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Pasture / LivestockProjects
Project

Long-term trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices in Victoria

  • This project is led by the University of Melbourne, with funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
  • 2028
  • 1
  • Rokewood
  • Current
IMG 2797 1

Research Question

The purpose of the trials is to investigate innovative and transformational cropping, grazing and mixed farming practices through the lens of drought resilience and associated risk management. The ‘Central Hub’ trials are conducted by the University of Melbourne, established at their Dookie campus. These trials have intensive scientific data collection and are then used for engagement and extension activities undertaken by Riverine Plains, who will then scale up the trials to paddock scale demonstrations. There are then three ‘spoke trials’ located in Tasmania (managed by the University of Tasmania), North-West Victoria (managed by Birchip Cropping Group) and South-West Victoria (managed by Southern Farming Systems).

Research Information & Objectives

The SFS ‘spoke trial’ is located at the ‘The Meadows’, Rokewood.

The locally relevant objective is to determine a crop and fodder-based system that is more robust and profitable across a range of climatic conditions compared to the current pasture and crop rotations.

Livestock farmers in the South-West have a high proportion of self-replacing flocks and herds. To be efficient, female weaners need to be well managed so they are cycling at joining and then go on to lamb/calve successfully, which comes down to nutrition and feed on offer.

With climate change predictions of a long-term decline in production from a typical phalaris/perennial ryegrass/sub-clover pasture and crop systems, the challenge of growing out weaner animals will only become more difficult.

Rethinking the current pasture/crop rotation and adjusting the crop rotation, as well as the introduction of novel fodders and opportunistic grazing of crops, may better utilise out-of-season rainfall and complement the traditional pasture base.

The traditional system will be ongoing rotation of wheat, beans and canola, with phalaris/sub-clover pastures on less suitable cropping land. Feed shortfalls are addressed by supplementation.

Compared to a novel system: using adaptive novel feed sources to maximise the availability of feed (high quantity, high quality) as part of a traditional crop rotation, along with traditional phalaris/sub-clover pastures.

The aim is to replace/reduce the need for supplementary feeding throughout the year.

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