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 farmer group in WA has set out to improve the productivity of marginal saltland land. Since establishment last spring, all sites (4) have had successful establishment and survived the first and very dry 2022-23  summer-autumn period.

The two complete pasture sites had such successful establishment that they were grazed twice within the first 6 months of establishment. The remaining two sites with juvenile saltbush require stock to be excluded for the first year to allow proper establishment of the fodder shrubs. For the first year of analysis, direct seeded saltbush and pasture understory has proven to be the lowest cost system with biggest increase (114%) in digestible summer-autumn biomass when compared to the original volunteer pasture.

A field walk is planned for spring this year, with two more field walks throughout the project as the sites develop and producers and their livestock fully utilise the sites. These field walks will showcase the pros and cons of the different systems as well as be an opportunity to discuss how the sites perform on paper vs real farmer accounts of practical management and utilisation.