Grazing cereals demonstration

2011
CC BY 4.0

Research organisatons
Funding sources

Trial details

Researcher(s) Richard Quinlan (Planfarm)
Year(s) 2011
Contributor West Midlands Group
Trial location(s) East Binnu, WA
Grazing cereals demonstration locations
Aims

To assess whether the effects of grazing wheat with sheep during the growing season. Factors being assessed are yield and quality, dry matter production and grazing value.

Key messages
  • Grazing crops can offer the ability to spell pastures, however careful management needs to be practised to ensure there are no grain yield losses. Grain yield losses can very easily result in a negative profit from grazing crops.
  • In this case I suggest that the paddock was grazed heavily in the days leading up to removal of the paddock and this resulted in poor recovery of the crop from grazing.  In hindsight I feel that fewer yield losses would have resulted if there was more bulk left leading into stem elongation.
  • On the 17th August the Grain & Graze II trial site was visited by the Northern Agri Group (NAG) field day.  During the day we had over 100 growers discuss the pros and cons of grazing crops.  Both Don Nairn and I addressed the field day and had good feedback about the system.
Lead research organisation Planfarm Pty Ltd
Host research organisation West Midlands Group
Trial funding source GRDC
Trial funding source Caring for our Country
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

Thanks to GRDC & Caring For our Country program. Thanks to Don Nairn for allowing the trial to take place on his property as well as the many hours involved in recording sheep movements and yield and quality data.


Other trial partners Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Variety
  • Grazing
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Replicated

East Binnu 2011

Sow rate or Target density 80kg/ha
Sowing machinery

Airseeder – 12m (40 foot).

Sow date 17 May 2011
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Psuedoreplication Not specified
Fertiliser

At seeding: Agras Extra @ 90kg/ha

Post: FlexiN @ 50L/ha

Herbicide

Pre: Sprayseed @ 1.0 L/ha, Trifluralin @ 480mL/ha, Logran @30 g/ha

Post: MCPA @ 400mL/ha, Ecopar @ 400mL/ha, Amine @ 750g/L

Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information
Trial source data and summary not available
Check the trial report PDF for trial results.
Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
East Binnu, WA Yellow sandplain
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
East Binnu, WA Chromosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year East Binnu WA
2011 400.9mm
2010 324.7mm
2009 358.5mm
2008 398.8mm
2007 280.7mm
2006 313.7mm
2005 342.3mm
2004 319.6mm
2003 338.0mm
2002 333.0mm
2001 338.8mm
2000 381.7mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

East Binnu WA

NOTE: Exact trial site locality unknown - Climate data may not be accurate
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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.

Trial report and links

2011 trial report



Trial last modified: 09-07-2019 10:01am AEST