PDS: Improve Winter Feed Availability

Summary

​The aim of this project was to demonstrate commercially cost-effective ways of increasing winter pasture availability in the Blayney, Millthorpe, Errowanbang, and Mandurama regions of NSW.

The objective of the project was, By April 2020, demonstrate and assess the ability of Gibberellic acid, Gibberellic acid combined with Easy N, Molybdenum, and Alsoca granular inoculant to increase late Autumn and Winter feed availability and potential stocking rate by 20% at five sites in the Blayney, Millthorpe, Errowanbang and Mandurama regions of NSW. 

• The core sheep and cattle producer group, actively participating in the project, will grow from 20 to 40 sheep and cattle producers by 2020.
• 50% of the core producer group will have adopted at least one of the treatments by the conclusion of the project.
•  There will be 150 producer observers that have attended one event or more. KASA measures will be collated with all attendees.
• We expect >70% increase in Knowledge, > 50% increase in Attitude, >60% increase in Skills, >50%  of observers indicating they will adopt the practices to improve Winter feed availability. 

After 12 months of the project, the service provider requested the project be terminated. The termination was due to the impact of difficult seasonal conditions,  limited producer engagement and time constraints, resulting in the project not being able to achieve its original objectives.