To investigate the idea of Pasture Cropping (PC), which involves seeding a crop into an existing summer-active pasture stand without killing the pasture.
Key messages
Pasture cropping is an option for KI producers wishing to maximise grazing/cropping options.
The key principles are:
Graze the paddocks down to 75-100 mm with livestock, or apply herbicides. Aim to suppress (but not kill) the pastures either with the judicious use of herbicides to burn the perennials or through appropriate grazing to take out the annual weeds.
Zero till with a tyne or disc. Minimise soil disturbance as it kills pastures and encourages weeds. The aim is to open a slot and loosen the soil to create sufficient tilth for germination of the seed crop.
Lead research organisation
Agriculture Kangaroo Island Incorporated
Host research organisation
N/A
Related program
N/A
Acknowledgments
Thanks to trial sponsors:
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry under its Australia’s Farming Future initiative through Agriculture Kangaroo Island.
Trial source data and summary not available Check the trial
report PDF for trial results.
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.
Stokes Bay Road
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.
