Focus on Perennials by greg Lawrence

ISSUE 11 march 2010

focus ISSN

1835-3118

PERENNIALS

in this issue

2 Progressive producers put perennials in positive light

6 Shelter belts boost lamb survival

Managing for biodiversity

8 Trials highlight additional value in pasture cropping

Innovative approach seeks solutions for catchment managers

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LEFT: Surveys were directed at producers who were typically members of farming systems groups, yet results still prove useful. (Photo: I&I NSW)

• • •

Producer perceptions prove positive for perennials By Catriona Nicholls

Kondinin Group

recent EverCrop survey in southern New South Wales has shown that a forward-thinking group of producers value perennial pastures because of their ability to reduce supplementary feed costs and boost stocking rates. ®

The survey results also show that for perennials to gain wider popularity, researchers needs to state how they can provide positive benefits in the economic context of running a farm. Researchers investigating the attitudes of producers and the role of perennial pastures in current farming systems discovered as part of the survey that producers rated perennials highly due to their ability to boost stocking and growth rates and reduce supplementary feeding costs. In addition, surveyed producers are looking to increase the proportion of perennials in their pasture base during coming years.

southern NSW (see Figure 1) to benchmark the current use of perennials as part of their cropping rotation and determine farmer attitudes to perennial pasture species. The survey was designed to set up baseline values for criteria such as:

•

Current ratio of crop and pasture on farms in the target region

•

The proportion of farm sown to perennial pasture species

•

Perennial species being sown

Planned changes in the area sown to perennial pasture species Farmer perspectives on advantages and disadvantages of sowing perennials Factors restricting greater use of perennials in pasture-crop rotations.

Survey participants were typically members of farmer groups such as Landcare or farming systems groups. The groups were located across the region with differing rainfall and soil types. Participants were those who regularly attended farmer groups and were interested in increasing the sustainability and productivity of their enterprises and could be regarded as more progressive. The full age spectrum was represented although the groups often have a larger proportion of younger farmers than in the general farming community (See Figure 1). According to principal research scientist Dr Brian Dear, Industry and Investment NSW, the survey, combined with general open discussions with the farmers, yielded some valuable results. “While we recognise our survey group was quite likely to be a fairly specific group of early adopters within the wider farming community, and possibly not representative of the general farming population, the results are useful in many ways.” “In particular, the survey highlighted the continued importance of livestock, and therefore pastures, in current farming systems.”

Figure 1 Target region for producer survey within the mixed farming zone of NSW

EverCrop® investigations At the start of the EverCrop® project researchers surveyed farmers across

i key points • Producer survey reveals positive attitudes to perennial pastures

• Benefits from perennial pastures

include increased annual carrying capacity and growth rates and reduced need for supplementary feeding

High rainfall Medium rainfall Low rainfall alkaline Summer dormant alkaline Medium rainfall acid Low rainfall acid Summer dominant acid

• Livestock continues to play a

key role in risk management for producers across southern Australia.

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Target region

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Illustration: Michel Dignand

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Figure 2 Proportion of land sown to crop, perennial pasture (PP) and annual pasture (AP)

Crop

Percentage of land

Perennial pasture

“However, if the recent fall in grain price continues as a result of increased production world wide we could see a shift to a more balanced livestock-crop enterprise.”

Annual pasture

50 40 30

Increasing in popularity

20 10 0

Pre-drought

Current

The cropping conundrum “There is a general perception farmers are switching to cropping in droves to the exclusion of livestock — but our investigations don’t support that view,” Dr Dear said. Dr Dear suggests the survey results and ensuing discussions with producers indicate that livestock continue to provide a critical risk management role in the whole-farm system. Only a small proportion of farms (8-9 per cent) are intensively cropped with little or no pasture with most farms maintaining a balanced livestock-crop enterprise mix. “Survey respondents currently allocate about half their farm area to pastures despite the apparent greater potential returns from cropping,” he said (see Figure 2). Reasons given for maintaining a significant livestock enterprise include reliability of income and cash flow from stock, which balances the higher input costs and greater seasonal risk associated with cropping. As such there was no trend to increasing the area sown to crop in the future (see Table 1). “Farmers in the drier western zone are more likely to have a higher proportion of crop than in the eastern zone,” Dr Dear said.

Averaged over the whole region at any one time Future about 52% of the land managed by respondents is under crop, 29% sown to pasture containing perennials, and 19% sown to annual pasture species only. These findings are consistent with the most profitable strategies suggested by the MIDAS bioeconomic model.

high priority for using perennials on their farm, although Dr Dear believes this could reflect the survey design rather than genuine attitudes. “In subsequent discussions with producers about their pastures, it was clear NRM issues are in the back of their minds,” Dr Dear said. “For example some producers raised concerns over bare patches of soil under lucerne and soil organic carbon levels under various species.” Producers expressed their main challenges with perennial pastures relate to establishment, groundcover and removal before the cropping stage.

Future direction Dr Dear and his colleagues are now keen to expand the economic modelling to gain a year-to-year perspective.

“In addition to the surveys, recent MIDAS results suggest the ideal area under crop is about 54%,” Dr Dear said. “It’s comforting to see both sets of results are consistent with each other.”

“MIDAS has its limitations and only provides results across a five-year average,” Dr Dear said. “We are keen to delve further to determine fluctuations in profitability of different pasture and cropping combinations on a season-by-season basis.”

When asked about future intentions regarding the perennial pasture component of the farm, respondents indicated their intentions were to increase the perennial mix at the expense of annual pastures (see Table 1).

In the meantime, producers look set to continue adopting perennials as a key risk management tool in mixed farming systems.

Lucerne was the most widely grown perennial. A total of 84% of respondents indicated having some pastures containing lucerne, 48% phalaris, 27% native perennial grasses and 26% chicory. Twice as many farms in the eastern part of the region had chicory as those in the western region. Perennial ryegrass and tall fescue were present on less than 2% of farms.

Bountiful benefits The benefits perennials offer producers in terms of stocking and growth rates was clear from the survey results. “This suggests the feed supply curve from perennials is better matched to animal livestock requirements than annual pasture production.” Interestingly, respondents did not rate natural resource management (NRM) benefits that flow from perennials as being a

More information Dr Brian Dear, I&I, NSW T: (02) 6938 1856 E: brian.dear@industry.nsw.gov.au > The EverCrop® project was set up by the Future Farm Industries CRC with financial support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to promote the awareness and adoption of perennial pasture species as part of mixed farming enterprises in southern Australia. The project includes the establishment of on-farm participatory research sites in combination with farmer groups, the use of bioeconomic models such as MIDAS to determine the impact of perennials on farm profit and targeted research on issues found to be inhibiting the greater adoption of perennials. <

LEFT: Despite popular opinion, the proportion of mixed farms under crop seems set to remain fairly constant. (Photo: I&I NSW)

Table 1 Percentage of farms sown to crop, perennial pasture and annual pasture pre-drought, currently and future Whole region Crop

Eastern zone

Western zone

Pre-drought

Current

Future

Pre-drought

Current

Future

Pre-drought

Current

Future

50%

52%

49%

45%

42%

55%

60%

56%

Perennial pasture

31%

29%

36%

38%

44%

25%

21%

29%

Annual pasture

19%

14%

18%

17%

14%

20%

14%

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Biorisk — better catchment decisions for biodiversity

Kondinin Group

etland managers making catchment-scale decisions in the low-medium rainfall zone of southern Australia have it tough. They are faced with limited data and knowledge, and a variable climate. Added to this are long time frames for many actions to take effect. And if they get it wrong, their failure is for all to see!

“We aim to ease the decision load on managers working to recover or improve the persistence of biodiversity in areas threatened by altered hydrology,” said Project leader, Dr Ryan Vogwill, from the Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia (DEC). “Such threats include salinity, waterlogging and reduced wetland water levels brought about by changes in land use and climate variability. The challenge is to develop a suite of tools catchment managers can use to confidently select and integrate perennial revegetation and other management strategies to protect biodiversity and water assets threatened by altered hydrology.”

The Future Farm Industries CRC-funded BioRisk project, will help these managers by improving hydrological modelling and providing a better understanding about how plants survive and reproduce in wetlands. Results from these two research areas will then be combined with community values in a planning approach to help catchment managers achieve better biodiversity outcomes.

Taking a closer look

BioRisk focuses on catchments where important environmental management decisions are urgently required.

Although many hydrological models exist, none are currently effective for our drier agricultural areas where data is limited.

i key points • A combination of hydrological

modelling and a greater understanding of plant survival will help catchment managers achieve better biodiversity outcomes in areas threatened by altered hydrology

• Investigations at Toolibin lake,

Western Australia have collected information on how lake-bed species survive in a difficult environment.

ABOVE: Areas threatened by salinity and waterlogging such as the Toolibin lake area (inlet shown above) in Western Australia are providing valuable outcomes that could be relevant to other catchments across Australia. (Photo: Dr Ryan Vogwill)

By Catriona Nicholls

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wheatbelt of WA. The lake is the largest remaining area representing a habitat — inland, fresh water wooded wetlands — that has now almost completely disappeared. By the 1980s areas of Toolibin’s wetland vegetation were degrading and during the 1990s, engineering interventions were carried out to divert highly saline surface water around the lake. Saline groundwater is also being pumped from beneath the lake floor to protect the lake-bed vegetation — an important biodiversity asset and waterbird breeding habitat. According to Program Leader Ken Wallace (DEC), the engineering work has halted vegetation and water quality decline, and vegetation has recovered in some areas.

“To solve this problem we’re working with Dr Matt Hipsey of the University of Western Australia (UWA) to couple together two hydrological models,” Dr Vogwill said. “One predicts catchment-scale water movement and the other predicts small-scale water movement at an asset scale — such as an important wetland.” According to the BioRisk team, hydrological modelling alone is insufficient to drive effective decisions. “It is essential to understand the asset under management,” Dr Vogwill said. “In this case, biodiversity and its requirements.” There is no better example of this than at Toolibin Lake, an internationallyrecognised wetland in the central

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To this end the team is building a better understanding of the interaction between hydrological changes and native vegetation on the lake floor. They aim to understand the water requirements and tolerances of common wetland and valley floor native plants threatened by altered hydrology. Dr Paul Drake (DEC) has been recruited to research and develop this component of the BioRisk project.

10 Water level

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“In addition, they are both variably affected, particularly in immature stages, by the regime of lake flooding. “These features combine to make the species good indicators for modelling management decisions.” At four sites, sap flow sensors have been installed in both tree species. Other instruments are sited nearby to record groundwater depth, electrical conductivity (salinity), and soil moisture. Dr Drake has found that sheoak and paperbark have quite different life strategies and tolerances. Deeper-rooted, heavier water-using paperbarks are more vulnerable to rising saline water tables than sheoaks. In contrast, the paperbark can acquire water from deep in the profile. Under the right circumstances, this may delay the effect of saline surface water inundation, provided the inundation is not accompanied by a rising water table. It seems there is no perfect life strategy, even for plants.

393 Time of day

The dominant trees on the Toolibin lake bed are sheoak (Casuarina obesa) and paperbark (Melaleuca strobophylla). “These trees are important in many WA wheatbelt conservation areas,” Dr Drake explained. “They are also the two most deep-rooted plants growing on the lake bed, so are good indicators of groundwater impacts on vegetation.

Sap flux -1 Sap flux (cm hr )

Plant life strategies

388 Ground water level bgl (cm)

“To understand why, and decide on future management, we need to investigate the tolerances and life strategies of plants.”

Figure 1 Fluctuations in groundwater level, as depth below ground level (bgl), and transpiration rate, as sap flux.

12 .0 0 00 .0 0 12 .0 0 00 .0 0 12 .0 0 00 .0 0 12 .0 0 00 .0 0 12 .0 0 00 .0 0 12 .0 0 00 .0 0 12 .0 0

“But we have not generated the expected levels of recovery in lake-bed vegetation,” Ken said.

Drawing conclusions Results to date suggest groundwater pumping and diversion of saline surface water at Toolibin effectively control local water tables and soil moisture conditions. However, the vegetation recovery is likely to be slow until groundwater is maintained at a depth suitable for both species and the soil is flushed of salt by major freshwater inflows to the lake. Both plant species appear capable of surviving on direct rainfall under these conditions. However, mass seedling regeneration is likely to depend on flooding and/or significant summer rainfall. As tree thickets are important for waterbird breeding, mass regeneration is an aim of managers. “New data is challenging our ideas about the interaction of trees and groundwater,” Dr Drake said. They are obviously linked — we now need to work out exactly how.” The groundwater decline in the absence of rain is consistent with the trees using saline groundwater at the site (see Figure 1). However groundwater rising immediately following the peak of transpiration each day is not. This may represent the effect of barometric pressure changes on groundwater levels. “This suggests that there are important interactions between plant water use and the physical environment not yet fully understood,” Dr Drake said.

Pulling it together Dr Vogwill believes the project is at an exciting stage where several phases of research are about to be integrated. “Significant work has been done developing and testing hydrological models,” Dr Vogwill said.

“During the next 12 months, we will start combining the outputs from hydrological models with initial results from Paul’s work on plant ecophysiology — the study of plant adaptation to the environment — to generate wetland management options.” “The project will document uncertainties associated with each option to allow managers to better manage risk.” For BioRisk to effectively work in the hands of catchment managers, it needs to operate within a usable and realistic policy framework — getting this framework right, which involves taking on board wider community (socio-economic) values, is another challenge for the project. The values-based planning approach will ensure science is effectively linked with the full range of socio-economic values. “This way, decision processes in natural resource management can be significantly improved,” Ken Wallace explained. “For example, the wider values of the community need to be more explicitly incorporated into planning. We also need to avoid mixing up our management goals with the means to achieve them, document assumptions and trade-offs, and ensure the feasibility of management options are tested.” A first draft of the paper outlining the planning framework was recently completed. This ensures the BioRisk project is making important progress in its three core components – hydrological modelling, plant ecophysiology, and planning frameworks. During the next 12 months, researchers hope to combine and apply all of the techniques operationally at two important wetlands in WA. At the same time, a study site and project partner outside WA are being sought.

More information LEFT: Saskia Noorduijn and Ken Wallace sealing the piezometer annulus. (Photo: Paul Drake)

Dr Ryan Vogwill, DEC T: (08) 9334 0267 E: ryan.vogwill@dec.wa.gov.au

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Lambs go under cover to boost survival rates Above: Various forms of shelter belts can reduce wind speed and the subsequent chilling of lambs during adverse weather conditions. (Photo: DPI Victoria)

By Catriona Nicholls Kondinin Group

Hedgerows of tall wheat grass cv Tyrell 1.0-1.2 metres wide were established 10 m apart during 2004. The bays in between rows were sown to a range of perennial pasture mixtures to supply a sufficient amount of quality feed for ewes during lambing. According to EverGraze researcher Fiona Cameron, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria (DPI Vic) the ability of tall wheatgrass to grow to more than one metre, with sturdy, springy stems of about 5–7 millimetres diameter made it a logical choice as a hedge species. “The height and resilience of the tall wheatgrass stems means they remain upright after animals move through the hedge,” Fiona said. “Also, when overgrown and rank, the species is relatively unpalatable meaning stock will eat the inter-row forage leaving the hedges relatively intact.”

i key points • Perennial grass shelter belts could have a significant impact on lamb survival rates — particularly for multiple offspring

• When compared with open

areas, the chill index between hedgerows was reduced

• Unpalatable and structurally

resilient perennial species are most likely to remain intact, providing ongoing shelter during lambing.

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It is important to note that producers need to manage tall wheatgrass to ensure it does not invade other areas. Tall wheatgrass has been assessed as a high weed risk in Western Australia, New South Wales and South Australia and a very high weed risk in Victoria by the Future Farm Industries CRC. Developing this shelter belt option must be accompanied by advice on managing its weed risk (see guidelines on page 7).

“In our environment we have had success with acacia shrubs as windbreaks. Given their greater height (3–4 m) these have been placed 50 m apart.”

NSW EverGraze Site Leader, Dr Michael Friend, Charles Sturt University concurs with Fiona’s findings.

“The logic behind the set-up is that the high-quality forage between the hedgerows provides lambing ewes with a micro-climate that encourages them to stay close to the shelter of the hedge,” Fiona said.

Fiona explained that the hedgerow configuration at the Hamilton Proof Site was determined by calculating that for every metre of hedge height, there would a 10 m benefit in reduced wind speed.

“Data from our Wagga Wagga lamb survival trials, supports the findings from Hamilton,” Dr Friend said.

“If ewes do not have to graze far away to meet their nutritional requirements, they can stay close to newborn lambs sheltering next to the hedgerows.”

“Phalaris hedgerows are not that robust when sheep walk through them, and with recent failed springs they have had no opportunity to regenerate each year.

Rewarding results It seems the theory behind the strategy has merit. During 2009, ewes on the Proof Site were lambed down in either the hedgerow shelter areas or on open areas of the Site — in traditional pasture paddocks.

“Even in better years regenerated phalaris hedgerows would probably need fencing off between late spring to lambing if the paddocks were to be grazed during this period — which is impractical.

Figure 1 Chill index — as the chill index exceeds 1000 MJ/m2/h, the probability of lamb survival decreases

Chill Index (MJ/m2/h)

he use of perennial grass hedgerows on the EverGraze® Proof Site at Hamilton, Victoria reduced twin lamb mortality by close to 40 per cent in both Merino and Coopworth ewes during 2009.

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Figure 2 Lamb mortality for shelter versus non-shelter

Figure 3 Lamb survival for a range of birth weights in singles, twins and triplets

Lamb survival (%)

Mortality (%)

30 25 20 15 10 5 0

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 3.5 4.5

Non-shelter Shelter Coopworth lambs

Non-shelter Shelter Merino lambs

Wind speed measurements were taken at locations across the open paddocks at lamb height (400 mm) at 10-minute intervals throughout the lambing period and at a distance of 200 mm from the hedgerow in shelter areas. An on-site weather station measured temperature, wind speed and rainfall at regular intervals. These readings were used to develop a ‘chill index’ (see Figure 1). Previous research suggests that as the chill index exceeds 1000 megajoules per square metre per hour, the probability of lamb survival decreases. “During our August 2009 lambing, there was nearly twice as much time when the chill index exceeded 1000 MJ/m2/h, as in other years,” Fiona said. “However, the wind chill adjacent to the hedges was less than the open areas.” Most lamb losses (>95%) and births (>90%) occurred in the period between August 9, 2009 and August 31, 2009. “During this period the days where the average daily chill index peaked six times at more than 1100 MJ/m2/h were associated with 40% of all lamb deaths, while only 30% of lambs were actually born on those days,” Fiona said. “This indicates that lambs born on the days before each weather event were also affected.”

Increased survival

Singles — no shelter Twins — no shelter Triplets — no shelter Singles — shelter Twins — shelter Triplets— shelter

5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 Birthweight (kg)

survival for each of the birth type categories was:

•

Singles 82% (shelter) vs. 78% (open pasture)

•

Twins 87% (shelter) vs 76% (open pasture)

•

Triplets 96% (shelter) vs 50% (open pasture).

The relationship for each of the above and birth weight is shown in Figure 3. It should be noted that as the numbers of triplets being born in the experiment was low, the improvement in survival due to shelter is overestimated, but the effect is still significant. The total financial benefits for the reduction in mortality in twin lambs as seen during 2009 are equivalent to about $5.00/ewe, with a breakeven period of three years on the cost of establishment of the shelter belts and use. Field days at the Hamilton Proof Site continue to provide opportunities for producers to investigate the benefits and establishment of shelter belts for their own grazing systems.

Tall wheatgrass weed risk management guidelines: To reduce the weed risk posed by tall wheatgrass, Future Farm Industries CRC recommends following the guidelines below.

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Graze hedgerows during January– February to remove immature seed heads reducing the risk of off-site invasion

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Locate tall wheatgrass hedgerows well away from waterways

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As seedlings will not compete with established ryegrass or phalaris pastures, use competitive species around hedgerow areas to reduce the chance of spread outside the sown area

•

Other species, such as phalaris, tall fescue or Rhodes grass have been trialled, but they tend not to stand up to stock as well as tall wheatgrass.

The EverGraze website, www.evergraze.com. au has several EverGraze Action fact sheets including; ‘Perennial grass hedges provide shelter at lambing’ and ‘Improving survival of lambs’. EverGraze — More livestock from perennials is a Future Farm Industries CRC, MLA and AWI research and delivery partnership.

Lamb survival was better in sheltered areas for both Merino and Coopworth ewes (see Figure 2). However Merinos gained a 42% reduction in mortality from shelter, while the gains for Coopworth lambs amounted to a 23% reduction in mortality.

Fiona Cameron, DPI Victoria T: (03) 5573 0965 E: fiona.cameron@dpi.vic.gov.au

This data incorporates results for both singles and multiples, but there was a significant shelter by birth type interaction (p<0.05) where single lambs gained least from the provision of shelter and twins and triplets gained most. At the average birth weight

right: Throughout lambing, photographic evidence clearly showed both ewes and lambs, but particularly lambs, using the hedgerows. (Photo: DPI Victoria)

More information

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Pasture cropping provides perennial possibilities ABOVE: Grain yields in a pasture cropping trial at Dandaragan, WA reflected the productivity of individual undersown pasture species. (Photo: Simon Eyres)

By Catriona Nicholls Kondinin Group

ecent pasture cropping trial results from the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) of Western Australia are encouraging for local researchers and farmers alike. The value of pasture cropping as a viable alternative on more fragile soils is being explored as part of the Future Farm Industries CRC-funded EverCrop® project. Pasture cropping involves sowing a crop over a perennial pasture — grasses or legumes — to provide both a cash crop and an alternative feed source. Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) researcher and WA project leader Dr David Ferris believes a system that exploits the differential in growth between a winter-active crop and summer-active pasture could see growers achieve a return from their crops while still capturing the benefits of out-of-season rainfall for summer feed.

i key points

“There are also the considerable natural resource management (NRM) benefits, which are not as easy to quantify, such as reduced soil erosion, improved soil fertility by increased organic matter, microbial activity, nutrient recycling and improved soil structure,” Dr Ferris said.

Perennial possibilities Subtropical perennial grasses such as Rhodes grass, Gatton panic and signal grass already are proving successful on sand-plain soils across the west-midlands region of the NAR. As these species are summer-active, innovative growers are asking whether they can crop into their subtropical grasses without limiting crop yield. “Encouraged by local farmer interest, we established a trial site south-west of Moora, WA during 2008 to compare the profitability and NRM benefits of three general farming systems: continuous crop, permanent perennial pasture and pasture cropping,” Dr Ferris said.

The site was considered marginal for cropping due to non-wetting soils, erosion risk, and loss of organic carbon (fertility) when cropped; historically it had been cropped every four to five years. Gatton panic, Rhodes grass and the legume Siratro were sown in individual plots across the trial site during September 2008. The pasture was oversown during early June 2009, with Buloke barley and treated with either 50 kg/ha or 80 kg/ha of nitrogen fertiliser. The control treatment, with no perennial pasture and 50 kg/ha of nitrogen suggested by local growers, yielded 2.8 tonnes per hectare of barley, while the pasture cropping treatments sown to Siratro yielded 2.9t/ha, Rhodes grass 2.6t/ha and Gatton panic 2.6t/ha (see Table 1). “The yield penalty of the system reflected the productivity of the individual pastures, which is offset by the value of the pasture as stock feed and the natural resource management (NRM) benefits,” Dr Ferris said.

• Pasture cropping could provide

Table 1 Buloke barley performance when sown across different perennial pastures and fertilised at two rates of nitrogen*

• The practice of pasture cropping

Pasture base

options for growers with marginal cropping areas exploits different growth patterns between a winter-active crop and a summer-active perennial pasture

• Pasture cropping can provide

grain, summer feed benefits and improved natural resource management outcomes.

50N

80N

Grain yield (t/ha)

Protein (%)

Grain yield (t/ha)

Protein (%)

Control — no perennial base

2.81

8.9

3.27

9.8

Siratro — 36 cm row spacing

2.93

9.3

2.81

9.4

Gatton panic —36 cm row spacing

2.85

8.8

2.58

9.3

Gatton panic —36 cm row spacing

2.63

8.7

2.42

8.9

Rhodes grass — 36 cm row spacing (initially)

2.55

8.7

2.66

8.9

* Growing Season Rainfall (Apr–Oct 2009) was 380 mm. lsd (5%) = 0.34 yield; 0.47 protein

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The three perennial pasture species differed in their level of dormancy over winter. Siratro became very dormant, yellowed and did not grow. Panic and Rhodes grass produced some biomass; and panic resumed growth the earliest. For individual species, the amount of green feed available during January 2010 in pasture cropped plots was comparable to that in respective permanent pasture plots (see Table 2).

Local perceptions During February 2009, two Local Adaptation Groups were established in the NAR to evaluate the concept of pasture cropping. These groups comprised innovative growers from Moora, Mingenew and Binnu; local agronomists and EverCrop® facilitators. Facilitated discussions were held to identify and rank potential benefits, constraints and research needs. “Growers perceived the main benefits of pasture cropping to be improved soil health, green feed over summer and a double income stream,” Dr Ferris said. “The potential for crop yield reductions and opportunity costs to establish perennial pastures were seen as the main constraints to adoption.” “Our trial results to date support a potential fit for pasture cropping on some of our marginal or problem soils; particularly poorer sand-plain soils across the northern and southern agricultural regions in WA where summer-active perennial grasses have persisted.” Dr Ferris sees pasture cropping as having two broad applications in the regions.

Table 2 Green feed available to livestock six weeks after harvesting barley from pasture cropping treatments that differed in perennial base and nitrogen inputs*

Pasture base

50N crop treatments

80N crop treatments

Permanent pasture treatments

Dry matter (t/ha dry weight)

Control — no perennial base

—

Siratro — 36 cm row spacing

0.25

0.12

0.13 0.72

Gatton panic —36 cm row spacing

0.82

1.33

Gatton panic —36 cm row spacing

1.26

1.37

0.89

Rhodes grass — 36 cm row spacing (initially)

2.61

2.56

2.52

* Permanent pasture plots had been mown to a height of 5 cm on 21 Sept 2009; lsd (5%) = 0.76

“For cropping dominant systems, where feed is a secondary consideration, pasture cropping might stabilise fragile soils, improve soil health and prevent summerweeds from growing.” “For livestock dominant systems, the crop could provide feed to supplement the perennial pasture, with crops ‘locked up’ and harvested only in years with excess feed,” he said. “However, it is important to note that the extra green feed produced over summerautumn needs to be converted into wool or meat in order to offset any grain yield losses.”

Slow on the uptake Dr Ferris said the wider uptake of pasture cropping required several elements. “Further research is required across different sites and seasons, as the yield penalty on better soil classes may well be greater than on deep pale sands which have limited

capacity to store moisture from summer rainfall for crop production,” he said. “Then we need to overcome the constraints to including a perennial pasture in the farming system and help farmers adapt it to suit their situation — I see the crop as the cherry on the top.” CSIRO researchers are examining water use over the growing season and modelling the soil types and farming systems that will be most profitable for pasture cropping. The viability of pasture cropping systems based on other subtropical grass species, native grasses, lucerne and bluebush may also be worth evaluating. During the next two years the EverCrop® team will work closely with the Local Adaptation Groups in the NAR to evaluate the profitability of pasture cropping systems in WA. The EverCrop® project is about increasing the profitability, performance and extent of perennials in crop-livestock systems. It is one of the main research projects of the Future Farm Industries CRC and seeks to develop new sustainable farming systems and technologies that will improve the resilience of Australian broadacre agriculture to climate variability and drought while improving productivity and sustainability. Support for the research is coming from GRDC, DAFWA, CSIRO, the Evergreen Farming Group and the University of Western Australia (UWA).

More information Dr David Ferris, DAFWA T: (08) 9690 2117 E: david.ferris@agric.wa.gov.au

LEFT: DAFWA research officer Dr David Ferris in a paddock sown to Rhodes grass and barley as part of the pasture cropping trial at Dandaragan, WA. (Photo: Simon Eyres)

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Pasture calculator offers comparative advantage By Catriona Nicholls

Kondinin Group

new EverGraze Pasture Calculator tool will provide farm advisors and producers with a simple cost-comparison of various perennial pasture options. ®

Together with EverGraze National Coordinator Geoff Saul and farm economist Lee Beattie, Alison Desmond, Department of Primary Industries Victoria has been road testing the tool to iron out any last-minute glitches before its release in April. “The pasture calculator is an Excel–based program that combines inbuilt formulae with user input to evaluate the potential economic profitability and financial feasibility of investing in perennial pastures,” Alison explained. Designed to be used by advisors and agronomists, the tool will enable producers to make better decisions about pasture establishment. “Users select the pastures they want to investigate and enter information on all the inputs they are likely to require,” Alison said. “For example, users may need to consider fencing and watering points, paddock preparation, seed, fertiliser and herbicide inputs for any given pasture species.”

Alison explains that the tool is designed to be used to provide tailored comparisons for paddock-by-paddock results. “Producers can choose any perennial pasture they like, including various pasture mixes, and enter their own seed costs, sowing rates and so forth.”

Above: The new pasture calculator is an excel-based program that uses operator input with inbuilt formulae to determine the potential for investment in perennial pastures.

“The key to the tool is to keep it as user friendly as possible,” Alison said.

“The tool then allows them to gauge the impact of adjusting inputs such as sowing and fertiliser rates on the overall establishment cost.

“As such, after feedback from recent tests we will provide default settings for some of the required information, especially in the case of the residual pasture values and the environmental benefits section.”

“The program also takes into consideration the potential annual maintenance costs in terms of ongoing fertiliser and weed control.”

The EverGraze Pasture Calculator will form part of the EverGraze toolkit and should be available for free download from www.evergraze.com.au during April 2010.

As part of the EverGraze project, the tool covers perennial pasture species suitable across south-eastern Australia and southern Western Australia — the same regions where the six Proof Sites and numerous Supporting Sites are located.

EverGraze — More livestock from perennials is a Future Farm Industries CRC, Meat and Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation research and delivery partnership.

More information

Initial feedback The tool has been road tested by several producer groups and advisors with good feedback to date.

Alison Desmond, DPI Victoria T: (03) 5761 1643 E: alison.desmond@dpi.vic.gov.au

Mallee harvester prototype launch C

elebrating a significant milestone for the Future Farm Industries CRC, the Mallee Harvester prototype will be officially launched by the Western Australian Minister for Environment, The Hon Donna Faragher, on the Monday April 12, 2009 at the wheatbelt town of Narrogin, WA. This achievement represents a quantum leap for the commercial viability of the mallee industry and is the culmination of more than a decade of research and development by the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), the Oil Mallee Association and Future Farm Industries CRC.

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Knowledge gained from the visionary engineer, Harley Pederick, who designed the first two mallee harvester prototypes more than a decade ago, has also contributed to the latest prototype design.

development of a comprehensive supply chain for the industry. One that ensures a whole-of-system approach including harvester-to-roadside haulage, road transport and stockpiling linkages.

Designing the new harvester prototype would not have been possible without assistance from the Western Australian Government’s Low Emission Energy Development (LEED) Initiative. Their funding has helped Future Farm Industries CRC find the right engineering company for the job — Biosystems Engineering. Lead by Richard Sulman, Biosystems Engineering has worked during the past 12 months to build a new, more efficient harvester prototype.

After the launch, the Woody Crop Harvester System project will start evaluating the harvester by getting it into the field to determine its capabilities. The data collected during this process will then be used to evaluate any design changes needed to make it commercially viable.

The Future Farm Industries CRC, through its Woody Biomass Supply Assessment project, is also moving forward with the

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More information Greg Lawrence, Communications Manager T: (08) 6488 1429 E: greg.lawrence@futurefarmcrc.com.au

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New PhD student to tackle livestock methane reduction challenge N

ew to the CRC fold is PhD student Xixi Li (pictured right) who joins Dr Phil Vercoe and Dr Zoe Durmic at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and their research into native plant interactions with rumen (stomach) microbe populations. Xixi (pronounced ‘sisi’) comes from the central Chinese province of Hubei, famous for its rivers and good fishing. After completing her bachelor and master’s degrees in Grassland Science at the China Agriculture Science University, Xixi enrolled as a PhD student at UWA. She has now become part of the CSIRO, Future Farm Industries CRC and Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries funded Understanding the mechanisms behind the antimethanogenic bioactivity of Australian plants targeted for grazing systems project looking

into how plant-based compounds can reduce livestock methane emissions. As part of the project, Xixi is testing compounds found in native plants that have the ability to influence ruminant production and animal health. This involves determining the impact and persistence of these bioactive compounds and then reconfirming that these properties are still present in the rumen of a grazing animal. Xixi is off to a flying start having already submitted a paper for the 2010 Australian Society of Animal Production Conference to be held in Armidale, NSW in July this year. This year, the CRC welcomes six new students to its 2010 Postgraduate Professional Development program. Spread across South Australia, Victoria, NSW and WA, these latest additions bring the total number of CRC

students to 52. This means the CRC is well on its way to reaching its milestone of having a total of 50 professionally trained graduates within its lifespan. Coming up in July is a professional development event that will bring together all CRC students to share their research findings and experiences . They will also be given some outside training to help in acquiring other skills needed to become an effective research scientist.

More information John Harper, Education Manager T: (02) 6933 2837 E: jharper@csu.edu.au

New education manager joins the team

he Future Farm Industries CRC has a new team member — Dr John Harper. Based at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga New South Wales, Dr Harper has taken over as Education Manager of the CRC’s Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) program. Dr Harper will be responsible for keeping an attentive eye on the needs of the CRC’s postgraduate students and ensuring they have access to the best professional support possible. “Once upon a time I did a PhD and I know how important it is to have good supervisors and grow as a student so by the end of your PhD you’re a confident scientist” Dr Harper said. “My role is to help students reach their fullest potential and give them the confidence to achieve the best outcomes with their research.”

“So much can be gained from building networks and learning from what others are doing,” Dr Harper said. “I want to touch base with some of our past students to glean what experiences they found useful and determine what gaps they may have encountered in their professional development. “I’m also trying to refine ways to have ongoing communication with the students — to develop a warehouse of online information students can share.” Dr Harper will also take on a mentoring role in regards to student wellbeing.

Strength in numbers

“If students feel they are struggling with any aspect of their progress, I hope to be someone they feel comfortable in contacting,” Dr Harper said.

Dr Harper is keen to build stronger networks between students and links between participating institutions.

“A PhD can be challenging and often it is reassuring to know there is someone who can provide a bit of mentoring and support.”

Natural extension Dr Harper is well qualified for his new role, having supported students through CSU’s honours and postgraduate programs as a program coordinator and student supervisor. “This is my first role across a number of institutions and I am excited about being able to bring people and experiences together to broaden my, and their, horizons,” Dr Harper said. “I’m looking forward to working with others to see how they do things and we can improve the Future Farm Industries CRC program through the things we gain from the other contacts. “There is no point reinventing the wheel when we can tap into tried and tested experiences from other students or participating institutions.”

More information Dr John Harper, Education Manager T: (02) 6933 2837 E: jharper.csu.edu.au

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About Focus on Perennials Focus on Perennials is a quarterly research-in-progress newsletter published by the Future Farm Industries CRC Ltd (Future Farm Industries CRC) ACN 125 594 765. Future Farm Industries CRC was established in 2007 under the Commonwealth Government’s CRC Program and builds on the research of the CRC for Plantbased Management of Dryland Salinity. 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, six State agencies and four universities. For further information about Future Farm Industries CRC visit www.futurefarmcrc.com.au. Focus on Perennials draws on the work of both CRCs, to describe the potential application of Profitable Perennials™ to innovative farming systems and new regional industries better adapted to southern Australian dryland–farming conditions. The information contained in this newsletter has been published in good faith by Future Farm Industries CRC to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve profitability of farming and sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity. Neither Future Farm Industries CRC nor the Participants in the CRC endorse or recommend any products identified by trade name, nor is any warranty implied by the CRC and its participants about information presented in Focus on Perennials. Readers should contact the authors or contacts provided and conduct their own enquiries before making use of the information in Focus on Perennials.

Subscription/change of address: Make me a free subscriber to Focus on Perennials Do not send me Focus on Perennials Please change my subscription address Title Position Company/property name Address

Kevin Goss T: (08) 6488 2555 E: kevin.goss@futurefarmcrc.com.au

RESEARCH DIRECTOR Mike Ewing T: (08) 6488 1876 E: mike.ewing@futurefarmcrc.com.au

AGRIBUSINESS DIRECTOR Scott Glyde T: 0427 517 279 E: sglyde@csu.edu.au

Commercial Manager Peter Zurzolo T: (08) 6488 1429 E: peter.zurzolo@futurefarmcrc.com.au

Greg Lawrence T: (08) 6488 7353 E: greg.lawrence@futurefarmcrc.com.au

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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 8559 Fax (08) 6488 2856 Or email: gmadson@futurefarmcrc.com.au

Front cover: Photo: Paul Drake