Catchment:
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Corangamite
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Collaborating Producer:
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Peter and Regina Dooley
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Location:
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Warncoort |
Producer Group:
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Barwon Prime Lamb Group |
Site Co-ordinator:
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Raquel Waller
Prime Lamb Industry Development Officer, DPI
P: (03) 5226 4071
E: Raquel.waller@dpi.vic.gov.au
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Production and Environmental Challenges
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The aim at this site is to increase the carrying capacity of these paddocks from 4 to 7 ewes per hectare, and replace annual pasture with perennials. While annual ryegrass is highly productive on the site, the labour input at sowing coincides with cropping operations, and so the farmer is looking to avoid this logistical challenge.
Peter’s paddocks were selected for being troublesome to maintain perennial grasses. The paddocks have poor drainage and heavy cracking clay. Soil amendments to reduce the cracks, improve drainage and increase soil fertility should increase the success of sowing phalaris, perennial ryegrass and clovers.
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Innovation being tested:
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How to establish phalaris on heavy cracking clay and achieve similar productivity compared with annual ryegrass.
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Base pasture:
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There are 4 pastures under investigation. A paddock sown to phalaris and clovers, a paddock sown to perennial ryegrass and clovers, an existing phalaris pasture and an annual ryegrass pasture.
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Animal systems:
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Coopworth lamb production.
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Latest results:
The paddocks were spraytopped in October 2008 to reduce annual grass weeds. The paddocks were disked twice in late Feb and March. Gypsum has been applied at 2 ½ t/ha, and phosphorous at 45 kg P/ha to raise Olsen P from 7 to 12 mg/kg. The paddocks will be harrowed in April if conditions are suitable. The plan is to sow in the last week of April. |
