trials

Growers in this environment have been hesitant to graze canola due to the long season traditional grazing varieties and the risk of heat stress in late spring/ early summer. The hope was that a series 5 spring variety would mature earlier and require one less irrigation in spring. The growers were accepting that a yield decrease would occur however it would save them an irrigation.

In 2021, members of the GRDC Riverine Plains Irrigation Discussion Group tested the practical and financial implications of grazing irrigated wheat and canola. 

• To determine whether sheep graze on matricaria (palatability of the weed) in a mixed species pasture and if so at which growth stages is the weed palatable.
• Estimate the feed value of matricaria at various growth stages compared to other available feed.
• Evaluate the use of MCPA to increase matricaria palatability.
• Evaluate the efficacy of late flowering mowing or weed wiping to control matricaria compared to district practice of spray topping.

This trial aims to assess the biomass production and quality of legumes oversown with cereals.

To demonstrate the feed value of high biomass summer forage crops for increasing stocking rates and live weight gain of prime lambs and beef cattle compared to current systems used in the high rainfall zone. 

To test the following hypotheses:
1. Low plant density will not reduce yield of early April sown wheat
2. Delayed nitrogen application will not affect grain yield
3. Agronomy can offset yield reductions from grazing wheat sown in early April

To evaluate how new and existing wheat and barley varieties respond to grazing and post-grazing nitrogen (N) application rates.

To measure effect of gibberellic acid application and grazing timings on the biomass production and feed quality of oats.

A long-term study was established at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre from 2008 to 2016 (EPFS Summaries 2008 to 2015) to assess the systems impact of grazing on crop and pasture production, and soil health. 

The GRDC project ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ aims to produce sustainable management guidelines to control pests, weeds and diseases while retaining stubble to maintain or improve soil health, and reduce exposure to wind erosion. The major outcome to be achieved is increased knowledge and skills allowing farmers and advisers to improve farm profitability while retaining stubble in farming systems on upper Eyre Peninsula (EP).

The Minnipa Agricultural Centre S3S pasture trial was established in 2013 to assess barley grass weed management with a two year medic pasture break. The trial had different grass weed management and tillage treatments imposed in 2013 and in 2014. The trial was then sown with wheat in 2015 and 2016.

To investigate the drivers for yield loss under grazing with a view to make grazing crops less risky.

This study compared OC and nitrogen (N) stocks at the conclusion of a five-year grazing trial on a fertilised native pasture in south-eastern Australia.

To test the grazing recovery of three milling oat varieites, Bannister, Durack and Yallara

• To investigate legume pasture options for controlling group A (ACCase inhibitors) resistant barley grass (GRDC project UA00149).
• The trial also looked at the impact of these pasture treatments on a subsequent wheat crop and compared one vs. two consecutive years of legume pasture on barley grass management in the absence of group A herbicides.

The issue of enteric (from intestines) methane (CH₄) emissions produced by ruminant livestock is gaining local and global interest due to methane being a powerful greenhouse gas and ruminants being a significant source of emissions. In the absence of measurements, prediction models can facilitate the estimation of enteric methane emissions from ruminant livestock and aid investigation of mitigation options. In Southern Australia, the management of the feedbase in low rainfall mixed farming systems through addressing ‘feed gaps’ – times of year during which the supply of forage is insufficient to meet livestock demand; is a key practice change which has the potential to mitigate methane emissions, particularly from sheep.

The aim of this trial was to evaluate pasture/forage options with a potential to fill the late-spring and early winter feed gaps and to measure comparative animal production and feed quality in response to current and improved forages. Methane output (gCH₄/day) was simulated using the GrazFeed model.

The GrazFeed decision support tool is a component of the GRAZPLAN decision support project for Australian grazing enterprises developed by CSIRO to help graziers improve the profitability of livestock production through more efficient use of pastures and supplementary feeds. It does this by predicting the intake of energy and protein and their use for maintenance and production (Freer et al., 1997).

A long-term study was established at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre from 2008 to 2015 (EPFS Summaries 2008 to 2014) to assess the impact of grazing on crop and pasture production and soil health and also to evaluate this from a systems perspective.

The eight year demonstration with a wheat, wheat, pasture (volunteer and sown annual medic), wheat, pasture (self-regenerating annual medic), wheat and wheat rotation was also established to determine whether productivity could be improved under a higher input system compared to a lower input and more traditional system and what affect this had on soil fertility.

The GRDC project ‘Maintaining profitable farming systems with retained stubble - upper Eyre Peninsula’ aims to produce sustainable management guidelines to control pests, weeds and diseases while retaining stubble to maintain or improve soil health, and reduce exposure to wind erosion. The major outcome to be achieved is increased knowledge and skills allowing farmers and advisers to improve farm profitability while retaining stubble in farming systems on upper Eyre Peninsula (EP).

The Minnipa Agricultural Centre S3S pasture trial was established in 2013 to assess barley grass weed management with a two year medic pasture break. The trial had different grass weed management and tillage treatments imposed in 2013 and in 2014. The trial was then sown with wheat in 2015.

To determine how post-grazing nitrogen application rates and post flowering rainfall affect the recovery of Mace and Trojan grain wheat crops after grazing.

The integration of cropping and grazing remains a major management challenge in the Mallee. Technology such as portable fencing systems and virtual fencing potentially offer a solution to improve grazing management in large Mallee paddocks with high soil variability. However, to effectively design and deploy these innovative grazing techniques, the grazing behaviour of livestock in these paddocks needs to be understood and quantified.

To understand the grazing behavior of livestock in paddocks to utilise technology such as portable fencing systems.

To evaluate the yield performance of milling oat varieties, and the grazing value, hay and grain yield of grazing-hay oat varieties in the southern Mallee.

• To determine the ability and drivers of grain yield recovery of two different wheat varieties after grazing.
• To investigate whether N has the ability to assist in grazing recovery of yield and/or quality compensation.

Similar trials were conducted for the GRDC funded Grain & Graze 3 project in 2015 across other agro-ecological regions including Mid-North of South Australia, Wimmera Mallee region of Victoria and Southern Victoria to determine regional and seasonal differences.

To take a step back and look at how important rainfall and variety choice are in grazing crops to maintain grain yield.

Sheep are an integral part of low-medium rainfall mixed farming systems across southern Australia and they account for 23% of Australia’s total livestock emissions. Apart from the contribution to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the energy lost as methane represents a significant inefficiency in sheep production systems. Therefore, maintaining or improving the balance between forage and animal productivity, and methane emissions is likely to be a challenge under a warmer and drier climate. The aim of this trial is to evaluate pasture/forage options to fill in the late-spring, autumn and early winter feed gaps; and to measure comparative animal production, feed quality and methane emissions in response to current and improved sheep feeding strategies.

• To determine if grazing alone can reduce Septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease pressure.
• To determine how long flutriafol, applied to the fertiliser, can control STB into the season.
• To assess the efficacy of the preliminary SDHI seed treatment to control STB.
• To assess whether the effectiveness of early control with grazing or seed treatments is improved with a foliar application of the foliar fungicide Opera (pryaclostrobin and epoxiconazole) at GS39 (flag leaf emergence).

To determin the effect of grazing and burning stubbles on grain yield and quality in no-till and zero-till controlled traffic farming systems in SNSW.

To investigate options for pasture and fodder break crops for southern Victoria with an emphasis on weed control.

To assess the impact of (and interaction between) grazing and frost damage on the grain yield and quality of a range of winter and spring cereal varieties sown at two times of sowing.

A long-term study was established at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre from 2008 to 2014 (EPFS Summaries 2008 to 2013) to assess the impact of grazing on crop and pasture production and soil health and also to evaluate this from a systems perspective.

The seven year demonstration with a wheat, wheat, pasture (volunteer and sown annual medic), wheat, pasture (self-regenerating annual medic), wheat and wheat rotation was also established to determine whether productivity could be improved under a higher input system compared to a lower input and more traditional system and what affect this had on soil fertility.

To monitor the feed value and grain production from different types of grazed cereal crops in Northern Victoria.

To assess the grazing opportunity of Moby Barley.

To use the simulation software AusFarm was used to model a mixed-farming system at Wagga Wagga with Merino ewes joined to terminal sires and grazing lucerne-subterranean clover pasture over a 41-year period.

To record experiences of farmers using rotational grazing on stubbles (putting high numbers of stock on paddocks for short periods of time) suggest that more surface cover remains and less tracking is evident compared to paddocks where a lower stocking density for longer periods is used.

To give an indication of performance at different parts of the island.

To validate the effect of grazing intensity and growth stage on forage value and yield response of different wheat varieties, with sowing times suited to cultivar.

To demonstrate inter-row pasture options for the low rainfall zone.

To quanitfy the role of livestock in the financial performance of Wimmera and Malle farming systems.

The main aims of this demonstration are to:

• Increase farmer knowledge about the N2O emissions made from fertiliser and legumes;  
• Reveal options available to reduce N20 emissions; and
• Provide information about nutrient use efficiency to maximise productivity.

To test whether soil fertility and health could be improved under a higher input system (e.g. higher fertiliser and seeding rates, establishment of improved pasture) compared to a lower input and more traditional system (district practice seed and fertiliser inputs, volunteer pasture).

The six year (2008-2013) rotation of: wheat, wheat, pasture (volunteer and sown annual medic), wheat, pasture (annual medic – self regenerating) and wheat, was also split into grazed and un-grazed treatments in both the high and low input systems to establish the relative impact of grazing.

To investigate the impacts of degree and timing of grazing on crop yield.

Demonstration to evaluate new forage options against commonly used graze and grain options.

To evaluate the impact of grazing intensity on forage value, crop recovery and grain production of a wheat crop in the Victorian Mallee.

To implement the findings of previous work conducted on the establishment of native perennial grasses in the Upper North.

To report on what has been learnt about growing kikuyu on Kangaroo Island.

To answer some key questions about lucerne in the crop rotation:

• What is the impact of the lucerne phase on subsequent crops regarding yield, quality, soil moisture and nitrogen?
• What is the best time to remove lucerne - spring or autumn?
• What is the best method of removing lucerne?
• What is the best crop rotation following lucerne?
• What are the management implications of these insights from a farming system?
   

To demonstrate and evaluate a range of management strategies that could effectively reduce damage to emerging canola during establishment caused by slug species in the High Rainfall Zone (HRZ)