Productive Saltland Pastures for southern WA

Summary

This Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) aims to improve members’ knowledge and skills in the establishment, management, and benefits (profitability, productivity, and sustainability) of salt-tolerant forage systems on moderately salt-affected land for sheep producers in the Mediterranean zone of southern WA. 

Objectives

By January 2028, in the Great Southern and South Coast Region of WA:

1. Establish 6 paddock-scale PDS sites in year 1 to demonstrate variation in productivity of key shrub and understory varieties and a paddock scale increase in:

   • late summer/autumn (February – April) biomass production (up to 300%)

   • soil organic carbon and total carbon

2. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine relative economic performance of the salt-tolerant feed-base systems (using the Saltland Genie SGSL Economics Calculator), focusing on BCR and payback period

3. 50% of core producers will have established a salt-tolerant forage system on their moderately salt-affected land for sheep grazing systems

4. 50% of observer producers will have established (or intend to establish) a salt-tolerant forage system on their moderately salt-affected land for sheep grazing systems

5. 90% of Core producers and 70% of observer producers will have increased their knowledge and skills in the establishment, management, and benefits (production and sustainability) of salt-tolerant forage systems on moderately salt-affected land for sheep grazing systems

6. Results of the PDS are widely disseminated through the following targeted extension/adoption activities:

   • SaltlandGenie App: Showcasing the PDS sites in conjunction with other R & D sites (across southern WA) through an interactive map

   • Salt Summit: Industry event to be held in 2024

   • Biennial Field Walks (2023, 2025 and 2027)

   • Project to presented at an industry event in 2026 or 2027 with PDS Core Producers

   • Publications (articles, case studies, flyers, etc.)

     • Gillamii Membership (newsletter, email, website and social media)

     • Wider Community (newsletter, regional/state conferences, Saltland Genie Web-app, MLA publications and media platforms)

Progress

The Gillamii Centre, based in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, continues to make strong progress on the Meat & Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project, Productive Saltland Pastures for Southern WA. The project is managed by Jenna Walliser, Project Officer at Gillamii, and operates across four demonstration sites in the Great Southern region. 
Over the past six months, Gillamii delivered the Great Southern Salinity Summit in Tambellup, attracting 91 attendees including producers, researchers, government agencies, and industry representatives. The event showcased project findings on livestock productivity, grazing days, soil carbon, and the economics of salt-tolerant forage systems. Promotional activities included social media campaigns, local newsletter articles, Gillamii newsletter articles, and advertisements in the Farm Weekly. (See Farm Weekly event ad here).
Annual biomass production and nutritional value sampling were completed across all four sites, along with the collection of livestock productivity data including stocking rates and grazing days from the producers, captured using the Mobble App. 
Producer site reports summarising these findings are available on the PDS project site. 
Early results continue to demonstrate that salt-tolerant forage systems can significantly increase summer and autumn feed availability, improve carrying capacity, and provide a profitable and sustainable use for saline land.