Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) - Native pasture cropping

Native pasture cropping

What is the 'native pasture cropping project'?

Established in 2009, this project will test and validate native pastures for future farming systems. Project officer Jonathan Starks said “This research is new to our region. It will not only give farmers an opportunity to see how native grass pastures can improve soil health, but also investigate if this system can support more economically and environmentally sustainable farms.” The first year of the project is supported by the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country and from 2010 the project is supported by Grain & Graze.

Factsheet: What is Native Pasture
Factsheet: Native Pasture Cropping

Session	Length (min:sec)	Presenter/s
Pasture Cropping Farming Systems	2:35	Colin Seis

Harrowing the Kewell site prior to sowing the native pasture seeds.

How will it be done?

Native grass pasture has been established on two different soil types in the region, and a cereal crop direct drilled into the pasture. Pasture production, crop production and soil health will be monitored, and biodiversity values measured. The aim is to determine whether native pasture can be established and pasture cropping developed into a viable farming system in the Wimmera Mallee region. While some grass species are winter active C3 growers, in this project we have sown summer active C4 growers.

The first site at Hopetoun in the southern Mallee will test native pasture cropping on a light sandy soil type. The native grass species sown are Windmill Grass (Chloris truncata), Red Grass (Bothriochloa macra) and Cotton Panic (Digitaria brownii).

The second site at Kewell, north of Longerenong, will test native pasture cropping on a heavy clay soil type. The native grass species sown are Red Grass (Bothriochloa macra), Silky Bluegrass (Dichanthium sericeum) and Tall Spider Grass (Enteropogon acicularis).


Silky Bluegrass (Dichanthium sericeum) has been sown at the Kewell site.

Why native pastures?

As pasture, native grasses have a range of potential production, environmental and economic benefits, including sustainable and profitable grazing, improved soil nitrogen balance, habitat for wildlife and as an integral component of pasture cropping.

Native grass pastures:

are drought resistant, frost tolerant, vigorous growers and most are highly palatable to livestock.
provide increased ground cover and require less fertiliser. As perennials they can use water more efficiently, accessing rainfall throughout the whole year.
can have high biodiversity values. Many invertebrates, birds and reptiles can inhabit native pastures.
can be used in conjunction with cropping as part of a mixed farming system known as Pasture Cropping.

Factsheet: Grazing Benefits of Native Pastures

Native Pastures Project Update - 18 August 2010

The BCG native pastures project is underway with two trial sites prepared and sown. The sites, one at Hopetoun in the southern Mallee and the other at Kewell north of Longerenong, will be used to determine whether native pasture can be established and developed into a viable and sustainable component of the farm system.

The Kewell site, with a clay loam soil, produced an average of 750kg/ha dry matter. The Hopetoun site, with a sandy soil, produced an average of 230kg/ha dry matter. Though these results may seem low, the native pastures have only been growing over one summer and results partly reflect the different growing conditions between the two sites, and the species sown.

Both trial sites were sown with correll wheat in mid-May using knife points at 12 inch row spacings. Emergence counts conducted at both sites on 22 June showed no significant difference between the sown plots with native pasture and the fallow sown plots, indicating that the presence of native pasture has not affected the germination of the wheat crop.

The trial sites will continue to be monitored during the crop growing season. Crop yield will be measured in November/December. After the crop harvest, the native pastures will be monitored for spring/summer growth and pasture production value. Monitoring of the native pastures will be completed in March 2010.

In addition to the two trial sites supported through funding from the Australian Governments Caring for Our Country program, two farmer case studies have been established as part of Grain & Graze2. Two farmers have adopted pasture cropping principles and have sown paddocks of native pasture with a cereal crop. Their experiences will be captured and shared throughout the project.


Close-up of wheat crop growing in the native grass pasture.	Trial plots at Hopetoun showing wheat crops in native pasture.

Native Pastures Project Update - 22 March 2010

Windmill Grass (Chloris truncata)

The native grasses have been growing steadily over summer. Germination counts were undertaken at both sites in mid-January. At both sites, germination was best along old crop stubble lines, with very little growing on the exposed ground between.

The Hopetoun site, on a light sandy soil, has shown that only one species (Windmill Grass Chloris truncata) of the three sown has germinated. Later visits found a few individuals of the other two species. Summer weeds, particularly Common Heliotrope, have been a problem at this site, and the plots were sprayed in early February.

At the Kewell site, on a heavier clay soil, all three species sown have germinated. Silky Bluegrass Dicanthium sericeum has had the best germination rate despite ants taking many seeds. Summer weeds have been less of a problem and were hand chipped and pulled in mid-March.

Dry matter cuts, to measure native pasture productivity, were taken at both sites in March. Soil samples, to measure differences in soil moisture between plots were also taken in March.

For more information contact Jonathan Starks at BCG 0428 922 787 or email.