These tests include: plant. • consequences for animal productivity or health

Table 1 Steps involved in the domestication of new plant species* Identification of agronomic need or potential opportunity (new agro-ecological niches or new farming systems) Germplasm acquisition (from genetic resource centres or collection trips to centres of origin) Genotype characterisation (genotype sorting and measurement of important characters at a central location, 1–2 years) Short-listing of species with desirable characters (growth habit, pod and seed characteristics) Nursery trials of short-listed species (1–2 genotypes or bulks of 2–5 representative genotypes, limited locations, small plots, 2–3 replicates, 2–3 years duration) Selection of best adapted species for production, persistence and commercial potential Field evaluation of elite genotypes of the best species, in comparison with best existing pasture option (5-20 genotypes, multi-location trials in target environments under intended management system, 3-5 replicates, measurement of biomass production and persistence over 3–4 years duration) Cultivar release decision (determination of whether the best genotype(s) of the new species should be commercialised)

at various stages of development.

can take many years to • Itdevelop a new plant cultivar

Duty of care trials (quantification of any known or likely anti-nutritional or toxic chemicals in the species, conduct of grazing trials to confirm safety to grazing animals and weed risk assessment studies, 1–3 years duration)

can expect these plants • Farmers to become commercially available

Cultivar release (production and release of breeders’ seed to industry, pending satisfactory duty of care trial outcomes)

from idea to reality.

over the next few years.

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*From: Nichols PGH, Loi A, Nutt BJ, Snowball R, and Revell CK (2008) Domestication of Mediterranean annual pasture legumes for Australian farming systems. In ‘Conference proceedings of XXI International Grasslands Congress’, 2008 China

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“We need to balance legal, environmental and social obligations but still enable new improved cultivars to be developed and released,” Clinton said. “We also need to make sure the cultivar will do the job required of it and meet industry expectations.”

Commercial reality Peter Zurzolo said the limitations imposed by the CRC’s seven-year term, and the likelihood of successfully delivering material to a commercial partner in that time, influenced the CRC’s decisions about which of the original prospective plants were chosen to be taken to full commercialisation.

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Improved lines of old man saltbush, new varieties of cocksfoot, lotus, tall fescue and panic grass, and the first commerciallyavailable messina are all expected to be signed to commercial partners before June 2014 (see Table 2). “The work on tedera and the improved cultivars of mallee eucalypts will not be completed by the time the CRC closes its doors next year but substantial progress will be made by then and we expect others will carry on the work the CRC began,” Peter said.

More work needed

“Given that the CRC will only exist until June 2014, and has limited funding, we made some decisions about the plants we would continue working with and those we would hand over to others,” Peter said.

“Perennial wheat and salt-tolerant wheat are two plants the CRC did some preliminary work on and both would provide tremendous advantages to Australian agriculture. The CRC’s initial research provided ‘proof of concept’ for each — essentially, the research said, yes, this idea will work.

“We now have plants in various stages of development or commercialisation. With some, we are currently negotiating the details of commercial release with seed companies. We expect contracts to be in place later this year or early next year, and commercial release to farmers will follow.”

“But the path from that point to commercial reality was estimated to be at least another decade, if not two. This was considered beyond the scope of the CRC so we are putting in place a process to hand the material on to others to continue the work,” Peter said.

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New rhizobia soon to be released

cid-tolerant lucerne rhizobia is another new technology soon to hit the market place. While not a plant variety, acid-tolerant lucerne rhizobia is the key to enable existing lucerne varieties to be successfully grown in more acidic soils than those in which lucerne traditionally thrives. The CRC funded research through the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) to evaluate a range of new strains for superior acid tolerance and a new strain is now in the final stages of commercialisation. It is expected to be released commercially across eastern Australia in time for sowing lucerne in 2014.

Table 2 Status of CRC plants in commercial development Plant

Special characteristics

Current status

Old man saltbush

elite lines with high palatability, digestibility and nutrition

CRC entering into negotiations with nurseries for supply

2014

Messina

Salt-tolerant and waterlogging-tolerant annual legume

Seeking commercial partner in first half of 2013

2014

Lotus

Perennial legume selected for acid soils of the Western Slopes region of NSW

Negotiations with seed company underway

2014

Cocksfoot (new variety or varieties)

Increased persistence and productivity, better feed quality; tailored to particular areas

Negotiations with seed company underway

2014

Tall fescue (new variety or varieties)

Increased persistence and productivity, better feed quality; tailored to particular areas

Negotiations with seed company underway

2014

Panic grasses (new variety or varieties)

More productive subtropical grass

Negotiations with seed company underway

2014

Tedera

Drought-tolerant perennial legume

Breeding and duty of care work continuing; Negotiations with seed company underway

2015

Research and breeding work continuing.

2019

Mallee

More productive breeding lines

Expected release date*

contact

• Peter Zurzolo, FFI CRC P: (08) 6488 1429 E: peter.zurzolo@futurefarmcrc.com.au

• Dr Clinton Revell, DAFWA P: (08) 9368 3596 E: clinton.revell@agric.wa.gov.au

*Release date given here is the time at which material will be handed over to a commercial partner. The date of availability to consumers will then be determined by the commercial enterprise.

Messina field trials at Darkan, WA showed how well the plant could grow in saline, waterlogged soils. (Photo: FFI CRC)

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Lucerne and livestock offer risk management options

ivestock and perennial pastures have been providing an essential risk management tool for the Pocock family, Lameroo, South Australia, for the past three generations. With a significant portion of marginal soil on their 2500 hectares, Robert and his parents Bruce and Gaylia have developed a finelytuned mixed farming system that considers carefully the potential of soil type and seasonal fluctuation.

farm info . Case study: Robert Pocock Location: Lameroo, South Australia Property size: 2500 ha Mean annual rainfall: 325 mm Soils: Mallee dune swale from deep white non-wetting sands

through to heavy loam flats and everything in between

Enterprises: Poll Merino stud and commercial flock and cropping (cereals, legumes, canola, hay).

“While many farmers in our area have a strong cropping focus, with some going entirely out of sheep, we will never take livestock out — they offer less risk and a better return across our marginal soil types,” Robert explained. “We have a real mix of soil types, from deep, white non-wetting sands through to heavy loam flats and everything in between. There are alkaline flats and acidic sands. With variable rate technology, which allows us to be more prescriptive with the way we manage our inputs, our sand is becoming quite profitable to crop. But our heavier soils are just better suited to grazing — cropping is too high risk on clays in dry seasons. My grandfather fenced a large percentage of the farming land by soil type, which was an innovative approach at that time. Our hills run east west and most paddocks are only about 300-800 m across and up to 1.5 km long with an intricate watering system. The average paddock size is about 30 ha. Many of these fences need upgrading and with about 150 km of fencing, the cost of infrastructure is becoming prohibitive. For efficiencies in cropping, big paddocks are ideal, but for livestock they need to be small. The lucerne goes on our lighter cropping country, as long as there is not too much skeleton weed, and our heavier country is predominantly medic, with some ryegrass

key points a mixed farming system with • Invariable soil types, lucerne provides a risk management valuable option.

lls • In most years, lucerne fi the summer–autumn feed gap,

maintaining ewe condition with minimal supplementary feed.

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Livestock play an integral role in Rob Pocock’s (pictured) mixed farming system. And lucerne has provided a valuable year-round feed source on the family property for three generations. (Photos: supplied by Robert Pocock).

and clover in our annual ryegrass-resistant country. I’m currently trying to work out a new strategy to control resistant ryegrass that will incorporate livestock. Most paddocks also contain volunteer veldt grass, which was sown originally about 50–60 years ago. It regenerates whenever cropping stops and dies out quickly after a crop is sown — the sowing process cuts the roots, killing the grass.

Perennial support My grandfather started sowing lucerne more than 50 years ago, with a direct-drilling technique way ahead of his time. This method used the non-wetting soil to channel water into the sowing furrow to boost germination. In most years, lucerne is the ‘king of fodder’ providing green feed all year round — until this year, which has been incredibly dry

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(50 mm from September to March). In this situation it can become a chore: requiring careful grazing. At this stage we have no subsoil moisture and the sheep are picking the medic seed out of the ground. This autumn and winter will be challenging. In saying that, it’s March and we have just started hand feeding sheep — our summer pastures are still providing feed, even though they have to be carefully managed. This means quick periods of grazing rotating through the paddocks, and no set stocking. This is just par for the course for me — we’ve never set stocked. While lucerne provides ideal feed for actively-growing young stock, in a good year everything gets access to the lucerne (with properties 20 km apart it’s too hard to get lambs around in a big rotation).

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The lucerne takes pressure off having to graze stubbles heavily during summer, but the real benefit is through providing feed during the autumn feed gap to maintain ewe condition and reduce hand feeding. While we choose lucerne varieties with medium to lower winter activity (higher activity is too expensive) we still get plenty of grazing opportunities during winter. I wouldn’t describe our lucerne stands as high-density. We let a lot of volunteer grasses regenerate through winter, which become dry matter in summer. What this approach does is produce a mini haystack. you can produce a beautiful high-density lucerne stand in this area, but this requires high effort and management. We manage our stock well, but don’t have the labour to nurse stock because they’ve got a gut ache. We do not really have any issues with bloat, that is why I like to have a mix of volunteer clover, grasses and medics in the inter-row. Although I do like to allow other species to fill the gaps in the lucerne stand, we do spray

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top every now and then to prevent grass seeds (brome, barley, silver grass). While we have sparse lucerne stands that are more than 20 years old, most stands start to deteriorate after six or seven years when we look to put them back into crop to clean up the paddock. We’ll generally have a couple of crops and then sow lucerne back in. This year we will sow 900 ha of crop and about 150–200 ha of lucerne. All our lucerne is sown with 2 cm autosteer into a cover crop, usually of high-vigour barley sown at about 20 kg/ha. The past couple of years the barley has gone through to grain because of poor strike rates in the lucerne (30%) and generous barley prices. This approach may not be textbook perfect, but it allows us to recoup the cost of sowing the lucerne and we haven’t disappeared off the world of farming. We sow the lucerne with single super and spread single super every year, or second year, depending on rainfall and finances.

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To the future We are using variable rate technology successfully across our cropping enterprise and with so much variation across our lucerne country I would love to use normalised difference vegetation index (NDvI) to apply nutrients more effectively in our lucerne pastures to ensure our high production areas do not get depleted of phosphorus. When I go to re-sow I want to increase the lucerne sowing rate in the areas where the lucerne has been more productive and persisted better, and not actually sow in the poor-performing areas.

contact

• Robert Pocock M: 0438 824 758 E: lampata@dragnet.com.au

science behind the story

Roy Latta, SARDI

• Lucerne provides an attractive

option for the Pocock family due to its adaptability to dune–swale alkaline soil types, their enterprise mix and the paddock confi gurations. While most farmers in the area choose to focus on cropping management and have reduced their management intensity on their livestock enterprises, Robert and his parents push both components of their farm business, and lucerne is an integral component of their livestock enterprise.

While lucerne certainly can be a viable option in the region it demands attention to both pasture and livestock management for success, as Robert points out. establishing lucerne under a cover crop provides the opportunity to negate some of the establishment costs on land that otherwise would produce little or no return in that season, due to the slow early development of the lucerne. Secondly, and possibly more importantly, it protects the establishing pasture from erosion and sand blasting. And in the event of establishment failure, soil is protected

during the subsequent summer. To reduce competition the lucerne seed must be placed in the cover crop inter-row and the crop sowing rate be at least halved. The negatives of the cover crop approach include an increased risk of failure in the event of a dry spring. As Robert highlights, paddock preparation is essential. Weed competition, followed by insect attack, are the two main causes of establishment failure. Lucerne population densities of 10-12 plants/m2 in the 300–350 mm Mallee environment are ideal for persistence and production. This allows the lucerne to use soil water effectively and aligns with the one plant/m2/inch of rainfall historical rule of thumb. Precision sowing machinery, press wheels, weed and insect control can see a sowing rate of 1 kg/ha, (more than 30 seeds/m2) achieve acceptable densities. Persistence is critical — lucerne is expensive to establish. Poor grazing management is the most common reason for plant loss. Intensive grazing followed by a rest period is essential, where lucerne is actively growing a two week

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on six week off rotational grazing strategy is recommended. Where lucerne is dormant, due to lack of water, grazing should cease. In a mixed farming situation, paddock size for optional grazing versus cropping is always a trade-off. There is often a difficult balance between pasture utilisation across paddocks and erosion risk on many Mallee farms. Robert’s approach of allowing volunteer grasses to fill gaps in the lucerne does more than provide a ‘haystack’ of feed over summer — it also provides valuable groundcover and protection against erosion.

• Roy Latta is a Research Ofﬁcer

with SARDI, based at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre.

contact

• Roy Latta, SARDI T: (08) 8680 6211 E: Roy.Latta@sa.gov.au

ISSUE 13 APRIL 2013

future farm

Perennials have profi t potential in changed climate

EverFarm combined knowledge of farming systems with economic analysis skills to better understand how well the CRC’s EverGraze, EverCrop and New Woody Crops farming systems can adapt to climate change (see Future Farm Issue 11, August 2012.) The EverFarm project differed from the CRC’s previous work on farming systems in that it looked at how the systems were likely to perform under a changing climate.

key points profi tability in farming systems.

shows that under • Modelling predicted future climate

change is likely to impact • Climate farming systems and farm profi ts detrimentally in the order of tens of dollars per hectare.

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“For some locations and soil types, future pasture production is predicted to be lower than in the past, while in a smaller number of cases there are indications that the future is not so dire. Pasture results depend on rainfall and temperature distributions, and some potential increases in pasture were explained by changes in seasonal rainfall patterns.”

At Cunderdin pasture production trends showed that, when compared with the historical case, productivity would be lower across the whole year. At Katanning there was some indication of improved future production — more so for perennial than annual pastures. At Wagga Wagga pasture production was predicted to be substantially lower across the whole season for all species, with major implications for the farming system (see Figure 1). But at Hamilton there was some indication future perennial pasture

Data from research sites in four locations — Cunderdin and Katanning in Western Australia, Wagga Wagga in New South Wales,

Figure 1 Total available herbage (food on offer) for annual and perennial pastures at Wagga Wagga, NSW under historic and projected future climates

4000 3000 2000 1000 4000 3000 2000 1000

Historic climate Future climate

4000

Phalaris

scenarios crop yields and pasture production are likely to be lower in some areas.

and Hamilton in victoria — were analysed and used in the computer modelling employed in EverFarm.

Lucerne

or without climate change, • With perennial plants improve

“In some cases there was greater variation in the predicted yield and in others there was a reduced risk of lower yield,” Bob said.

Annual

EverFarm was jointly led by Dr Bob Farquharson (University of Melbourne) and Dr Amir Abadi (Western Australian Department of environment and Conservation). The project was funded by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF).

everFarm found that systems using perennials could be more proﬁtable than those without perennials, regardless of climate. (Photo: FFI CRC)

Bob said the projected crop and pasture yields would generally be lower under a future climate scenario.

Total available herbage (kg/ha/day)

odelling results from the Future Farm Industries CRC EverFarm project indicate that under a projected climate change scenario, a mix of perennial pastures and mallees could, in certain situations, be about $40 per hectare more profitable than a system with no perennial component.

3000 2000 1000 May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Adapted from: EverFarm research data

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production may be only slightly lower and there was evidence of a shift in seasonal patterns to increased winter–spring growth at the expense of the summer–autumn period. The results indicate that perennial pastures can potentially improve farm profits. They improve the use of annual pastures, which are the predominant feed source in winter and spring. Perennial pastures also reduce supplementary feed costs and increase availability of summer and autumn feed, which enables higher stocking rates. The combination of reduced livestock operating costs and increased stocking rates increases livestock profitability. This makes it worth replacing grain crops with livestock grazing on paddocks where it becomes financially viable to switch land uses.

The mallee experience Mallees have the potential to future-proof some farming systems, but Amir Abadi said that, when considering the predictions of mallee biomass yield, the important question is whether the predicted future biomass yields and patterns of growth are likely to be profitable as part of an integrated farming system. “Planting mallee for biomass will only appeal to farmers if they can sell biomass at attractive prices and process it locally. Our analysis suggests the average future annual biomass yield is around 17 green tonnes per hectare, with a range of 12 to 22 gt/ha per year depending on the annual rainfall and the site,” Amir said. The EverFarm team used two bio-economic models to analyse the land use mix that maximised proftability and cash flow. The first was the whole-farm optimisation model, MIDAS. The other was IMAGINe, a model designed for field or paddock-level analysis. The models are complementary and each had its role in the study. To ensure their models were as grounded and realistic as possible, researchers validated their results through consultation with farm consultants and industry benchmarks that reflect the experience of growers.

ABOVE AND BELOW: One of the factors considered in the everFarm project was the proﬁtability of incorporating mallee belts, as biomass tree crops, into wheatbelt farms. (Photos: FFI CRC)

Table 1 Impact of perennials shown by percentage increase in net returns per hectare when compared to without perennial scenario, MIDAS results Climate series Historical

Future

Perennial pastures

38%

44%

Mallee

40%

47%

CUNDERDIN

Source: EverFarm research data

profits in the order of tens of dollars per hectare. In this case, the introduction of perennial plants (including pastures and shrubs such as mallees) is likely to be economically appealing to farmers (see Table 1). “If for example we look at the figures for Cunderdin, the farm profitability under the historic climate and with no perennial plants in the system is $110/ha. Add perennials and mallees to that and under the historic climate the profitability rises to $154/ha. Under the projected climate scenario, without perennials the profitability is $89, compared with $131/ha with perennials and mallees,” Amir said.

Amir explained that the MIDAS analyses used a representative whole-farm approach to determine farm profitability with and without perennial plants and also with mallee for biomass, in an historical and a likely-future climate. The IMAGINe model was also used to investigate the same question at the farm enterprise (field or paddock) level.

“Perennials improved farm profitability with or without climate change. It is interesting to note that in the future, even with projected climate change, farm profitability could be higher than it currently is for farmers that integrate perennials into their system.”

In a whole-farm context the results have shown climate change is likely to impact these farming systems and decrease farm

Bob said that in the initial stage of the EverFarm project, researchers interviewed farmers to find out about existing farming

Testing the water

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systems in the various locations studied during the research. Researchers explored farmers’ feelings about predicted climate change to determine how they might react, and to canvass their responses to a potential on-farm tree activity (growing mallee for biofuels production). “Farmers commented that such systems are potentially appealing but ultimately it is the financial viability that is important,” Bob confirmed. “At least initially, farmers may need an incentive to adopt farming systems they are unfamiliar with.”

contact

• Dr Amir Abadi, Department of

environment and Conservation T: (08) 9334 0321 E: amir.abadi@dec.wa.gov.au

• Dr Bob Farquharson,

University of Melbourne T: (03) 8344 7390 E: bob.farquharson@unimelb.edu.au

ISSUE 13 APRIL 2013

future farm

Clean slate offers perennial opportunity

farm info .

hilip and Lucy Headlam were excited about starting with a clean slate on their 184 ha grazing property at Pipers Brook. And a strategic approach has seen them investigate all the options when it comes to establishing productive and persistent perennial pastures.

Case study: Philip and Lucy Headlam Location: Pipers Brook, northern Tasmania Property size: 184 ha Mean annual rainfall: 750 mm Soils: Loams and sandy loams with a clay hard pan — fairly shallow soils

“When we bought the property about five years ago, everything was bush and our first step was to do a whole-farm plan through NRM North,” Philip explained.

Enterprises: Self-replacing Coopworth and Coopworth x Corriedale ewes, store lamb production.

“We always aimed to strive for a balance of natural vegetation and livestock production. Almost immediately after we took over, fire burnt the lot. While this certainly wasn’t part of our plan, I knew the country would recover and it has been rewarding to watch. Even though the fire impacted enormously on the property, the plan allowed a strategic approach to rebuilding. Some farms are over-cleared, however we have been able to establish a farm with laneways, shelter belts and paddocks to create a balance of native vegetation and livestock production.

Pasture trial and error When it came to establishing pastures, we went with what had worked for us in the past on our other properties — a perennial ryegrass (Matrix), legume and plaintain mix.

Philip (pictured) and Lucy Headlam have developed their property with the aim of achieving a sustainable balance of productive pastures and native shelter belts (Photo: Catriona Nicholls)

Perennial ryegrass grows well, producing highquality feed and it persists in our conditions. We sowed everything at once and about 80% of the paddocks were a success, but 20% of the property didn’t establish well and I have

key points a bush block has • Purchasing allowed Philip and Lucy Headlam to develop the ideal grazing property, with a sustainable mix of productive pastures with native shelter belts.

looking for a suitable • When perennial pasture option, the

Headlams look for pastures that are productive, persistent and maintain a high feed value throughout the growing season.

pasture trials identify • On-farm pastures that will perform under local soil and climatic conditions and existing management practices.

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been looking for a grass option for these paddocks, which I suspect have a fairly low pH compared with the more successful paddocks. A Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) pasture trial on the property allowed me to see what suits our environment and investigate options I wouldn’t necessarily have looked at. Perennial pasture researcher eric Hall, TIA, is looking at the ability of a range of grass– legume mixes to persist and produce under our conditions and grazing management. At this stage I think the Megatas cocksfoot has been the best performer. It established well, responded to summer rain more than any of the other grasses, seems to have the best winter production and has recovered quickly from grazing. I was really impressed by the cocksfoot’s establishment — it outperformed anything else under the same conditions. you would expect ryegrass, with a bigger seed, would get the jump, but there were simply more cocksfoot plants there.

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I am surprised the Megatas is so productive and palatable to the stock — Porto cocksfoot had such a poor reputation for being rank, clumpy and unpalatable. Megatas is a less clumpy variety and more leafy.

Putting Megatas to the test Although Megatas performed well visually, it still needed to convince me in terms of feed value. But a recent feed test has convinced me it can compete favourably with the ryegrass at this time of year in terms of nutrition (see Table 1). eric’s trial is looking not only at individual species performance, but how they work together in a mix in terms of pasture composition over time. This is important to us as we run with a pasture mix that includes legumes and plantain. I like the idea of the plantain as it has a deep root system and it can find nutrients below the grasses. It seems to have gone quite well where we have included it — across about half of the farm.

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Table 1 Comparison of feed test results for Matrix perennial ryegrass and Megatas cocksfoot Species (variety)

Sample date

Dry matter (%)

Estimated energy (ME MJ/kg DM)

Crude protein (% of DM)

Neutral detergent fibre (% DM)

Digestibility of organic DM (%)

Ryegrass (Matrix)/clover

5/07/12

16.7

10.4

24.5

38.5

66.2

Cocksfoot (Megatas)/clover

5/07/12

21.2

10.2

23.4

43.1

65.0

Source: Philip and Lucy Headlam

We’ve also included a fair bit of white clover and sub-clover in our mix. For the first couple of years white clover dominates and you worry about the grasses. But the clovers supply nitrogen to the grasses and the grasses start to come through. Hopefully the pastures will produce a greater bulk of spring and summer feed as they are more grass dominant.

Preparation for sowing We started preparing our new paddock in autumn for sowing pasture during spring. Low pH is one of our biggest concerns. By applying and working in 4.5t/ha of 50% powder lime and 50% agricultural lime we are targeting soil pH levels above 6. This approach improves nutrient availability, but we need to be aware of releasing molybdenum and potentially locking up copper. After cleaning up any remaining weeds, we were keen to sow in mid September, but wet conditions meant we couldn’t get on the paddock until mid October. We went with a mix of: cocksfoot (Megatas), fescue

(Quantam), plantain (Tonic), strawberry clover (Palestine), red clover (Astred) and bladder clover (Bartolo). Immediately after sowing the tap turned off — a case of feast followed by famine throughout spring. The pasture struggled to germinate and establish on little moisture. It received about 23 mm before Christmas, which was followed by a quick graze to encourage tillering. Summer was dry and we have only just received a decent rain during late March — the Megatas started to respond immediately.

On-farm trial decision support Having pasture trials on farm allows us to see which species perform in our situation. The trial is in the general paddock grazing rotation, providing a realistic indication of overall performance in a farm environment. When it comes to a final decision on a new pasture mix, a combination of local knowledge, seed company information, journal articles and trial results come into play. Ultimately we need an easilyestablished productive pasture that will

On-farm trials under real-farm conditions allow Philip and Lucy to explore which species will thrive in their environment.

persist and provide high feed value throughout the year. Finally, it forms part of a landscape along with native shelter belts, healthy riparian zones, laneways and smaller paddocks in an attempt to create the ultimate grazing experience. This case study first appeared in the Sheep Connect Tasmania Spring 2012 newsletter. It has been updated to reflect current seasonal conditions.

contact

• Philip and Lucy Headlam M: 0409 219 288 E: pc.headlam@bigpond.com

science behind the story

Eric Hall, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture

• During the past, grazing systems in

the low rainfall (< 700 mm) areas of Tasmania have relied heavily on the ‘traditional’ perennial pasture species — perennial ryegrass and white clover — to provide yearround ground cover. However, changing rainfall patterns, resulting in below average annual rainfall, and longer drier summers have seen these species no longer adapt to this environment.

The failure of these species to persist and the resulting lack of perennial vegetation cover across the region has become a major threat to the sustainability of the land and agricultual industries it supports. This has led to a long-term loss of production and productivity in the affected areas. Large areas are devoid of plant cover, particularly through summer, resulting in increased risk of soil erosion, salinity and weed invasion.

During the past 10 years TIA has developed and commercially released a number of alternative species and varieties, including Megatas cocksfoot. These plants can tolerate harsh conditions including drought, low soil pH, hot summers, wind, pasture grubs and intensive grazing pressure. During 2009 TIA initiated a series of onfarm demonstrations with the assistance of Caring for Our Country Funding. The aim was to showcase the value of the material developed by TIA’s pasture breeding program and to overcome the lack of perennial cover through the demonstration and promotion of the environmental and production benefits to be gained from using these new ‘alternative’ long-lived perennial species and varieties. Philip and Lucy Headlam are members of the Pipers River Neighbourhood Group (PRNG), an active and forward thinking group of farmers, who are keen to extract the best out of their patch of soil while protecting it as the valuable resource it is.

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During 2010 with funding support from Tamar Natural Resource Management, TIA and the PRNG, a 0.75ha pasture demonstration showcasing TIA’s new varieties was established on Philip and Lucy’s property. The establishment of this type of demonstration has proved to be an excellent change management tool. Farmers are known for looking over the fence and are more likely to change their practices if the benefits of improved farming practices can be demonstrated “by someone else”. Well done Philip and Lucy.

• Eric Hall is a research agronomist with the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture.

contact

• Eric Hall, TIA T: (03) 6336 5449 E: eric.hall@utas.edu.au

ISSUE 13 APRIL 2013

future farm

New options increase forage shrub potential

ew EverCrop trial results highlight the potential of promising native perennial shrub species for mixed plantings across a range of soil types in lowrainfall areas. Many mixed farmers in the South Australian Mallee already have a block of forage shrubs on their farm, usually a type of old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia), which delivers a range of benefits including: reduced supplementary feeding during autumn, forage options during drought, deferred grazing of regenerating annual pastures on other parts of the farm, a handy containment area during major cropping periods and a low-input production option on areas of low cropping potential. To date the Future Farm Industries CRC Enrich project team has focused on identifying new native shrub species to boost production and enhance livestock health from these forage blocks. While they have made significant progress, the team is currently investigating where these promising shrubs can best be placed in the Mallee farming landscape.

key points perennial forage shrub • Native options in low-rainfall farming systems are set to increase follow the latest Enrich and EverCrop trial results.

EverCrop trial results • Recent show potential production of

shrub species across a range of soil types.

shrub options through • Improved FFI CRC projects could boost

profi tability of mixed-species plantings across a broader range of mixed farming systems in lowrainfall areas.

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According to EverCrop project leader, Dr Rick Llewellyn, CSIRO, little previous work has been done to determine how well forage shrubs will grow on different soil types. “Our recent trial results suggest growth can still be strong and shrubs can provide reliable feed on heavy constrained swale soils that are risky for cropping. But higher growth rates are likely on sandier soils where rooting depth is deeper,” Rick said. “While soil type impacts production, there is a wide range of management factors that influence where a producer might place a new block of forage shrubs and it is usually not going to be on the soil where they might grow best.” The EverCrop team is developing a forage shrub growth prediction tool to help estimate production under different seasonal conditions on different soil types. According to Rick the outcomes of this research will allow producers to estimate production rates and feed supply reliability from shrubs planted in different parts of the landscape — particularly during the dry times when the forage shrub feed is valued most.

Enriching results During 2009 the Enrich and EverCrop teams established an experimental site at the Mallee Sustainable Farming research site at Waikerie, South Australia as part of the broader Enrich program, which includes many other similar sites across southern Australia.

everCrop researchers are investigating the potential ﬁt for native perennial shrubs in lowrainfall farming systems across soil types. (Photos courtesy: Bill Davoren: pictured above, CSIRO)

species, yielding about 3 kg per plant (about 7 tonnes per hectare) (see Figure 1). Results from 2012 saw edible biomass increase, with old man saltbush and River Murray saltbush producing more than 5 kg per plant (about 10 t/ha). The low ground-covering creeping saltbush declined in edible biomass productivity over time and Australian bindweed, tagasaste and tree medic produced little growth. Although old man saltbush was clearly the most productive shrub, several shrubs show promise for inclusion in the low-rainfall grazing systems of the Mallee in terms of adaption and production according to Enrich project leader, Dr Jason emms, SARDI. “Providing livestock with alternative feed (plants) of different chemical and nutritional attributes can boost production by allowing animals to mitigate excess anti-nutritional factors,” Jason said. “River saltbush, old man saltbush, river Murray saltbush, ruby saltbush, tar bush, Mallee saltbush and thorny saltbush all appear to have potential as components of shrub-based grazing systems.”

The team selected 15 potential forage shrub species based on earlier data from the Enrich project (see Future Farm issue 7 for more information), which suggested a range of potential benefits (see Table 1).

Exploring soil type impacts

Species were measured for their survival, productivity and general suitability between 2009 and 2012 and the site was grazed during autumn 2011 and 2012.

Old man saltbush (De Koch) and Mallee saltbush were grown in alternate rows 5 m apart with old man saltbush planted at 3.5 m intervals and Mallee saltbush at 2 m.

When researchers assessed edible biomass before the first grazing during 2011, River Murray saltbush was the most productive

The 140 m long rows run from the heavier constrained swale soil up to the deep sand at the top of the dune.

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Alongside the Enrich trial, EverCrop researchers established a trial investigating shrub growth across a typical dune–swale landscape at the Waikerie, SA site.

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“Plants established well and although the site does not reflect an extreme soil-type gradation by Mallee standards, there were large differences in growth between the swale and dune soil types,” Rick said. During early autumn of 2011 and 2012, edible biomass was almost twice as high on the dune sand (see Figure 2). “Edible biomass at the end of autumn this year (2013) will be largely determined by early autumn rainfall due to the extremely dry 2012 spring and 2012–13 summer, which has restricted summer growth,” Rick said. “Being a less-selected and developed species, Mallee saltbush has far more variability between plants but average results indicate a similar gradient on growth from swale to dune.”

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Table 1 Waikerie trial species and reason for inclusion Common name (species name)

Reason for inclusion

River saltbush (Atriplex amnicola) Coastal saltbush (Atriplex cinerea) Old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia cv. Eyres Green) River Murray saltbush (Atriplex rhagodioides) Creeping saltbush (Atriplex semibaccata) Tagasaste (Chameacytisis prolifer) Nitre goosefoot (Chenopodium nitrariaceum) Australian bindweed (Convolvulus remotus) Ruby saltbush (Enchylaena tomentosa) Tar bush (Eremophila glabra) Tree medic (Medicago strasseri) Fleshy leaved saltbush (Rhagodia crassifolia) Mealy saltbush (Rhagodia parabolica)

Biomass production Biomass production Commercial standard Biomass production Biomass production Commercial standard Anthelmintic potential, antimethanogenic potential High fermentability, anthelmintic potential Antimethanogenic potential, moderate biomass Anthelmintic potential, antimethanogenic potential High nutritive value Antimethanogenic potential Anthelmintic potential, antimethanogenic potential, moderate biomass Biomass production, anthelmintic potential, antimethanogenic potential Biomass production

Mallee saltbush (Rhagodia preissii) Thorny saltbush (Rhagodia spinescens)

Interpreting the results

“If the feed quality of available shrub options stays the same, a few producers might establish small shrub plantings on their most marginal soils as we see now, Rick said. “Forage shrub blocks are likely to remain only a small proportion of the whole-farm area on typical mixed farms. But if higher quality, more productive options become available, the options become more profitable and attractive to more producers. Our whole-farm economic analysis shows that improving feed quality drives the wholefarm value of forage shrub blocks and they can become a more attractive option on better soils.”

Figure 1 Average edible biomass during autumn 2011 and 2012* 6.0 2011 2012

5.0

Edible biomass (kg/plant)

According to Rick, Mallee mixed farmers want improved forage block options to help manage livestock around their cropping program. The ongoing trial results do not mean producers now have a ‘silver bullet’ new forage shrub option, but it does mean new native species and improved types of old man saltbush have the potential to make forage shrubs a more valuable option across more mixed farming systems.

4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0 h

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a rs

d Ol

Rick is quick to point out that finding suitable plant species is only one part of developing sustainable grazing systems.

For more information on saltbush research, read ‘Saltbush development narrows the field’, Future Farm, Issue 11 August 2012.

contact

• EverCrop, Dr Rick Llewellyn, CSIRO T: (08) 8303 8502 E: rick.llewellyn@csiro.au

• Enrich, Dr Jason Emms, SARDI T: (08) 8303 9602 E: jason.emms@sa.gov.au

M er

ltb

e Cr

h h h h h h d ic ot te us us us us us us ee fo as ed m rb ltb ltb ltb ltb ltb se as dw a a a a a a g o n e s s s s s T e Ta bi go y y e d Tr by n e al le rn ve ia tr Ru al ho Me ea al M Ni l T r st hy Au es Fl h

ltb

*Error bars indicate the standard error

Figure 2 Average edible biomass of the De Koch old man saltbush 2012 across soil types at Waikerie from the heavy constrained swale soil to the sandy dune soil (more reliable cropping soil) 4.00

Better cropping soil

3.50

Edible biomass (t/ha)

“Through the EverCrop project, the next phase involves looking at the broad range of feedbase options and their best fit for mixed farmers in the low-rainfall zone.”

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3.00 2.50 2.00 1.50

Constrained cropping soil

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Landscape position (swale-dune)

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future farm

Saltbush fi lls marginal gaps in mixed-farming system

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altbush is providing John and Debra Arentz, Manangatang victoria, with a resilient and timely fodder base in even the harshest of seasons. And after more than eight years of experience with the hardy perennial shrub, John has fine-tuned his saltbush plantings to maximise the opportunities within his mixed-farming system.

Case study: John and Debra Arentz Location: Manangatang, victoria Property size: 3300 ha Mean annual rainfall: 275 mm Soils: Sandy loams to heavier country Enterprises: Cropping, sheep (Merino ewes and White Suffolk rams)

Although John describes himself as a ‘cropping’ man, livestock have always had a role in his farming operations. And when he bought his current property, near Manangatang in the north-west victorian Mallee during 2004, poor returns from cropping marginal soils in a dry climate caused him to search for a resilient permanent fodder option. While lucerne fitted the bill on some of the kinder heavy country (about 50 ha in total) there were still areas that required something a little hardier. Initial discussions with local Landcare coordinators, Malcolm vallance and Malcolm Thompson, led John to investigate the potential of saltbush. Both coordinators had seen successful saltbush results in similar country and worked with John to access funding that allowed him to give it a go. According to John, the support of Malcolm vallance and Malcolm Thompson was crucial in the early stages. But after six years of expanding saltbush throughout 100 ha of his marginal country, John’s experience has allowed him to adjust the structure of his later saltbush paddocks, reducing the cost of establishment and maximising the flexibility of the landscape with inter-row opportunities.

Lessons learned Testing the water, John started with 8 ha of eyres green saltbush, planting seedlings four metres apart within rows, with row spacings of about four metres.

key points can provide a resilient • Saltbush fodder base in marginal areas unsuited to cropping and traditional perennial pastures

plenty of inter• Providing row space allows volunteer

annuals, reducing the need for supplementary feed.

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Leaving plenty of space between saltbush shrubs allows volunteer grasses to establish, providing a balanced diet for sheep. In suitable seasons, John (pictured at far right in the inset photo, sharing his experience with local producers) also opportunity crops with cereals between the shrub rows. (Photos: John Arentz (main) and Michael Moodie (inset).)

Although the saltbush established well, as it matured John has found the narrow row spacings limited the growth of volunteer grasses and medics between the rows and made mustering challenging. While it provides an important source of feed, sheep cannot survive on saltbush alone, so an alternative feed source between the rows is important to reduce the need for supplementary feeding. Over time John moved to six-metre spacings within the rows and 10 m between the rows. He says this is more than adequate in terms of fodder production and allows greater opportunity for volunteer species between rows and even facilitates cropping when seasons look promising. In fact if he started again John would go to 8 m shrub spacings on 12 m row spacings. Cropping the inter-row spaces is not something John carries out every year, but when it works, as it did during 2010, John claims the financial benefits are significant.

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Species selection John has tried numerous varieties of saltbush, but has found eyres green saltbush to best suit his system. eyres green is a vigorous hybrid variety which John finds easy to manage. One of the distinct advantages according to John, is that you can sow it in rows and that is where it stays. On the other hand, old man saltbush self seeds and can spread outside the rows, taking over the inter-row spacing.

Filling the feed gap While the ability to withstand soil and seasonal constraints was important, saltbush still needed to find a nutritional niche to be successful in John’s livestock enterprise. And according to John the saltbush complements the cropping enterprise and provides a timely fit with his wool and first-cross lamb enterprises.

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The saltbush provides a feed option for ewes during spring and summer, after vetch and medic pastures have been sprayed, to conserve water for the next crop.

In addition to providing a handy feed source at this time of year, John finds that he can leave the ewes on the saltbush and they remain trouble-free in terms of flies.

John mates his Merino ewes to white Suffolk rams and the ewes graze the saltbush until they are removed for crutching in March.

Most lambs are generally sold by August, but any remaining lambs are weaned on to the lucerne for finishing.

Having all the ewes removed from the cropping paddocks during spring and summer leads to much more ground cover in these paddocks and no soil erosion.

When season and market conditions are suitable, John has bought lambs during spring, held them in the saltbush and finished them on the available crop stubbles to clean up any residual grain and weeds that escape the boomspray.

During higher rainfall years, there is a balance of inter-row feed and saltbush, negating the need to supplementary feed. But in a dry year, when inter-row feed is scarce, John supplements the saltbush with with hay and grain. ewes remain in the saltbush until late autumn when they move onto John’s Mallee ground, which contains a good mix of vetch and naturally-regenerating medics, for lambing. John has found that while dry ewes do well on saltbush, lambs are slow to become accustomed to the feed source. In very dry seasons ewes have lambed in saltbush paddocks but need supplementary feeding. ewes and lambs remain on the Mallee country until shearing, during August, when the dry ewes return to the saltbush until winter pastures become available the following year.

Size matters John’s earliest saltbush paddock were about 20 ha, but later paddocks have been reduced by about half. This forces sheep to graze the paddocks more evenly. In larger paddocks, sheep tended to graze more closely to the water source — needing to drink more water when grazing the salty shrubs.

Complementary benefi ts For John, the saltbush has numerous benefits: it provides a profitable option on country that will not consistently support cropping and a valuable fodder source that fills seasonal feed gaps. According to John, saltbush also gives him the flexibility to take advantage of seasons and markets as they arrive. He has the

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opportunity to buy wether lambs during September and October when other people are running out of feed. And he can hold stock on saltbush and the lucerne until they are ready to be sold. John firmly believes that the balance of cropping and livestock are critical to the long-term sustainability of his operation — one wouldn’t work without the other. But he also recognises that this balance is not everyone’s cup of tea — it has taken a lot of work to establish his saltbush. Saltbush seedlings require several waterings to achieve successful establishment and small paddock sizes lead to costs associated with fencing and water systems. John admits if it weren’t for his marginal country, he wouldn’t have committed to saltbush. But in his circumstances, livestock were an existing part of his operation, which helped to bankroll the saltbush system. For other producers looking to incorporate areas of saltbush, John recommends taking it a step at a time.

contact

• John Arentz T: (03) 5035 1455 E: jdarentz@activ8.net.au

science behind the story

Michael Moodie, Mallee Sustainable Farming

• The soils on Mallee farms are highly

variable with high spatial variation occurring across short distances within the same paddock due to the dune-swale landscape. Soil types range from light-textured sandy soils through to calcareous clay loam soils with sub-soil constraints, such as high boron, chloride, electrical conductivity and pH.

On these highly-constrained soils, crop rooting depth may be limited to the top 60 cm of soil. Coupled with low rainfall (275–350 mm average annual rainfall), these constrained soils result in highly variable crop yields. While they can produce reasonable yields in seasons with wet springs they generally have much lower long-term average yields and, importantly, a much higher risk of poor yields and crop failure. For this reason Mallee farmers manage the soil types across their farms differently. In most instances farmers use precision agriculture to limit inputs and costs on the heavy constrained soils, where cropping is often unprofitable, and optimise inputs on the lighter more productive soils. Where there are large areas of constrained soils,

some farmers, such as John Arentz, have elected to change the management of these soils from an annual crop and pasture system to a perennial-based system using forage shrubs (Atriplex species). These farmers have found saltbush to be a valuable feed source, especially in times of low feed availability (before harvest and late autumn) and during drought. However, they have also learnt that perennial shrubs are not ‘silver bullets’ and have limitations as a feed source. Monitoring of John’s shrubs through the Northern victorian Grain and Graze project has shown production to be low (typically 1 t/ha) which is consistent with measurement of saltbush production on constrained soils by CSIRO through the Mallee EverCrop project. Livestock grazing saltbush also require supplementation with a high-energy food source such as hay or grain. John has set up his perennial shrub plantations to help address some of these constraints. By leaving a gap of 10 m between shrub rows he can establish grazing crops such as cereals that not only boost total feed production from the

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site, but complement the shrubs by providing a higher-energy feed source. John is also trialling mixed shrub plantings identified through the Enrich project and funded through the Mallee Catchment Management Authority as a means of providing more diverse diet for livestock. Furthermore, by planting shrubs at wider spacings both within and between rows, John reduced the costs of establishing the site. This has meant the site is large enough to carry all of his sheep when the paddocks are most vulnerable to soil erosion.

• Michael Moodie is an agronomist with

Mallee Sustainable Farming which is a farmer driven organisation delivering research and extension services to the < 350mm rainfall Mallee cropping regions of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

contact

• Michael Moodie,

Mallee Sustainable Farming M: 0448 612 892 E: michael@msfp.org.au

ISSUE 13 APRIL 2013

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Perennials productive for native animals P

erennial plants established to improve farm productivity can also have significant benefits for native fauna, the Future Farm Industries CRC Production Perennials for Biodiversity project found. Project leader Dr Anita Smyth (formerly CSIRO), University of Adelaide said native woody perennial farming systems may supplement the resources required by native vertebrate fauna to varying degrees.

“We looked at the resources the plantings would be able to provide to vertebrates and compared that with the resources vertebrates needed,” Andrew said.

Food and shelter The review found woody perennial farming systems can offer food, shelter and breeding resources for native birds, mammals and reptiles, so are beneficial to a range of native species in agricultural landscapes.

“Low foliage and woody infrastructure are available in most woody perennial farming systems, as is some form of woody debris and leaf litter,” Anita said. “Native forage shrubs in particular provide vegetative structures close to the ground.”

Native species are adapted to complex natural ecosystems and if relatively simple native woody perennial farming systems contain features similar to native habitats, species may be able to supplement critical resources at key points of their life cycles.

The CRC project evaluated a selection of woody perennial plantings for their potential to provide resources for terrestrial native vertebrates in the wheat and sheep belts of Western Australia and South Australia. Dr Andrew Fisher, from the Department of environment, Water and Natural Resources SA said the review focused on vertebrates.

“None of the woody perennial farming systems considered in the CRC research provided tree hollows and crevices, which are required by some species of mammals and birds. So the forage shrub plantings aren’t going to be able to provide all resources to all species, but we found they still provide useful habitat,” Andrew said.

key points man saltbush planted for • Old livestock forage can provide

valuable wildlife habitat, but for most native species it cannot provide all the resources they need.

affects saltbush’s habitat • Grazing value and mosaic grazing helps conserve habitat.

Old man saltbush can supplement the resources needed by native animals. (Photo: Tim Richards)

“The babblers that lived in the old man saltbush study sites remained within those sites for the three-month duration of the study, except for one group that made a small excursion to the corner of an adjoining mallee remnant,” Andrew said. “The babblers concentrated their activity in and around large shrubs, particularly within saltbush sites. “Clearly, native forage shrub plantings can provide resources to sustain populations of white-browed babblers over extended periods. It’s possible these resources are critical to their survival and breeding in farmland, but it’s uncertain at this stage without further studies. By increasing the availability of suitable resources, saltbush plantings may also enhance the resource connectivity for other native species within the Murray–Mallee landscape,” Andrew said.

Babblers in the bush A detailed study was made of one bird species — white-browed babblers (Pomatostomus superciliosus) — in old man saltbush plantings to determine the way they utilised the plantings in the SA Murray-Mallee region. Andrew said there was no difference between behaviours exhibited by babblers observed in mallee remnant sites when compared with planted saltbush sites (see also ‘Student research shows value’ page 18).

to remnant vegetation • Proximity increases the likelihood of birds using forage shrubs.

RIGHT: White-browed babblers can live in old man saltbush plantings. (Photo: Tim Richards)

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Sleepy lizards from the study areas were measured and their health status assessed (above left) as part of the sleepy lizard study (above right). (Photos: Anita Smyth)

Sleepy lizards happy in saltbush

Biodiversity conversation

In an allied study, revegetated native saltbush areas were found to provide important wildlife habitat. The study, recently published in the Australian Journal of Zoology, investigated how much use the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) (also called a bobtail lizard) made of saltbush planted in the SA Murray–Mallee.

Andrew said that the long-term usefulness of forage shrubs to biodiversity conservation would depend on farm management.

Anita Smyth said the study, which was funded by CSIRO and Future Farm Industries CRC, showed that native saltbush planted for stock forage in the region provided habitat for the sleepy lizard. “Adult lizards use the saltbush plantings before and during the breeding season and their young use them before they leave their birth place,” Anita said. The saltbush plantings investigated during the sleepy lizard study were all about 10 years old and the site was surrounded by cereal crops on all sides and isolated from roadside remnants of native vegetation. “It is usually thought that revegetation needs to contain many species and have a complex structure before it is useful for biodiversity conservation,” Anita said. “But we have found that even simple revegetation can have direct conservation benefits for some native fauna.”

“If native fauna are using the shrub plantings as a foraging area only, then the grazing management of the shrubs will obviously not have a huge impact on them. However, if the native species are living their entire lives in the shrub plantings, and sheep then heavily graze those shrubs, it will impact on the wildlife,” Andrew said. “We don’t know exactly how much impact this will be, and it will depend on many factors, such as the extent of the planted area, how heavily grazed it is, and what is in the surrounding landscape.” Anita said it may be beneficial for landholders to manage the timing and intensity of saltbush grazing by livestock in order to maintain a mosaic of saltbush habitats. “Such a mosaic of habitats could be achieved by having multiple plantations of saltbush grazed at different times of year, or by planting different species of saltbush with varying grazing tolerance. It is likely these simple, monoculture plantations can also benefit other native animal species by providing useful habitat in agricultural landscapes,” Anita said.

Andrew added that it was worthwhile remembering the forage shrubs are planted to fill the summer-autumn feed gap for sheep. “Any biodiversity benefits are really the icing on the cake. But it may be that management strategies can be developed that help increase the biodiversity benefits while maintaining the farming systems objectives of planting the shrubs,” Andrew said. Acknowledgements: This project was undertaken by CSIRO, The University of Adelaide and the Department of environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australia (formerly the Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity).

contact

• Dr Anita Smyth, (formerly CSIRO) The University of Adelaide P: (08) 8313 1270 E: anita.smyth@adelaide.edu.au

• Dr Andrew Fisher,

Department of environment, Water and Natural Resources — SA P: (08) 8303 9634 E: andrew.fisher@sa.gov.au

It may be possible to manage grazing of old man saltbush to increase its biodiversity beneﬁts while maintaining its farming system objectives. (Photo: FFI CRC)

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Postgraduate research adds value

he Future Farm Industries CRC postgraduate program contributes significantly to the research output of the organisation. Many PhD projects are directly aligned with CRC projects.

Birds in the saltbush

esearch undertaken by PhD candidate Tim Richards, University of Adelaide shows just how valuable the scholarship program has been to the CRC’s overall research output. Through his work on birds’ use of old man saltbush plantings in the Murray–Mallee region of South Australia, Tim made a valuable contribution to the Production

Perennials for Biodiversity project (see pp 16–17). Tim was drawn to his project by an interest in merging production systems and biodiversity, and trying to facilitate the success of both. The first part of his study involved a survey to discover which birds were found in saltbush plantings. “From the initial survey I selected three species and studied them in more detail, looking at their foraging behaviour, their

Contributing to sheep methane research

our years ago, Xixi Li was at her home in Hubei province in China researching potential PhD topics to match her overseas study plans. Fast forward to 2013 in Perth, Western Australia and Xixi is writing up her PhD thesis: How does eremophila glabra inhibit methane production in the sheep rumen? at The University of Western Australia (UWA). So why did this very Australian topic appeal to Xixi? “I was interested in environmental issues, and the ruminant methane project caught my attention and also satisfied my personal interests. On the one hand, it offered me an opportunity to work with sheep and get to experience farm life in Australia, plus I had an interest in forage plants,” Xixi said. Xixi’s hypothesis was that Eremophila glabra (known as tar bush) could be used

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as one part of a sheep’s diet to reduce sheep methane production. Xixi started her study by selecting suitable levels of tar bush to include in the diet, which was followed with in-vitro research using a fake rumen (‘Rusitec’, a continuous invitro simulation system). These findings were then transferred to a study with live sheep (in-vivo studies). Xixi was thrilled with the results and her overall study experience. “I had some great moments during my experiments, especially when results supported the research hypothesis. I was also excited to have conference abstracts accepted, and then receive travel grants to attend those conferences. Besides solving my own research questions, I really enjoyed travelling to different places and meeting other researchers. Those were the moments that refreshed me after the experimental work.”

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Tim Richards investigated the way birds, such as the white-browed babbler pictured here, utilised plantings of old man saltbush. (Photo: Tim Richards).

home ranges and the frequency with which they used the saltbush plantings,” Tim said. “I had several research sites, including isolated saltbush plantings, saltbush next to remnant bush and also isolated patches of remnant bush. “I found there were ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ spots — some areas were used a lot and others hardly at all — so then I looked at the vegetation differences between those areas.

During her research, Xixi worked alongside supervisor Prof Phillip vercoe, who led the CRC’s ‘Antimethanogenic bioactivity of Australian plants for grazing systems,’ project which was a significant component of the Enrich forage shrubs project. While her project has concluded, Xixi is sure there is more work to be done and has identified some career opportunities to pursue after her PhD. “There are research gaps I would like to be involved with, as they would keep me working in a field I enjoy. For example, regarding my project, an interesting field of future study could be how ruminal microbes react towards Eremophila glabra. “I am hoping to find a collaborative project between Australia and China that focuses on ruminant methane research, because we have built up a complete research system based on methane study. This includes preliminary screening, through to in-vitro, in-vivo and on-farm management which, as far as I know, hasn’t been established in China yet.” Xixi’s focus and enthusiasm for the future is clear, and demonstrates both an international outlook and a pragmatic approach to being an agricultural researcher.

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Tim found fewer bird species in the old man saltbush plantings than in the remnant vegetation. However, the plantings were of greater value to the birds than cleared agricultural land. “The value of the saltbush plantings was higher if they included larger saltbushes, which provided more cover for birds and were adjacent to remnant vegetation. This arrangement had the added benefit of encouraging greater numbers of bird species to make use of plantings,” Tim said.

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Susan Orgill sampling soil at Boorowa, NSW. (Photo courtesy Susan Orgill).

Beyond his PhD, which is almost complete, Tim hopes to work as an environmental consultant.

contact

• Tim Richards,

The University of Adelaide M: 0401 734 160 E: richards@adelaide.edu.au

Finding answers in soil

hile working for NSW Department Primary Industries running soil health workshops, Susan Orgill became more and more fascinated by the role of soil organic matter in soil health and farm productivity. “This growing fascination coincided with increased interest in sequestering carbon in soil as a climate change mitigation tool,” Susan said. “I was excited by the fact that something that increased soil health and farm productivity could also have a role in strategies to mitigate climate change. I had lots of questions I couldn’t find answers to in the literature so I decided to find out more myself.”

Xixi Li with her favourite sheep ‘Prince’, one of her research subjects. (Photo courtesy Xixi Li)

“PhD students are regarded as baby scientists, and research is a neverending process. I hope I can continue to be an agricultural researcher. For me, the best lesson from my Phd study has been: never stop thinking, and keep solving problems.”

contact

• Xixi Li

T: (08) 6488 2976 E: 20691821@student.uwa.edu.au

Searching for answers led Susan to enrol in a PhD at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga in August 2008. She hopes to finish her thesis — Soil carbon under perennial pastures in southern NSW — this year. “I’ve switched between being studying full-time and part-time, and also had a year off on maternity leave. When I was an undergraduate, I remember hearing a final seminar from a PhD student whose take-home, personal message was not to have kids while doing a PhD. “Obviously I didn’t listen and now have a two-year old boy. I love the combination of my family life, work and my PhD. I think if you keep everything in perspective, have wonderful supervisors who are supportive and good research mentors, and if you enjoy everything you do, then you can actually balance study, work and family.

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“I have found that completing the small components of my PhD — finishing field work, finishing lab work, finishing a paper — have helped me keep moving forward with my PhD.” Susan said she loved it when her hypotheses proved to be correct. “I now know carbon in soil is primarily and significantly influenced by parent material and climate, which are things we cannot change, but it is also influenced by soil fertility, which is something we can change with land management. “There are so many more questions I now want answers to, such as understanding the concept of soil carbon saturation and how soil properties influence the longevity of labile carbon fractions in soil.” Susan said she hopes she can continue to work in soil research and is fortunate to be in her dream job as a soil carbon researcher with NSW DPI. She said the best thing about her work was getting out and discussing the practical outcomes of her research with farmers and land managers and she hoped to be able to continue to do that. “I hope to be able to develop useful and achievable research projects that deliver practical outcomes.”

contact

• Susan Orgill M: 0428 424 566 E: susan.orgill@dpi.nsw.gov.au

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The fi nal word

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re moving!

Future Farm Industries CRC is moving offi ce. At the time of going to print, the exact moving day was not known, but staff were busy packing boxes in anticipation of moving at the end of April.

Our new home will be at the Leeuwin Centre, CSIRO Floreat. All Perth office staff phone numbers and email addresses remain the same. Our postal address will also remain the same: The University of Western Australia (M081), Crawley WA 6009.

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Please return this form to: Future Farm Industries CRC The University of Western Australia M081 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009 Tel (08) 6488 1952 Fax (08) 6488 2856 Or email: enquiry@futurefarmcrc.com.au

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