Evaluation of the impact of SGS on livestock producers and their practices

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Allan ◽  
W. K. Mason ◽  
I. J. Reeve ◽  
S. Hooper
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Red Meat ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Grazing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Improved Pasture

The Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) Program has assisted producers in the high rainfall zone (HRZ, annual rainfall >600 mm/year) of southern Australia, by developing and delivering more productive and sustainable grazing systems. It was evaluated by 2 external surveys — a benchmarking survey in 1994 before the start of SGS, and a follow-up survey of producers in 2001. The 2001 survey showed that SGS had assisted red meat and wool producers in southern Australia make significant and beneficial changes to their grazing systems. Substantial changes in grazing practices occurred between 1994 and 2001 in the HRZ. These changes included an increase in the number of producers who rotationally graze (25%), as well as those undertaking practices aimed at improved pasture management. Participants in SGS were more likely to have made changes to their grazing systems than non-participants. There were no overt differences between regions in producer demographics, or changes made to management practices. The survey confirmed SGS had achieved its goal. Sixty percent of producers in the target regions were aware of SGS (out of a total of 23 689 producers); 42% (9839) had some involvement with SGS and/or received the SGS magazine 'Prograzier'; while 26% (6141) actively participated in SGS through undertaking a PROGRAZE course, and/or by attending regional SGS activities. Of the estimated 9839 producers who participated in the program, up to 8000 made beneficial changes to enhance the productivity and sustainability of their grazing operations. Active participants (6141) attributed many of these benefits to their involvement in SGS.

An appraisal of Sustainable Grazing Systems: the program, the triple bottom line impacts and the sustainability of grazing systems

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. K. Mason ◽  
G. M. Lodge ◽  
C. J. Allan ◽  
M. H. Andrew ◽  
T. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Grazing ◽  
Harvest Year ◽  
The Impact

The Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) Program operated across the high rainfall zone (HRZ, annual rainfall >600 mm/year) of southern Australia from July 1996 to June 2001. An additional year (the harvest year) was added, to provide time for focussed analysis and product development. A survey of livestock producers across the HRZ confirmed achievement of the goal that at least 2000 producers adopted (and a further 5000 were trialing) more profitable and sustainable grazing systems as a result of the program.SGS was established to address declining pasture productivity and emerging environmental problems in the grazing systems of the HRZ, and though initially focussed on the twin goals of profitability and sustainability, the program evolved to formally include social issues and the full 'triple bottom line' approach. Within SGS, success was defined as the extent to which the program was able to assist the grazing industries build financial, social and environmental capital.The suite of papers in this Special Edition provides a comprehensive account of the research and extension 'results' from the SGS Program. Rather than summarising those results, this paper reviews and reflects on the triple bottom line outcomes; the contribution of SGS to the elements of a sustainable grazing system; the impact of grazing method on production and sustainability; and the outcomes from the harvest year. The final section examines the SGS structures and processes that most contributed to the success of the program and advances some suggestions for improvements to future R,D&E programs.

Crop stubbles are as important for sheep production as annual pastures in the Victorian Mallee

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 993 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Plant Density ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
The Impact

The impact of different management strategies on production and profit can be evaluated with knowledge of how sheep production responds to changes in the available feed base and sheep or pasture management. This study aimed to quantify on-farm pasture and sheep production in mixed sheep and cropping systems in the Victorian Mallee of south-eastern Australia (325 ± 50 mm annual rainfall) as a prelude to computer simulation modelling. During 2001 (average rainfall) and 2002 (extreme drought) pasture production, the feed base and sheep production were monitored in 15 paddocks on 5 properties located across the region. Crop stubbles were the major source of feed for 6 months of the year, enabling ewes to maintain liveweight. There was more variation in pasture parameters between paddocks at the 1 location than between locations. The botanical composition, plant density, soil fertility and management were key variables associated with between-paddock variation in pasture production. Variation in pasture production between years was larger than within-year differences. In contrast, stocking rates were not much lower in the drought year of 2002 than in 2001. This study suggests there is potential for management to improve pasture production, and demonstrates the importance of feed sources other than annual pasture for sheep production in environments where the annual pasture growing season is short.

The Sustainable Grazing Systems National Experiment. 1. Introduction and methods

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Andrew ◽  
G. M. Lodge
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Single Experiment ◽  
Data Set ◽  
North West ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Grazing

This paper outlines the development and design of the Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) National Experiment from the initial call for expressions of interest, through several workshop processes to the final selection and implementation of its 6 component sites, and the general methodology used at each. Sites were located in Western Australia, western Victoria, north-east Victoria, and on the Central Tablelands, North West Slopes, and the eastern Riverina of New South Wales. Sites in Western Australia, north-east Victoria, the North West Slopes, and the eastern Riverina also had subsites. Methods for the sites and subsites (data collection for pastures, livestock, weather, soils and site characterisation) are presented to provide a central reference, and to save duplication in subsequent papers. Descriptions are provided of the location, average annual rainfall, major pasture, soil and stock types, design and number of treatments, and initial soil levels (0–10 cm) of phosphorus, electrical conductivity, and pH for sites and subsites. Also outlined is the major focus of the research undertaken at each site. While sites studied regionally relevant issues, they operated under a common protocol for data collection with a minimum data set being specified for each of 5 unifying themes: pastures, animal production, water, nutrients, and biodiversity. Economic analyses were also undertaken at the macro- and micro-level, and a procedural tool developed for appraising the on- and off-farm impacts of different systems. To give effect to the themes, common database and modelling tools were developed specifically for the national experiment, so that collectively sites comprised a single experiment.

Soil carbon dynamics under different cropping and pasture management in temperate Australia: Results of three long-term experiments

Soil Research ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 320 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Y. Chan ◽  
M. K. Conyers ◽  
G. D. Li ◽  
K. R. Helyar ◽  
G. Poile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
The Impact

In addition to its important influence on soil quality and therefore crop productivity, soil organic carbon (SOC) has also been identified as a possible C sink for sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. Limited data are available on the impact of management practices on the rate of SOC change in agricultural soils in Australia. In this paper, results of three long-term trials (13–25 years) located near Wagga Wagga in temperate Australia were used to assess C dynamics under different tillage and stubble management practices, and under cropping intensities in pasture/crop rotations. Experimental results confirm the importance of management practices and pasture in determining first the steady-state SOC concentrations that are characteristic of given rotations and crop management systems, and second the rates of change of SOC concentrations as they approach steady-state concentrations in agricultural soils of this agro-ecological zone. A long-term crop/pasture experiment at a site with initial high SOC showed that the rate of SOC change in different treatments ranged from –278 to +257 kg C/ha.year over 0–0.3 m soil depth. Under continuous cropping, even under conservation agriculture practices of no-tillage, stubble retention, and crop rotation, the high initial SOC stock (0–0.3 m) present after a long-term pasture phase was, at best, maintained but tended to decrease with increased tillage or stubble burning practices. The effect of tillage was greater than that of stubble management. Increases in SOC were observed only in rotations incorporating a pasture phase. Our results suggest that improved soil nutrient and grazing management of permanent pasture can lead to an increase of 500–700 kg C/ha.year where the initial SOC concentrations are well below steady-state concentrations that could be expected after long periods of improved management. No difference was found between perennial pasture and annual pasture to the depth measured (0–0.3 m). Our results suggest that pasture holds the key to maintaining, and even increasing, SOC under crop/pasture in this environment.

scholarly journals Livelihood diversification and climate change adaptation in Indo-Gangetic plains: implication of rainfall regimes

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 77-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal D Bhatta ◽  
Pramod K Aggarwal ◽  
Amit Shrivastava
Keyword(s):  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Regime ◽  
Livelihood Diversification ◽  
Gangetic Plains ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
The Impact

We investigate whether spatial variations in climatic resource such as rainfall have prompted livelihood diversification, local adaptation and household food availability in Indo-Gangetic Plains using data from a household survey of 2660 farm-families carried out in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. We found that on-farm livelihood sources are higher in high rainfall regime (1300-1800 mm) compared to medium (<1300 mm) and very high rainfall regime (>1800 mm). The off-farm sources are higher in medium rainfall regime. Although a large number of changes are attributed to harvest better yield, yet farmers made numbers of changes in response to climatic variability as well. Although agricultural livelihood and local adaptation are restrained by several climatic and non-climatic factors; the amount of annual rainfall significantly affects livelihood diversification, and the impact of climatic stressors becomes more pronounced when there is interaction with other non-climatic factors. The results imply that livelihood and adaptation strategies should be tailor made along the climatic and non-climatic resources.

The Sustainable Grazing Systems Program: new solutions for livestock producers

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. K. Mason ◽  
K. Lamb ◽  
B. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Program Goal ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Grazing ◽  
Environmental Capital ◽  
Training And Support

The Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) Program was established in 1996 to address the issues of declining pasture productivity and sustainability in the high rainfall zone (>600 mm/year) of southern Australia. The program goal was that 'by June 2001, at least 2000 producers in the high rainfall zone will have adopted changes to their grazing systems that can be shown to be at least 10% more profitable, and more sustainable, than those used prior to participating in SGS. A further 5000 producers will have trialed at least part of the recommended changes'. There were 4 interacting activities within SGS, collectively focused on delivering this goal. These were: (i)�a National Experiment to develop the principles and quantify the relationships; (ii) a regional producer network to determine and deliver on local producer priorities; (iii) training and skills development courses; and (iv) integration and management to ensure the goal was met in an efficient and effective manner. Producer input and ownership were considered essential and were built in at all levels of program activity and management. Independent surveys confirmed that SGS assisted large numbers of producers to make substantial change in farm practices. SGS met its goal by developing and delivering knowledge about more profitable and sustainable grazing systems to a network of almost 10 000 livestock producers across southern Australia. Critical elements of SGS included research, skills training and support for producer groups, on-farm trials and demonstrations, and farm-walks for producers to share information and experiences. A 'triple bottom line' approach was adopted to assess and report on the impacts of the program on the financial, social and environmental capital of the grazing industries in the high rainfall zone. In keeping with the triple bottom line approach, this special edition contains papers that report on biophysical, economic, environmental and social aspects of the program.

scholarly journals Evaluating the shifts in rainfall and pasture-growth variabilities across the pastoral zone of Australia during 1910–2010

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 634 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Cobon ◽  
Louis Kouadio ◽  
Shahbaz Mushtaq ◽  
Chelsea Jarvis ◽  
John Carter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Growth Variability ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Negative Change ◽  
Interannual Rainfall Variability ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Agricultural Industries

Interannual rainfall variability in Australia is a source of risk within agricultural industries. Insights into changes to rainfall and pasture-growth variabilities are essential to inform adaptation strategies for climate risk management within the grazing industry. We investigated shifts in rainfall and pasture-growth variabilities between the periods 1910–1960 and 1961–2010 for the pastoral zone in Australia. Rainfall variability was also assessed for the high-rainfall and wheat–sheep zones. An index of variability was calculated by using gridded rainfall and pasture-growth data for both periods. The percentage change was then calculated as the difference in variation between the two periods. Overall, the variability of annual rainfall has significantly increased (P &lt; 0.01) between the two periods for the pastoral zone. Pastoral regions in the Northern Territory had the greatest increases in pasture-growth variability, with 62–85% of the area affected by a significant increase in variability. Between the periods 1910–1960 and 1961–2010 across the wheat–sheep zone, annual rainfall variability significantly decreased (P &lt; 0.01), with 70% of the area having a negative change, whereas for the high-rainfall zone, the variability did not change significantly. Monitoring ongoing trends in rainfall and pasture-growth variability is important to inform strategic grazing management. Management practices to mitigate the impacts of increased variability in pastoral regions are discussed.

scholarly journals The impact of invertebrate pests on pasture persistence and their interrelationship with biotic and abiotic factors

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 109-117
Author(s):  
S.M. Zydenbos ◽  
B.I.P. Barratt ◽  
N.L. Bell ◽  
C.M. Ferguson ◽  
P.J. Gerard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Plant Pathogens ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Insect Damage ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Biotic And Abiotic Factors ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Impact

New Zealand pastures are host to a range of native and exotic invertebrates. Many of these are pests that feed on the sown plant species, often causing plant death and deterioration in the productivity and persistence of the sward. While most research has focused on pest biology and control, studies of plant productivity show dramatic acute (short-medium term) and chronic (longterm) effects. For example, grass grub has been reported to cause 50% losses to ryegrass swards and Argentine stem weevil can cause a 20% loss of productivity, but the long term effects through loss of the sown species and changes in composition can be even more severe. Insect damage can be exacerbated by other biotic (e.g. weed invasion, grazing animals, plant pathogens) or abiotic factors (e.g. climate, soil fertility) to further reduce plant persistence. Some biotic and abiotic factors may interact with insect pests to have positive effects on pasture persistence, e.g. biocontrol agents that reduce pest density or addition of fertiliser to enable plants to recover from insect damage. For many pasture pests, knowledge of their ecology is based on research from over 20 years ago that, while still valid, needs to be updated to account for modern intensive pasture management practices, such as intensive grazing with a lack of reseeding, and new cultivars. To improve pasture persistence, integrated research programmes are needed that examine the relative importance of all factors contributing to plant survival and develop strategies to mitigate their effects. Keywords: Argentine stem weevil, black beetle, clover root weevil, drought, grass grub, grazing pressure, manuka beetle, nematodes, pasture persistence, pasture quality, pasture yield, porina, soil fertility, striped chafer.

Turning knowledge into practical benefit: a producer case-study increasing the return on investment in science

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 744 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. H. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Systems Model ◽  
Spreadsheet Model ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Grazing Systems

The present paper addresses turning knowledge into practical benefit; acknowledging a critical emphasis of the career of John L. Black. Average efficiency of pasture use by beef enterprises in southern Australia is historically ~35%. Two projects established in 2002 showed that the efficiency of pasture use could approach 90% and the conservative rates observed were due to a low adoption of existing knowledge and the perceived risks from intensification. A risk-control management system, ‘More Beef from Pastures’, was developed from these projects, to identify management practices that had the largest impacts on productivity and profitability, the variables that needed to be measured and the upper and lower limits for those measurements to optimise enterprise performance. The principles from that system were incorporated into a productivity and economic spreadsheet model for a beef enterprise near Blayney on the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. The present paper reports the effects on productivity and profitability of several management scenarios, including current practice with 180 breeding cows and progeny sold in the second year after birth; buying and selling steers; making silage; or combinations of steers and silage, to maintain pasture availability between 1200 and 2600 kg DM/ha. Simulations were conducted for rainfall and growth of a phalaris–subterranean clover pasture predicted for the Blayney climate by the Sustainable Grazing Systems model for the Years 2000–2011. The simulations covered eight consecutive years from 2002 to 2009, when mean pasture growth was only 70% of the average. Results from the simulations for current practice were similar to those observed for the enterprise. The simulations showed the importance on profitability of utilising excess pasture in years of high pasture growth. The highest average profitability across years resulted from the scenario involving purchase and sale of steers, but year-to-year fluctuations were large and significant capital was required. The silage and steer-silage scenarios were intermediate in profitability, and depended on initial silage reserves and numbers of breeding cows. The exercise demonstrated that a simple spreadsheet model based on principles of animal nutrition, pasture management and economics was needed to fully evaluate alternative management strategies for practical benefit on existing beef enterprises.

SGS Biodiversity Theme: impact of plant biodiversity on the productivity and stability of grazing systems across southern Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 961 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Kemp ◽  
W. McG. King ◽  
A. R. Gilmour ◽  
G. M. Lodge ◽  
S. R. Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Plant Species Diversity ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Sustainable Grazing

The relationships between productivity and plant species diversity were assessed using data from the Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) 10 national experiment sites. Each site applied up to 7 different management treatments. Sites varied in the amount of data available for analysis. Plant species diversity was assessed in terms of both the total and native species present at each site. More than 200 plant taxa were recorded over the period of the experiment, about one-third of which were native. In the majority of cases, the native species present within a treatment remained there throughout the experiments, even when fertilised and oversown with introduced species. The number of native species increased by 1 or 2 over the 3–4 years of each experiment where grasslands were less intensively used (average herbage mass >2 t DM/ha), but decreased in more heavily grazed treatments. Native grasses made much greater contributions to herbage mass than other native species. Of the more than 70 native plant species found, the most numerous were broadleaf species, which tended to be more variable under management treatments. As total species richness increased, there was a tendency for pasture productivity to be less, for the mean standing herbage mass to be less and for seasonal growth to be less stable. This depended upon experiments and tended to apply at the sites with higher annual pasture growth rates. All treatments had >10 plant species within the small (about 1.5 ha) paddocks used and larger paddocks often had many more. It was apparent from the high plant species richness at each site (about 25–100 species) that many more niches exist in these paddocks than the number of species usually sown in a pasture. Opportunities to redesign pasture mixtures to exploit more of the resources available obviously exist. Understanding of the relationships among management practices, productivity and plant species diversity is limited, but will become important as we seek more sustainable grazing systems. The studies analysed here suggested that where the herbage mass was maintained between 2 and 4 t DM/ha then species were maintained and productivity was optimised.

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