PDS: Championing quality silage from field to feed

Summary

Producing high-quality, cost-effective silage is critical for mixed farming businesses across Western Australia’s South Coast, particularly during seasonal feed gaps and drought conditions. This MLA and GRDC Partnership Producer Demonstration Site project will deliver a three-year “Silage Challenge” to help producers identify the crop, pasture and management practices that produce the highest quality and most profitable silage. The project will also investigate emerging legume options, including faba beans, as alternative silage crops that can improve feed quality, reduce production risk and enhance nitrogen fixation within farming systems.

Through producer-led demonstrations, workshops, field days and benchmarking activities, participants will gain practical skills in species selection, crop and pasture management, feed testing, ensiling techniques and economic decision-making. The project will provide locally relevant data on silage quality, yield, production costs and livestock nutrition outcomes, helping producers improve feed security, reduce reliance on purchased feed and build more resilient and profitable mixed-farming enterprises. Findings will be shared broadly to support adoption of best-practice silage production and innovative legume-based feed options across the region.

Objectives

By February 2029, three years of ‘silage challenges’ (one per year) with designated categories, including cereals, grain legumes, pasture legumes, mixed pasture, will engage at least 20 core farmers and 50 observer farmers to:

1. Collect data and measure quality, quantity and costs of specific pastures and crops (incl. legumes) grown in the region promoting both high-quality and quantity silage production & biological nitrogen fixation and overall profitability.

2. Implement a series of training and extension activities and communication platforms to (minimum three workshops and three events over two years) to:

• Build knowledge and skills in 100% of core producers and 80% of observers on pasture and crop options suited to local soils, seasons, climate and nutritional quality for silage production.
• Drive adoption of faba beans or new pasture legumes for improved productivity and nitrogen fixation, with 50% of core producers adopting and 40% of observers indicating intent.
• Improve silage management and techniques of 100% of core producers, and 75% of observer producers, including time of cutting and ensilaging techniques.
• Ensure 100% of core producers and 60% of observers conduct annual silage feed testing through support with sampling techniques and how-to assess feed test results and allocation to meet nutritional needs to livestock.

3. Conduct a cost benefit analysis to determine the relative economic performance of each ‘entered’ silage crop on a per hectare basis – with production & economic performance the focal points of the ‘challenge’. For faba bean crops, economic analysis will be performed to quantify benefits for silage versus grain production.

4. Provide an annual anonymous benchmark report to each of the core farmers (entrants in the challenge) with their results highlighted against the rest of the group’s results. 

5. Trial and economically assess the feasibility of faba beans in the crop rotation as a high value ensilaged feed supplementary source for livestock as an additional option to harvestable product (i.e., when grain prices are low) – through inclusion of a grain legume category. 

6. Increase adoption with 50% of core producers either adopting faba beans in the rotation (with confidence they have options for ensilaging if unfavourable grain markets) or, adopting ‘newer’ pasture legumes for increased productivity and biological nitrogen fixation. 

Benchmark averages improve from year 1 – year 3 with a 5% improvement in quality attributes (DM, ME and crude protein) across the challenge.

Pre and post core producer (challenge participant) surveys and observer ‘event’ surveys to capture skills gained and change (or likelihood of change) in silage management practices and adoption of grain and/or pasture legumes.