Wimmera and Mallee farmers have an excellent opportunity to capatilise on the abundance of autumn rainfall and fill a feed gap for livestock. Crops have established very well across the region thanks to more than 100mm since January, with a majority of that falling in the growing season.
An early rain and subsequent crop growth provides an opportunity to increase return and reduce risk in mixed farming systems.
BCG livestock systems researcher Alison Frischke said that it’s not often we are fortunate to receive such an excellent break, so crops are in a good position to be grazed.
“If crops are managed and grazed within some guidelines they can recover and produce grain,” she said.
Ms Frischke continued “Sowing early, having the correct variety choice, grazing before GS30 and leaving residual leaf and soil moisture will help minimise grain yield penalties resulting from grazing in the low to medium rainfall zones.”
During the Grain & Graze initiative, significant effort was made to understand how grazing cereals can assist in a mixed farming enterprise. Ultimately, the value of a crop for grazing depends on the quantity of early biomass produced, as well as its ability to recover and produce quality grain.
The 2016 season was truly a magnificent year for grazing cereals with copiousness amounts of rainfall, crops made significant biomass gains at the start of the season and the spectacular spring gave these crops the opportunity to recover.
Grazing cereals in 2016 came with the added benefit, especially with barley, to manage the canopy, minimise lodging and reduce disease. In some cases grazing crops has shown to increase yield due to the delay in maturity and reduced frost risk.
The 2016 season also saw no yield penalties in trials conducted at Warmur. The nutritional value of all wheat varieties was high and would provide excellent feed for all classes of sheep. Feed value, based on metabolisable energy and GS30 biomass, dry matter ranged from 440 to 1151 DSE grazing days with LRPB Arrow, the best performing variety averaging 0.8t/ha. This was followed by winter wheat Wedgetail at 0.6t/ha (GS30 biomass).
In low rainfall zones, crops can generally only be grazed once, and early (GS13 onwards, avoid reaching GS30). While in the higher rainfall zones, crops can be grazed early from GS13, with a repeat graze available up to GS20 (can be to GS30).
Grazing crops in 2016 was a sound move for canopy and disease management, and considering the low grain and high lamb prices providing many a handy return. Although we have perfect conditions for the beginning of the season, the seasonal outlook must be considered in your decision making.
In 2014 the autumn break was not only plentiful, but perfectly timed. The resulting spring unfortunately was unable to produce any significant rainfall totals and research trial results were hit and miss with large variations between the three farm scale trial sites at Patchewollock, Jil Jil and Normanville.
Further research funded through the Grain & Graze project can be found on the website: www.bcg.org.au
