Filling the autumn feed gap

Summary

This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project was undertaken to demonstrate the potential of autumn grazed fodder crops to provide a lower cost and more productive (measured by pasture quality, quantity, animal performance and cost benefit analysis) alternative to supplement feeding with conserved fodder for beef in the high rainfall Lower South West region in WA. Three years of demonstration sites in seven locations across the catchment were seeded and measured.  The first year saw two strip demonstration sites established to show the potential of various species and then for the following two years, paddock sized demonstrations of either single or a mix of species were seeded.  The results of the project demonstrated the impact that seasonal variability can have on the feed potential.

There were several important key learnings from this project. This included the important role that soil temperature and moisture play at seeding for good germination and that species that tolerate lower soil temperatures for germination were lower risk.  Also, that follow-up rains are essential for good quantities of pasture and in particular summer rain is needed for crops to continue through to Autumn as most of the pasture growth and grazing occurred earlier during summer.  However, it was found on some sites that good pasture yields were still possible in dry summers but that depended on the site characteristics and paddock preparation.  As a result, profit is variable in a hot, dry summer and it was found that normal feeding out processes such as feeding silage can grow animals at similar rates to summer/autumn crops.

There was a need for Diamondback moth control in the brassica species as they had a huge impact on the success of the crop during the summer season.  It was also found that when species are included as a mix, grazing tolerance of each species needs to be considered as this will also impact the performance of the crop.  A significant finding was that summer fodder crops can be a very useful tool in preparing a paddock for winter renovation.  This approach is less of a risk than relying solely on the crop as a solution to the Autumn feed gap.

Objectives

By December 2023, in the Lower South West region of Western Australia:

1. Demonstrate and assess the potential and persistence of 6-10 autumn forage crops (eg. cowpea, lablab, soybean, sorghum, sulla, millet, sudan, raphanobrassica, forage rape, lucerne, turnip, centro, forage maize) to provide a 10% increase in target weights and stocking rates of weaners during that period.

2. Conduct a cost benefit analysis to determine the relative economic performance of the demonstrated forage options compared to existing practices of supplement feeding conserved fodder Version April 2019 Page 18 of 34.

3. Develop a project producer guide to support and increase the knowledge skills and confidence of 30 core and observer producers in annual summer/autumn forage crops

4. 75 per cent of core producers will have adopted annual autumn forage crops into their pasture systems and 25% of observers intend to.

5. Conduct 1 initial project workshop and 11 field days over 4 years (approx. 350 total participants) and develop 5 case studies to showcase the demonstration site results and encourage adoption of key practices.

Key findings

Key demonstration site outcomes include:

• Soil temperature and moisture at seeding and follow-up rains for pasture quantity are both important.
• There was a need for Diamondback moth control in the brassica species
• Grazing tolerance of species needs to be considered
• Profit is variable in a hot, dry summer and it was found that normal feeding out processes such as feeding silage can grow animals at similar rates to summer/autumn crops.

Good yields can be possible in dry summers

• Summer rain is needed to get crop through to autumn with most of the pasture growth and grazing occurring earlier during summer
• Summer fodder crops can be useful in preparing a paddock for winter renovation
• Species that tolerate lower soil temperature for germination are lower risk

Benefits to industry

The benefits of this project include:

• providing a forum and network for beef producers in the Lower South West region to build their knowledge, skills and confidence in alternative fodder crops and their management while being supported by a technical agronomist and group facilitator.
• providing a wider information hub for autumn fodder crops disseminated through to the observer producer group.

MLA action

MLA continues to deliver the Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) program, supporting livestock producers working in peer-to-peer groups to pursue new skills, knowledge and management practices applicable to their own commercial livestock production systems.

Future research

This project demonstrated that relying on summer fodder crops as a potential feed source to fill an autumn feed gap is high risk. They can however be useful in preparing paddocks that are weedy for the following years renovation, and still produce good amounts of quality feed from spring soil moisture.  This offsets the cost of establishment while providing quality feed from a paddock that otherwise would not be due to the weed burden. 

Future research should look at the benefit of spring weed control, paddock preparation (e.g. liming and cultivation) that can be achieved in conjunction with summer crops to increase spring production of poor performing paddocks, reduce erosion risk of autumn cultivation and allow for timely sowing of winter species to achieve earlier first grazing.