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Demonstrating sustainable land management practices
As part of a Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) project ‘Capacity Building for Sustainable Landscape Management’, the Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) is managing three sites in 2006 with Landcare Groups at Hopetoun, Waitchie and Sea Lake. Hopetoun has a focus on pasture species, Waitchie a focus on subsoil constraints and the new site at Sea Lake has a focus on zonal management. Funding has come from the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) and the National Landcare Program through the Mallee CMA.
Hopetoun
New grass and legume pasture species have been sown at Pat Hallam’s Hopetoun property to look at their suitability to this area and their persistence, growth and salt tolerance. The trial has various medics including ‘Jaguar’, a new pod holding strand medic that can be harvested above ground. ‘Italian ryegrass’ and ‘tall fescue’, which could provide a new grass into existing legume pastures. Other species include balansa, arrowleaf and gland clovers and a new forage brassica ‘Winfred’. Alternative grass and legume pasture species can increase feed availability, quality, water use and cover.
Larger scale perennial pasture trials have also been sown at the BCG Hopetoun and Birchip trial sites and several farmer paddock trials have been sown to compare pasture species as part of an NLP Perennial Pasture Project.
Waitchie
New and existing crop and pasture varieties have been sown in areas with high and low subsoil constraints at the Waitchie site to look at how well they will grow under hostile subsoil conditions. Landholder, Rob Hender has also sown wheat with varied fertiliser rates across the paddock and we will compare yields between high and low subsoil constraints. Species include the new Lentil ‘Nipper’ that is more salt tolerant, Mustard for shorter season areas, ‘Genesis 90’ chickpeas and ‘Winteroo’ oats as well as similar pasture species as sown at the Hopetoun site.
Sea Lake
A new site has been established at Sea Lake on Michael McClellands property on the Calder Highway and Swan Hill Rd. The paddock was EM surveyed just prior to sowing to map soil variation. Different fertiliser rates will be compared for two soil zones to look at the cost/benefit of treating the zones separately or as one. This No Till paddock is also being monitored as part of a GRDC project comparing No Till and Conventional farming practices in collaboration with the Victorian No Till Farmers Association.
Yield Prophet®
The Yield Prophet crop simulation model will be run for each site throughout the season to look at yield probability, soil water, crop stress and risk associated with proposed fertiliser applications. Landcare and BCG members will be sent regular updates and given access to the web site www.yieldprophet.com.au to follow the paddocks throughout the season.
Workshops planned for the season include Precision Agriculture, Soil Health and Herbicide Resistance. We hope to see you at one of them.
More information about the project
Enquiries: Alexandra Gartmann, CEO, ph. 03 5492 2787