Increasing uptake of drought management options to optimise pasture recovery following drought

Summary

The project examined the perennial grass basal area and yield responses to either 0, 3, 6 or 12 months exclosure from grazing at a range of sites throughout Queensland. These sites were selected to represent a range of pasture conditions on a range of soil fertilities and ranged from buffel grass on a fertile clay soil to a poor condition native pasture on a soil of poor fertility. The main findings from this project were:

- There was little recovery of pasture condition at those sites where initial pasture composition had declined.

- The only site to record any improvement in condition had been exclosed for 12 months and this site had received twice the normal monthly rainfall in two consecutive summer months.

- Desirable perennial grasses were virtually absent at one site while undesirable perennial grasses dominated pasture composition at another three sites.

- Highest nitrogen yields occurred at the 12 months exclosure treatments.

- These data have been included in a pasture growth data bank and will be used for further pasture growth modelling aimed at improving grazing management.