Maximising pasture production and utilisation for best practice lamb finishing under irrigation
| Project start date: | 15 April 2016 |
| Project end date: | 29 May 2018 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Sheep, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Tasmania |
Summary
Pasture production and associated red meat yield of pastures under different grazing regimes is not well understood. Irrigated pastures also increase the worm burden, which requires more pro-active parasite management.
The aim of this Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project was to investigate whether there are production benefits and an associated economic improvement with modifying fencing infrastructure under centre pivots to improve grazing management and pasture utilisation, based on the influence of the type of pasture (rye grass, white clover or a rye grass-white clover mix) and animal health considerations (worm management).
After two years, the PDS group identified that further research was required on the subject, so the project did not proceed into the third year under the producer demonstration site program.
Objectives
Based on the influence of the type of pasture (rye grass, Page 18 of 25 white clover or a rye grass-white clover mix) and animal health considerations (worm management), the objective of this PDS was to investigate if there are production benefits and an associated economic improvement with modifying fencing infrastructure under centre pivots to improve grazing management and pasture utilisation.
Progress
The key recommendations following the completion of year two of the PDS were:
• Conduct research into ryegrass grazing systems (for sheep enterprises) to better understand the relationships between plant physiology, pasture quality (e.g. iNDF and intake and the relationship between high energy and high protein), grazing management and interactions with animal performance, animal behaviour (e.g. mob size, stocking rate per hectare) and animal health.
• Further research on the underlying causes of lamb and ewe deaths on clover, and management practices to aid in the prevention of these.
