Central slopes of New South Wales
Orange
The Orange Proof Site represents the Upper Lachlan, Lachlan Slopes and Central West catchments of New South Wales and is testing the hypothesis that high-intensity grazing of native pastures improves perenniality, animal production and farm profitability, while having positive NRM outcomes such as increasing biodiversity and increasing groundcover.
The challenge
Native pastures make up a large proportion of the high rainfall areas of this region. Pasture composition in the region is variable but the proportion of perennial is usually low (around 20%) substantially below what might be considered optimal (50%). The low amount of perennials in pastures reduces animal production and exacerbates environmental issues such as soil salinity, soil acidity, soil health degradation and loss of biodiversity.
Current management of native pastures is that they are infrequently fertilised and normally set stocked with non-breeding stock. Farms rely on high quality forage grown on smaller areas of more intensively managed sown pastures to supplement the native pastures.
EverGraze is studying how grazing systems, fertiliser and position in the landscape affect productivity of pastures and animals and improves both profit and NRM outcomes.
Research overview
The Orange Proof Site is made up of two experiments. At Panuara, 25km SW of Orange, the 40 hectares of native pasture is made up of weeping grass, red grass and wallaby grass. Three different systems are being imposed at this site;
- Low Intensity set stocked – control system
- Medium Intensity rotational grazing – 4 paddock grazing system
- High intensity rotational grazing - 20 paddock grazing system
This site will be grazed by high performance merino ewes mated to terminal sires. Measurements will include impacts of the different grazing systems on soils and pasture composition, production, and quality. In addition, animal measurements will include wool quality and quantity, lamb growth rates and ewe body weight.
The Belgravia site is 25 km north of Orange and is dominated by summer active native grasses, mainly red grass. Three treatments will be compared;
1. Low intensity grazing – grazed 100% of the time at 5 DSE/ha
2. Medium Intensity grazing – grazed 25% of the time at 20 DSE/ha
3. High intensity grazing - grazed 55% of the time at 100 DSE/ha
The measurements at this site will concentrate on the effects of the different treatments on soils, pasture production, composition, ground cover and diversity.
From a biodiversity perspective, invertebrates will also be observed.
Orange Proof Site team leader is Warwick Badgery, NSW DPI
T: (02) 6391 3814, E: warwick.badgery@dpi.nsw.gov.au or contact us online click here
More information is available from the Central Slopes NSW Proof Site brochure
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