03/V10 Managing Pastures after Wildfire

Summary

When a farm is burned out the farm manager is usually at a loss as to how to start the recovery process. The Managing Pastures After Wildfire Project was designed to test, monitor and observe the recovery process of grazing businesses burned out by 2003 High Country Bush Fires.  Changes to management to facilitate business recovery principally in the areas of soil, pasture and animal production were the project objectives. The information gathered can be used not only by farms burned out in the future, but by all Australian farm managers to aid risk management and to have a better understanding of the impact trace elements have on production.
Post fire the biggest issues farm managers must address are the recovery of burnt pastures, soil protection, weed germination, feed for livestock, livestock health and rebuilding infrastructure. In this project testing to establish the state of trace element levels for soils, plants and animals was needed to answer some difficult pasture recovery and animal health problems. Fencing layout was altered in an attempt to increase carrying capacity and grazing and strategic fertiliser use aimed to control the weed problem that followed the fire.