Corangamite/Glenelg-Hopkins Region, Victoria

Project contact: Cam Nicholson, phone 0417 311 098, email nicon@pipeline.com.au

Management of stubbles allows farmers to reduce residual dry matter and control pests, diseases and weeds in subsequent crops.

The practice involves a combination of direct grazing of stubble trash, harvesting the stubble to add fibre when grazing high quality pastures the next winter and grazing cereal crops in the vegetative stage to reduce the final stubble remaining after harvest and aid in disease/canopy managements.These actions fill a feed shortfall during the year.

This project involves on-farm trials with stubble supplements in comparison with other stubble management techniques such as mulching, incorporation and burning.

Grazing winter cereals such as wheat, barley and triticale will be used in trials examining screening for varieties, use of nitrogen, timing and duration of grazing, sowing rates and grazing evenness.

The research will determine to what extent stubble mass can be reduced (either when vegetative or post-harvest), the impact this has on grain yield and what benefits and costs may occur with the grazing animal.