Summary
The Manjimup Pasture Group formed in 2006 and carried out a MLA PIRD project through to 2009 looking to increase carrying capacity and meat production per hectare. This project was successful but lacked the whole farm type research that group members were really asking questions about.
- How do higher stocking rates affect cow fertility?
- Will pastures degrade under higher stocking rates?
- Will I have to re-sow pastures every year?
- Will I actually make moremoney for what looks to be more work?
So the group set about designing a trial which was more like real farm numbers (area, cows, fertiliser, seeding etc.) and one that would compare a higher input higher stocking rate to the traditional low input low stocking rate system.
