EverCrop Aims

To develop improved farming systems for the li t k i ti i l fcrop-livestock zone incorporating perennials for

increased profit and NRM benefits

Address constraints to adoption of perennials

Develop tools to assist in evaluating and developing the role of perennials in cropdeveloping the role of perennials in crop-livestock systems: EverCrop Decide

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The EverCrop Project

EC Decide

NSW: Uniform WA: Medium

Robertson, Lawes, Moore et al

S U oRainfall Zone

WA: Medium rainfall zone

Ferris, Ward, D Dear, Li, Hayes, Polling et al eoples et al

SA-Vic: Low-rainfall zoneWhitbread, Llewellyn, Davoren, H

arris et al

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arris et al

Farmer Local Agronomy Adaptation

Groups

g o o yresearch

Modelling

Adoptabilityevaluation

On-farm adaptive

R&D

Modelling research

R&D

Better understood and more adoptable FS

changeschanges

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Mixed farmers with low-yield, high-risk cropping soils seeking viable perennial option…

Alan Buckley, Waikerie

“No-till and stubble retention has meant that I can manage my sand and get good reliable yields from it”

“I’m now concentrating cropping inputs on my reliable cropping zones and grazing the marginal zones

I’m looking for possibilities for the land I don’t want to crop that will provide forage value and cover?”will provide forage value and cover?Has tried saltbush – wants a better option for lamb enterprise

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Forage shrub plantings:Forage shrub plantings: where and how much in the SA Mallee

Saltbush plantingsRoger LawesLawes

Nat Raisbeck-BrownBrown

Rick

Llewellyn

90cm aerial imagery (Oct 2008) + Terrain analysis

Groundtruthed Dec 2009 (66 sites): + 5% – 5% error

6Murray Mallee LAP Region

Forage shrub plantings: Murray Mallee

124 farm blocks with forage shrubs (almost entirely saltbush)

41% of farm blocks with saltbush had only 1 patch11% had 3 patches11% had 3 patches

On farm blocks with some saltbush: Median 13ha per farm block (ave 2.7% of farm block)

Totals to 3070 ha forage shrubTotals to 3070 ha forage shrub(3413 ha of saltbush subsidised by MM LAP over past decade)decade)75% planted on ‘dune’

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EverCropLow RainfallLow Rainfall

Mallee

Waikerie MSF SiteF h b d ti b il tForage shrub production by soil typeEnrich site (Davoren, SAMDBNRM)Grass options MMLAP

+Perennial

Pasture cropping options

Werrimull Vic Site: new shrubs Vs annualWerrimull Vic Site: new shrubs Vs annual options by soil type (Harris)Research into existing forage shrub standsS ti l h t ti l l d lSpatial approach – potential land class areasMallee MIDAS

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Analysis of the potential value of perennials in Mallee mixed-farming systemsy p p g y

Whole-farm analyses Determinants of perennial profitability and

potential use

Spatial and soil-specific potential-Effective land management units and production

Options for Cropping Land

Options for Marginal Land

Mallee MIDASpotential (Whitbread, Jones, Llewellyn et al)

Land

Reducing establishment

costs of perennial pasture legumes

Production potential of pasture

options- Pasture growth curve

Fodder shrub production

potential by soil and climate-Toposequence

Simulating fodder shrub performance

over soils and seasons

Species mixtures (Emms;

p g- Lucerne establishment

trials (Vic DPI)

Pasture growth curve modelling

(Whitbread, Harris)

-Toposequence experiment (Whitbread)

-Existing stand analysis

-Species mixtures (Emms; SARDI)-Waikerie Enrich site (Davoren)- Millewa Landcare fodder shrub trial

Perennial grass options

EverCrop Activities

Mallee WUE Project (GRDC)

New low rainfall legumes (CRC)

New fodder shrub species development- Enrich (CRC)

options (Whitbread

BCG)Partner project

Activities

Saline Grazing Systems projects

(CRC)

“In the Mallee, can perennial, annual or mixed forage options incorporated into the farming system, particularly in the marginal parts of the

landscape, improve overall resilience and profitability?”p , p p y

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Atriplex semibaccata(Creeping Saltbush)(Creeping Saltbush)

What are the options/productivity/tradeoffs for incorporating perennials into lo rainfall cropping s stemslow rainfall cropping systems

Poor performing areas that remain in the cropping program•Managed as the rest of the paddock with lower inputs (Precision Agriculture)•Planted as an annual system but managed/utilised separately from the paddock (e g In season•Planted as an annual system, but managed/utilised separately from the paddock (e.g. In season grazing and potentially growing grain in good seasons)•Planted to low growing perennials (grazed or ungrazed)

Areas where land use changesAreas where land use changes•Alley systems (fodder-shrub cropping) on wide rows with opportunity pastures/cereals•New multi-spp forage shrub systems•New pasture based systems (including no-kill, pasture cropping)

Determining the performance of saltbush and other potential new shrub s stems for the land t pes of the lo rainfall Mallee regionsystems for the land types of the low rainfall Mallee region

Modelling the growth of fodder shrubs

Empirical – relationships between rainfall, soil type, landscape position and growth rate/water use(Hobbs et al. 2009 Florasearch – contain examples of such data), but developing the predictive capacity for performance across landtype and interaction/competition with other spp/crops not possible.

Mechanistic – develops an understanding of the process of plant growth, therefore the factors (water, nutrients, radiation, temperature) that determine growth rate/water use under optimal conditions (develops the relationships) and then modifies them for the real world stresses (water/nutrient/light/temp)(water/nutrient/light/temp)

Our approach is to use existing APSIM model capability and develop a generic fodder shrub model for modelling saltbush and other spp - apply to more diverse questions/scenarios • location in the landscape x growth rate• location in the landscape x growth rate• analyse the potential for wide row alley systems, competition between spp.• comparisons with the fodder options• potential for C sequestration, water use• derive the simpler empirical models of growth rate x rainfall x soil type• derive the simpler empirical models of growth rate x rainfall x soil type

Example of modelling to a field scale questiona p e o ode g to a e d sca e quest o

Block Edge CompetitionZone

ProtectedZone

Open PaddockBlock Edge CompetitionZone

ProtectedZone

Open Paddock

Wind SpeedWind Speed

0 5 10 15 200 5 10 15 200 5 10 15 20Distance (tree heights)

0 5 10 15 20Distance (tree heights)

• Tradeoffs between a tree plantation bordering cropping land• Benefits of trees on wind speed, reduced drainage, • In a semi arid environment competition for water• In a semi-arid environment, competition for water

Determining the performance of saltbush and other potential new shrub s stems for the land t pes of the lo rainfall Mallee regionsystems for the land types of the low rainfall Mallee region

Experiment 1: Saltbush model development of growth rate from planting to 1 year old using destructive techniques….model regrowthq gAim: Collect parameter datasets for building the APSIM-saltbush model by measuring a saltbush growth rate experiment and measuring non-destructively height, width, (stem diameter) and edible drymatter (Adelaide technique) and destructively stem/leaf mass, root mass, LAI.Method: An irrigated trial containing de cock and eyres green was established June 2009. It is has g g y gbeen measured 4 Nov, 22 Dec, 18Feb.

Determining the performance of saltbush and other potential new shrub s stems for the land t pes of the lo rainfall Mallee regionsystems for the land types of the low rainfall Mallee region

Experiment 2: Aim: Measure the performance (growth rate, water use) of saltbush and Rhagodia preisii across a p (g , ) g pdune-swale landscape

Method: An landscape trial containing Saltbush (de cock) and Rhagodia preisii was established May-June 2009 on 4 m rows. It is has been measured 4 Nov, 22 Dec, 18Feb. (DM-Adelaide y , , (technique, height, width). Other established saltbush plantations on various landtypes are also being measured for biomass annually

The potential of summer-growing grasses to fill feed gaps in the Victorian Malleeeed gaps t e cto a a ee

Work initiated by BCG under “Perennial Profit in the Mallee Wimmera”Work initiated by BCG under Perennial Profit in the Mallee Wimmera NLP & Mallee CMA /Evercrop

• Species Audit by Pengelly et al. 2006• Sowing date:10 November 2006• 6 grasses and 1 legumePanicum maximum cvv Gatton and PetriePanicum maximum cvv. Gatton and PetriePanicum coloratum cvv. Bambatsi and ATF714 Digitaria milanjiana cv. StricklandBothriochloa bladhii ssp. Glabra (Swann)Desmanthus virgatus cv. Marc

CSIRO.

Plant numbersa t u be s

Table 4. Establishment (pl/m2) counts made in March 2008, April 2009 and Feb 2010 for all i ti (M f i t )varieties (Mean of sowing rates).

2008 establishment (plants/m2) Gatton Petrie Bambatsi ATF-714 Strickland Marc LSD

2008 23 5 14 0 15 0 8 1 19 1 12 5 8 62008 23.5 14.0 15.0 8.1 19.1 12.5 8.6

2009 4.7 4.1 6.5 10.6 2.5 1.9 2.7 2010 5.9 4 5.8 10.9 2.3 1.8 -

CSIRO.

April 2009p 009

CSIRO.

Dry matter production- measuredy atte p oduct o easu ed

Figure 1. Biomass measured at June 2007, March 2008, 2009, Jan 2010

CSIRO.

Dry matter production- simulated60

80

dayy atte p oduct o s u ated

40

60

rate

(kg

DM

/ha/

d

Mean

25 percentile

20

Dai

ly g

row

th r median

75 percentile

0J J A S O N D J F M A MFigure

1a1a

Conclusions-tropicalsCo c us o s t op ca s

• The potential for filling critical “autumn” feedgaps was the motivation behind this work.

• Simulation has shown that September to December is the period of most rapid growth and provided that pasture quality can beof most rapid growth and, provided that pasture quality can be maintained, there is potential for this feed to carry over for use later in summerWh l di th l b i thi• Where annual medics or other legumes can be grown in this pasture system there may be benefits arising from improved nitrogen cycling, feed quality and ground cover

CSIRO.

Future Work (new phase…)Future Work (new phase…)

Species evaluation-larger scale, grazed• Testing the most promising subtropical spp. (Panicum coloratum

cvv. Bambatsi and ATF714) under larger and grazed commercial plantingsp g

• Sown or self regenerating pastures -some summer growing grasses native to the Mallee (Austrodanthonia spp. SpeargrassStipa spp, Windmill grass Chloris truncata and purple plume p pp, g p p pgrass, Dichelachne spp.)

• Other Spp identified by Enrich (e.g. Cullen, A. semibaccata)Testing and demonstrating new systemsTesting and demonstrating new systems• Field testing of novel systems such as pasture-cropping• Fodder shrub mixes and/or inter-row options for wide plantings• Feed year planning and animal enterprises of new systemsData for future analysis• Basic growth rate/seed regeneration data for medics, lucerneg g ,

TimeTime