Projects: Livestock & Pastures
Drought and climate resilient sheep farms and landscapes tailor-made for low rainfall farming regions
Sheep production underpins farming and rural communities in the low rainfall regions (200 to 400 mm) of southern Australia. With the profitability of sheep farmingdeclining rapidly due to the detrimental impacts of drought and extreme heat on pasture growth, soil stability and sheep performance. Mitigation strategies are urgentlyrequired to ensure the ongoing resilience and sustainability…
Climate-Ready Livestock: Building Resilient Farming Systems on Eyre Peninsula
Eyre Peninsula livestock producers are facing rapidly emerging challenges from climate change, including prolonged dry periods, declining water security, rising input costs, and increasing market pressures. This project will support producers to make informed management decisions in response to these challenges. Through a program of small group workshops and collaborative guidance from a newly formed…
Virtual Fencing for improved climate resilience on South Australian farms
This project will continue the work of initial trials to look at the use of virtual fencing technology in a new field site on the Eyre Peninsula to look at excluding sheep from erodible areas using virtual fencing. Virtual fencing trial conducted at Minnipa Ag Centre over summer. Results to come, but seemed to be…
Improving the climate resilience of the Australian Sheep Flock
Project activities include • Demonstration of practical strategies which improve the fertility of sheep joined during summer • Collation and communication of results from management trials • Demonstration of the benefits of using dietary betaine to improve sheep fertility during summer, and establish the impacts on their thermoregulation SA Drought Hub Project Page
Pasture optimisation for drought solutions
Project Summary The PODS (Pasture Optimisation for Drought Solutions) project focused on evaluating mixed legume pasture cultivars to improve drought resilience in South Australia’s low to medium rainfall zones, with the Low Rainfall zones featured on Eyre Peninsula. Across 11 sites-including three large-scale (10 ha) serradella trials and one small plot trial at Darke Peak-researchers…
SA Drought Hub Tools for pasture forecasting
Summary A desktop review of all pasture forecasting and pasture measurement tools for primary producers available in Australia. Identify tools that have potential for use in the high rainfall zone of South Australia, but that may not be available or may not be calibrated in these areas, and what would be required to make them…
Sheep Climate Resilience
Summary Activities reported on for this project include: – Demonstration of practical strategies which improve the fertility of sheep joined during summer – Collation and communication of results from management trials – Demonstration of the benefits of using dietary betaine to improve sheep fertility during summer, and establish the impacts on their thermoregulation SA Drought…
SA Drought Hub: Filling feed gaps
Summary The project aims to improve primary producer decision making around the cost effective and sustainable production of hay and silage, and preparing for drought through best practice feed conservation and storage. The project will be conducted in the Limestone Coast (LC), Fleurieu Peninsula (FP), Kangaroo Island (KI) and Eyre Peninsula (EP) regions. Expert guest…
Unlocking new opportunities and audiences for delivery of MLA products in Southern Australian farming
Delivery of surveys via meetings to determine priorities for extension of MLA materials on EP.
Perennial pasture systems for the upper Eyre Peninsula and other dryland farming areas
This project will demonstrate perennial pastures as an option for improving the productivity of low productive cropping land on the upper Eyre Peninsula. The aim will be to turn this land into productive livestock pasture, with only minimal inputs of fertiliser, and without the need for herbicide and tillage. Two farmers will sow demonstration sites;…