PDS to test and demonstrate establishment techniques and quantify productivity on commercial scale Leucaena in QLD
| Project start date: | 01 April 2013 |
| Project end date: | 16 June 2015 |
| Project status: | Completed |
| Livestock species: | Grass-fed Cattle |
| Relevant regions: | Northern Australia |
|
Download Report
(4.7 MB)
|
|
Summary
Many graziers believe establishing Leucaena is ‘too hard’, ‘too risky’ or ‘should only be done with cropping experience’. Some also question the ‘grass/Leucaena’ balance recommendations and the cost/benefits of fertilizing. This PDS project aimed to demonstrate that if important yet simple principles are followed, the risk and productivity of Leucaena can be vastly improved leading to enhanced enterprise profitability and sustainability.
This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project aimed to demonstrate and investigate, on-farm, the impacts, both physical and economic, of land preparation and planting techniques (row spacing and configuration [single versus twin], and seeding rate) on the productivity of dry land Leucaena in a Buffel grass pasture.
The project was terminated before any of the aimed demonstration and investigation took place. Although the original intent of the project did not eventuate, there are some significant learnings, documented in the Discussion section of the report.
Objectives
The objectives of this PDS were to:
• test and demonstrate the impacts of planting techniques (row spacing and configuration [single versus twin], and seeding rate) on the establishment of dry land Leucaena
• quantify the production and economic benefits of a range of land preparation and planting techniques.
Progress
While it is clear that a number of operations (which cannot be rushed) are required to prepare a previously blade ploughed Buffel grass paddock to a level suitable for Leucaena planting, experience from this project suggests that soil preparation should start in the dry season, followed by spraying after summer rains. All things (weather events etc.), falling into place, the following would be a successful process to adopt:
1. Rip – leave adequate time to allow weed seeds to germinate 2. Offset – removes germinated weeds and most grass 3. Spray out Strips - Roundup 4. Power Harrow – produces seed bed free of weeds and grass 5. Spray – if needed. Roundup (knockdown) 6. Plant – fertilise, plant, 7. Beetle bait 8. Spray – as needed (Spinnaker).
