Utilising legumes in the mixed farming zone
Overview In the right environment and production system, incorporating legumes can significantly boost productivity and provide drought resilience and environmental benefits. MLA-funded research has found…
Training package Category: Healthy Soils & Pastures
Optimising seedling recruitment to avoid resowing
Overview Resowing pastures is expensive and risky. Unfortunately, sown perennial pastures thin out over time, reducing productivity and providing an opportunity for weeds to increase.…
Using hay and silage production to remove annual grasses
Overview Annual grasses with short seed viability compete with pastures, reducing productivity and quality. One control technique is cutting pastures for hay and silage, but…
Winter cleaning pastures
Overview When left uncontrolled, populations of annual grass weeds reduce the quality and productivity of sub-clover based pastures and, eventually, out-compete desirable species. Winter cleaning…
Spray-grazing to remove weeds
Overview Annual broadleaf weeds, if present, reduce the value of sub-clover based pastures for livestock production. Spray-grazing is an effective tactic to reduce weeds, but…
Assessing nodulation in legumes
Overview Through nitrogen fixation, pasture legumes can deliver a sustainable input of nitrogen (N) into farming systems. This supports high-quality feed for livestock and soil…
Establishing a new pasture
Overview Optimum feedbase production is essential to retaining and expanding a profitable global and domestic Australian red meat and livestock industry. Through investment in the…
Soil testing
Overview Soil testing is a management tool that gives a measure of soil fertility and conditions. Incorrect soil sampling techniques can produce misleading results. Sub-optimal…
Visual indicators of soil condition
Overview The objective of this training package is to provide you, the participant with the skills to identify possible soil constraints within Southern Australian pasture…