Projects
The Northern Victoria Grain & Grain Program comprises the following projects:
Growing Biomass
- Native pasture resilience
- Forages for a new climate
- The most efficient ways of converting irrigation water to grain and meat
Utilising Biomass
- Containment use and management
- Grazing croplands
- Costs and benefits of livestock in no-till
- Farmer solutions to grazing no-till systems
Where in the landscape
- Innovative solutions to the problem of uneven grazing in large Mallee paddocks
- Opportunity grazing and cropping benefits of perennials on constrained soil types in mixed farming systems in Northern Victoria
Adaptive Management
- Embedding adaptive management
- Risk management discussion groups
- Role of livestock in whole farm risk management
Transition
Growing Biomass
Native pasture resilience
Leader:Jon Starks, WCMA
Why: Knowledge of native grass species, their distribution and nutritional values in Northern Victoria is relatively well known. What is less well known is the value of these grasses in a grazing system and how they can best be managed for profit and sustainability.
Aim: Use trial and demo sites to measure how grazing affects native grasses resilience, production of dry matter, the recruitment of native grass species and composition changes, suitable landscapes and whether timing or grazing pressure is more important .
How: Monitor three existing trial sites; BCG has established 2 Pasture Cropping trial sites – a heavy soil in the Wimmera and a light soil in the Mallee. These trial plots will not be grazed. Gecko Clan has an existing Pasture Cropping project in trial plots which can be compared with the above. These trial plots will be grazed. In addition to the above PC sites, two native pasture demonstration sites, to be grazed but not cropped, will be monitored.
Grazing of the trial sites will take place at strategic times to encourage growth, seeding and recruitment and to avoid soil erosion. Stocking rates and grazing periods will be varied.
Forages for a new climate
Leader: Rob Fisher, VICC
Why: In recent drought years there have been production issues with the current forage and pasture species and varieties, and the onset of some summer rainfall events has led to farmers considering the issue of climate change.
Aim: To use expert knowledge to model what future climates might look like in Northern Victoria and to relate this to pasture and forage genetic opportunities. Develop a new range of forage and pasture options for Northern Victoria in a “new climate”.
How: Using modeling develop likely climate scenarios in the future for Northern Victoria. Identify likely forage genetics that fit these scenarios, and in consultation with industry and seed companies, trial and demonstrate best bet scenarios across 3 northern Vic sites, with a particular emphasis on opportunity summer cropping. Trials will include time of sowing, irrigation timing, fertiliser regimes, variety/crop selection, length and timing of grazing. Monitoring will help understand the system implications. 6 case studies of farmers using BMP will also be undertaken where livestock cage exclusion will occur. By using this complimentary approach, modelling can be re worked on an annual basis, based on the trial results. This will ensure that the system will produce a new range of options for farmers in forage for the changing climate of Northern Victoria.
The most efficient ways of converting irrigation water to grain and meat
Leader: Rob Fisher, VICC
Why: Historically irrigators have either had a grain only focus or a pasture enterprise for livestock production. Recent work by the VICC has demonstrated that grain and graze systems are possible, however many limitations still remain.
Aim: Understand the irrigated water use efficiency of grain and graze systems, to develop best management principles in regard to variety, nutrient and grazing management to maximize profitability.
How: The project will commence with an extensive industry workshop, reviewing current knowledge of these systems. Models will then be used to examine solutions to limitations and validate ideas to be trialed. 3 trial sites and 6 demo sites will be established across Northern Victoria, and southern NSW covering a range of irrigation and soil types. Trials may involve differing sowing rates, time of sowing, irrigation timing, fertiliser regimes, and variety choice or crop selection, length and timing of grazing. 6 case studies of farmers using BMP will also be undertaken. Two crop walks will be held on farmers demonstration sites to extend all information.
Using Biomass
Containment use and management
Leader: Kate Reilly, BCG
Why: Containment areas and feedlots are a relatively new development in many mixed farming areas, partly stimulated by incentives under the DPI/CMA Land Protection Incentive Scheme to reduce soil erosion in dry years. Containment areas require new skills in calculating rations, economics, marketing, grain buying, and best containment area designs.
Aim: To increase farmer knowledge and skills in relation to feedlot setup, design and operation logistics, ration formulation, and of the marketing feed lot lambs.
How: Feedlot tours, specialised seminars on ration development, economics, marketing, grain buying, feedlot design and water management will be delivered to growers. Industry leaders and specialists with experience and credible knowledge will be used in the information delivery process. Activities will occur across the project region during times identified as appropriate and with immediate application on farm.
Grazing croplands
Alison Frischke, BCG
Why: Forage crops are often sown for early feed across northern Victoria, with their end use opportunistic (dependent on seasonal conditions). Crops intended for grain production however, are not being utilised due to a lack of confidence in their ability to recover.
Aim: Evaluate the potential for grazing croplands across northern Victoria in terms of feed value and ability of crops to recover and avoid grain yield penalties. Evaluate the practice of grazing crops on the profitability of the farm.
How: The project will begin with an extensive literature review, examining current knowledge of grazing and grain systems and their application to northern Victoria. The review will identify knowledge gaps, and cropping options and systems to be examined by on-farm trials, modelling or extension. A mix of trial sites and demonstration sites will be established across Northern Victoria in 2010, 2011 and 2012. These will trials will investigate crop agronomy and grazing strategies, as well as demonstrating proven management techniques. Trials may involve differing sowing rates, fertiliser regimes, variety/crop selection and grazing timing. Case studies will also be compiled from demos and growers successfully grazing crops. Timely workshops and field walks will be used to share trial data and farmer experiences.
Costs and benefits of livestock in no-till
Leader: Ben Jones, Mallee Focus
Why: There is much apprehension among northern Victorian farmers about the compatibility of livestock and no-till cropping systems; in some areas no-till adoption has corresponded with many farmers selling-off livestock, some farmers remain ‘till’ because they want to retain livestock, while other farmers appear to be making no-till and livestock work together.
Aim: To field test farmer/adviser perceptions about the effects of grazing on crop production, soil structure, weed seeds and carbon/nitrogen cycling in no-till systems.
How: At three trial sites; Mallee, Wimmera and Goulburn Broken CMAs, ungrazed areas will be created (using exclusion cages, or where larger areas are required, fencing or the use of paired paddocks) in grazed no-till farmer paddocks, and effects followed in the succeeding crop. Focus issues will include soil physical changes (compaction, infiltration, other traffic effects), weeds (seed burial, germination promotion), and nutrient/carbon cycling (include measurements of cover, and soil water measurements). The project will focus on changes in processes rather than long-term changes; this is appropriate given the time-frame. Finally the integrated effect of these changes on crop performance will be measured.
Farmer solutions to grazing no-till systems
Leader: Vanessa Greiger, VNTFA
Why: Explained in above project.
Aim: To identify no-till farmers who have maintained livestock enterprises and have successful strategies to reduce potential compromises by grazing, then share their experiences to build confidence in others.
How: In the first year The VNTFA will work closely with BCG, MSF, Riverine Plains and NCCMA to identify and write 4 case studies on no-till farmers that are successful using current strategies to management livestock in their systems. Workshops to present and discuss strategies for no-till/livestock management will be held for farmers and advisors in north west and north east areas in both 2011 and 2012. In 2013 a further 12 case studies will be written and distributed in a similar way but will address the new and emerging strategies that are being used to management livestock in the no-till system.
The ultimate outcome of the above projects will be no-till farmers in northern Victoria adopting livestock, and mixed farmers with livestock feeling comfortable about adopting no-till.
Where in the Landscape
Opportunity grazing and cropping benefits of perennials on constrained soil types in mixed farming systems in northern Victoria
Leader: Michael Moodie, MSF
Why: Perennials have replaced annual plant systems on constrained soils, however there’s a knowledge gap regarding the productivity and best practice utilisation of these plantings.
Aim: To characterise production potential of perennial plantings on constrained soil types in northern Victoria, and to determine the livestock enterprises and management that will make best advantage of them.
How: Two perennial plant sites established on constrained soils in the Mallee and north central regions will be monitored for two years to quantify biomass production, feed value and NRM benefits. Using this information and financial modeling, a desktop study will determine livestock enterprises that could make best use of the perennial production, and the financial impact on the livestock enterprise and whole farm profitability. Field walks to be held in each region annually for three years.
Innovative solutions to the problem of uneven grazing in large Mallee paddocks
Leader: Michael Moodie, MSF
Why: Large Mallee paddocks are subject to uneven grazing and development of erosion problems due to variations in soil type and livestock preference for different landscape locations.
Aim: To identify and promote practical solutions that farmers are currently using to exclude livestock from grazing sensitive soil types in large Mallee paddocks.
How: An extensive twelve month consultation period with landholders (including SA and NSW), farm consultants, researchers, Mallee CMA and a review of literature will be undertaken to identify potential solutions to controlling grazing on large Mallee paddocks. In the second year, solutions will be trialled in three paddock scale demonstrations and monitored for improvements in grazing and reduced erosion. Year two will include two field walks (northern and southern Mallee) with landholders.
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| Grazing cereals demonstration after grazing 13/07/2010 |
Adaptive Management (AM)
NVGG2 has three AM dimensions, one involving discussion groups (with the associated supporting activities), the second aimed at changing the way a farming systems group ‘does business’, and the third focused on developing a process to understand the role of livestock in whole farm risk management.
Risk management discussion groups
Leader: Kate Reilly, BCG
The discussion groups, called risk management discussion groups are aimed at younger farmers in partnership with the key farm decision maker; aimed to enhance their appreciation of risk management and marketing (which is often learnt by experience) and to address ‘lost’ skills and knowledge, especially with livestock (which may not have been handed down from the previous generation).
The groups will have the capacity to link into Grain & Graze research, then conduct their own focus paddock testing and the investigation of technologies, especially related to livestock. The ‘Role of livestock in whole farm risk management’ project and the support tools to enable farmers to analyse this for themselves process will be integrated into the risk management discussion groups.
Embedding adaptive management
Leader: Kate Reilly, BCG
The second dimension involves supporting a cultural shift in the operation of a large, well established farming systems group. Grain and Graze 2 will provide the resources to put into practice the report ‘Making it practical: How current thinking on complex decision-making, adaptive management and extension can be incorporated into BCG practice.’ (Flanagan-Smith, 2009). It will also enable BCG to embed the adaptive management principles of Grain and Graze 2 into the organisation. The result is expected to be a more effective farming systems group which help build the capacity of farmers to make more appropriate complex mixed farming decisions.
Role of livestock in whole farm risk management
Leader: David Chamberlin, BCG
Different livestock enterprises across northern Victoria will have different risk profiles, and there are interactions with the cropping enterprise. Some aspects of livestock risk management come from providing income out-of-phase to cropping, some from different price movement, and some from effectively liquidating capital. There is a need to better understand the mechanisms of risk management and how livestock can be better managed to reduce overall business risk. This sub-project will review the role of livestock and engage with discussion groups to better understand the processes used to analyse risk and livestock in the business.
As well as the activities identified, communication for all projects will occur on an ongoing basis through grower network and organization newsletters, fact sheets, results compendiums, field days, local and rural papers and industry updates.
Projects are choosing trial and demo sites to address differences in soil type, rainfall, farming system etc.
Transition
Pasture Termination
Leader: Ben Jones, Mallee Focus
Why: A regular problem for mixed farmers is timing the transition from pasture to crop and managing the trade-offs; additional grazing, water and nutrient use by the pasture is traded off against residual water, biotic interactions (eg. spray topping medic pastures), soil cover and nutrition for the crop.
Aim: To better define the pasture termination trade-off and to develop improved guidelines for management.
How: The project will commence with focus group of advisers to choose suitable areas, times, and things to measure. A range of grazing/pasture termination date treatments will be trialed in fenced areas of small plots on established farmer pastures in the second half of 2010 and 2011 in the Mallee, Goulburn/Broken and North East CMA areas. Four times of exclusion will form treatments: early July, late August, early October and mid December (termination). Soil water and cover will be monitored until sowing. Crop response will be measured by biomass growth, grain yield and quality.
Summer/fallow weed management is critical. Project staff will work with advisers in the final part of the project to develop management recommendations for the pasture-crop termination.
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| Grazing cereals demonstration after grazing 13/07/2010 |