PDS: Drone-smart Crop Grazing for Southern WA
| Project start date: | 02 December 2026 |
| Project end date: | 16 January 2031 |
| Project status: | In progress |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle, Sheep |
| Relevant regions: | Southern Australia, Western Australia, Mediterranean |
| Site location: | Western Australia: Great Southern & South Coast regions |
Summary
Mixed farming businesses across Western Australia’s Great Southern and South Coast regions regularly face tough autumn and early‑winter feed gaps, often stretching pasture resources and increasing pressure on supplementary feeding. The ‘Drone‑smart crop grazing’ PDS is putting new technology to work, showing how drone imagery (NDVI and plant health mapping) can support smarter, lower‑risk decisions when grazing early‑sown winter crops.
The project will run across six demonstration sites, working with 10 core producers and at least 70 observers to build confidence in using drones to assess biomass, identify graze‑ready areas, set stocking rates and protect grain yield
The demonstrations will compare grazed and ungrazed crops alongside traditional pasture or stubble paddocks, measuring livestock performance, pasture rest benefits, crop recovery and final grain yield. Previous research shows crop grazing can provide 1.0–1.5t/ha of high‑quality feed and support 150–200 g/head/day sheep growth during critical feed gaps, while also extending pasture recovery time. Drone‑derived biomass and canopy data will help producers time grazing more precisely, avoid overgrazing, and monitor crop regrowth with confidence.
Objectives
By June 2029, the project will demonstrate the practical use of drone imagery technology to support grazing decisions in mixed cropping-livestock systems to enhance and support the uptake of crop grazing early in the season in the Great Southern and South Coast Regions of WA.
Through six demonstration sites and the involvement of ten core producers, the project will:
1. Assess the change in confidence of producers to implement crop grazing with demonstration of, and access to, drone technology that optimises stocking rate decisions, time of grazing and reduces the risk of overgrazing by cattle and/or sheep (producer surveys).
2. Demonstrate and assess the value of crop grazing (incl. impact to grain yield) as opposed to ‘standard producer practice’ of grazing annual pastures/stubbles measuring:
a) Pasture/crop biomass measurements (dry weight t/ha), prior to & after grazing.
b) Comprehensive feed base tests.
c) Sheep/cattle condition scores/weights (sub-sample/optiweigh) – prior to, and after grazing for a set period.
d) Supplementary feed (type/amount/cost).
e) Crop grain yield and quality (grazed & ungrazed).
3. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis that evaluates the effectiveness of crop grazing as opposed to standard farmer practice (pastures) and demonstrates the impact of crop grazing on profitability of grains production and on the livestock enterprise.
4. Implement a series of communication and extension activities on the use of drone technology applications in crop grazing scenarios that increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of 70% of the core and 50% of observer farmers in the use of drone technology.
5. Achieve an adoption rate of 40% of core producers adopting drone technology.
6. Increase the adoption rate of crop grazing systems to at least 80% of the core and intent to adopt up to 50% observer producers.
7. Conduct three field walk/presentations that will attract at least 30 farmers to each event.
