25 November 2006
Research in the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) by the Grain & Graze program is looking at the potential of perennial sub-tropical grasses to fill feed gaps in traditional annual pasture systems, essentially extending the growing season.
And the potential looks good. Cattle gained 0.8 kilograms a day grazing pastures of Feathertop Rhodes and Gatton Panic grasses after 50 mm of rain fell on the Gillam family's Irwin House, near Mingenew, in January and February 2006.
Andrew Gillam says the rain was very timely for summer growing perennial grasses because he would normally expect zero growth at that time of the year.
Irwin House is one of four NAR properties where production of the perennial grasses is being benchmarked by regional Grain & Graze project officer Sarah Knight.
Grain & Graze is a collaborative partnership between Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Land & Water Australia (LWA).
The program aims to help mixed farmers increase their profitability and simultaneously better manage natural resources.
"Ours is mainly sand plain country, and we usually crop 1300 hectares of wheat, 1000 of narrow leaf lupins - with a small amount of that grain kept for supplementary stock feed - and 50 hectares of oats for hay," Andrew Gillam said.
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"We don't have a set rotation, and some of the cropping country goes under pasture from time to time.
"Our annual pastures kick off around mid-May, get into genuine production by June, but stop growing by the end of October. We rely on the dried-off bulk of feed to get through to the next year's break.
"We saw other local farmers use these grasses to increase production on poorer soil types. That made us think, given we had cattle, and wanted significant earlier production than was available from the annuals, we ought to give them a go."
Mr Gillam said the family had planted 150 hectares to the sub-tropicals over the last three years. Annual rainfall on the property averages 450 millimetres but only 250 - including that valuable 50mm in January and February - had fallen to the end of September 2006.
Stock comprised 6000 breeding ewes - 2000 of them put to a terminal sire for lamb production - 350 breeding cows and 600 to 800 trade cattle a year. The sheep run on annual pasture and grain cropping stubble, with the grasses earmarked for cattle.
The family was still in a learning phase about the sub-tropical, perennial grasses, mainly relying on them so far for opportunistic grazing, putting the stock on when feed was available and pulling them out when it cut out.
"Their major value appears to be at the break of the season - usually mid-May to mid-June - when their bulk has saved the family considerable supplementary feed for cattle," Mr Gillam said.
"The perennial grass does get 50 kilograms to the hectare of urea in spring and must also benefit from the nitrogen fixed by the considerable amount of self-sown blue lupins in the paddocks.
"We have 350 hectares of tagasaste, with stands of annual species beneath it, but find that isn't a complete feed. We try to use patches of tagasaste in conjunction with annual grass for bulk and fibre."
For more information about the National Grain & Graze Program, contact Philip Barrett-Lennard, Northern Agricultural Region Coordinator on 08 94750753; Dr Richard Price, National Coordinator, on 02 6295 6300, mobile 0409 624 297; Gillian Stewart on 02 6263 6042; Lynne Sealie on 02 6263 6021, or visit www.grainandgraze.com.au
Grain & Graze Regional Coordinators
Northern Agricultural Region - Philip Barrett-Lennard - 08 94750753
Avon Region - Linda Leonard - 08 9690 2191
Border Rivers Region - Rachel Charles - 07 4671 7900
Central West/Lachlan Region - Jodie Dean - 02 6895 1015
Corangamite/Glenelg-Hopkins Region - Cam Nicholson - 03 5258 3860
Eyre Peninsula Region - Alison Frischke - 08 8680 6223
Mallee Region - Zubair Shahzad - 03 50 219 103
Murrumbidgee Region - Katrina Sait - 02 6924 4633
Maranoa/Balonne Region - Stephen Ginns - 07 4620 8122
ENDS