Northern Agricultural Region, WA

Project contact: Tim Wiley, phone (08) 9956 8555, email twiley@agric.wa.gov.au

Because perennial pastures are best suited to those soil types least suited to cropping, it is expected that paddocks sown to perennial pastures will remain out of crop.

The crop and pasture are therefore in combination rather than rotation.

This can be of benefit as there is a more balanced mix of feed over the whole farm and whole season. Perennials will support increased farm stock numbers and can be used strategically to control weeds in pastures rotated with crops.

Water use by perennial pastures on parts of the farm may balance water leakage from crops on other parts of the farm.

Investigations into over-cropping of perennial pastures will be documented and case studies produced.

Monitoring of wholefarm grazing days will be used to model and refine integrated grazing systems.

The Evergreen group, Liebe group, Mingenew Irwin group, Victoria Plains Local Conservation District, Minulo Local Conservation District, Northern Agricultural Catchment Committee, and Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia are supporting this project.