Abstract
This study was commissioned by Holbrook Landcare Network as part of the ‘Creating landscapescale change through drought resilient pasture systems’ project, funded by the Future Drought Fund via the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.
Choice of pasture species and their management impact on the profitability of livestock systems and the resilience of an enterprise to drought. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the impact of choice of pasture species and management practices on resilience of pasture/sheep systems to drought, enabling producers to better prepare for future droughts.
Simulation using GrassGro™ software (Donnelly et al. 1997) was used to investigate produceridentified choices of pasture species and management practices in regions of southern NSW associated with the farming groups Holbrook Landcare Network, Riverine Plains, FarmLink Research, Central West Farming Systems and Monaro Farming Systems. Models for 8 locations (Mangoplah, Bookham, Finley, Temora, Boorowa, Condobolin, Nimmitabel and Bombala) were developed and pasture growth compared with published values, where available, to improve the reliability of results. Sheep enterprises typical of each region were used to evaluate the impact of various choices on risks to sustainability, sheep production and enterprise gross margins long-term and in drought years. All simulations were conducted for the period 1970 to 2019 to encompass the
long-term seasonal variation including several periods of drought. Producer groups provided feedback on preliminary results to better match typical management and perceptions of performance before the final analyses were conducted.
Choice of pasture species and their management impact on the profitability of livestock systems and the resilience of an enterprise to drought. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the impact of choice of pasture species and management practices on resilience of pasture/sheep systems to drought, enabling producers to better prepare for future droughts.
Simulation using GrassGro™ software (Donnelly et al. 1997) was used to investigate produceridentified choices of pasture species and management practices in regions of southern NSW associated with the farming groups Holbrook Landcare Network, Riverine Plains, FarmLink Research, Central West Farming Systems and Monaro Farming Systems. Models for 8 locations (Mangoplah, Bookham, Finley, Temora, Boorowa, Condobolin, Nimmitabel and Bombala) were developed and pasture growth compared with published values, where available, to improve the reliability of results. Sheep enterprises typical of each region were used to evaluate the impact of various choices on risks to sustainability, sheep production and enterprise gross margins long-term and in drought years. All simulations were conducted for the period 1970 to 2019 to encompass the
long-term seasonal variation including several periods of drought. Producer groups provided feedback on preliminary results to better match typical management and perceptions of performance before the final analyses were conducted.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Wagga Wagga, NSW |
| Publisher | Charles Sturt University |
| Commissioning body | Holbrook Landcare Network |
| Number of pages | 107 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Aug 2024 |
