Maximising stocking rate through pasture managemenT
Project Commencement Date:
June 2023
Project Completion Date:
June 2028
Aim:
The purpose of the project is to prevent and reverse the decline in carrying capacity by implementing improved pasture and animal management strategies through extension.
Funding Provider:
Meat & Livestock Australia MDC
Project Background:
This project is an integrated MDC investment in partnership with AgPro Management. It will undertake extension activities to increase the potential stocking rate in the mixed farming regions of southern Western Australia, through the improvement and management of pastures during the autumn/winter seasons. Due to poor pastures, management, and potential climate change factors, stocking rates and sheep numbers have decreased or stalled, leading to lower potential profitability. This combined with the increased focus on crop production, has led to a decrease in pasture/fallow area and regressions in pasture quality, and insufficient knowledge on pasture management.
This impacts nearly all mixed enterprise producers in WA. In addition, WA’s Mediterranean climate, which traditionally results in 5 months of green feed a year, has made livestock enterprises highly sensitive to seasonal variation as well as pasture quality, and quantity. This has then radically decreased the overall stocking rate and profitability generated from livestock. These factors have created a need for systems that can deal with challenging, variable seasons, with effective yet flexible management to increase stocking rates through pasture management techniques.
The project will cover 6 areas in the southern WA region, ranging from Three Springs down to Esperance, and will create 2 year producer extension groups, focused on increasing carrying capacity through the improving pasture management techniques. Key topics focused on throughout this 2 year period will include pasture species, soil health, cereal/legume combinations and herbicide/grazing management. The project will have a phased out approach, with groups being established in:
- Great Southern Wheatbelt – 2023
- West Midlands/Northern - 2024
- Great Southern High Rainfall - 2024
- South-West - 2025
- South East - 2025
- Wheatbelt – 2026
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