Projects: Livestock & Pastures
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
Promoting best-practice feedbase management to deliver improved drought resilience in low to medium rainfall regions through on-farm demonstrations and case studies
Summary This consortium project will demonstrate the application of best practice pasture management options to deliver enhanced drought resilience. Natural capital will be increased by 1) Extending the pasture growing season. 2) Increasing the ground cover of pastures to protect soils. This will be achieved by using better-adapted pasture species and mixtures and by implementing…
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 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;…
Dryland Legume Pasture Systems – Boosting profit and reducing risk in medium and low rainfall areas
Summary Over the past three decades there has been a shift from integrated crop-livestock production to intensive cropping in dry areas which has significantly reduced the resilience of farms. Intensive cropping is prone to herbicide resistant weeds, large nitrogen fertiliser requirements, and major financial shocks due to frost, drought or low grain prices. A pilot…