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Publication Date
1977
Description
Merino wethers were grazed continuously for five years on an annual pasture at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in the Mediterranean environment of South Australia to assess the soil, plant and animal responses to, and financial returns from, five stocking rate treatments ranging from 7.4 to 22.2 sheep per hectare. The experiment highlighted the biological and economic inefficiency of low stocking rates. Not only was pasture production increased by increasing the stocking rate but production of wool per head of sheep was not significantly affected except at the highest stocking rate. Wool production and wool value increased almost linearly with stocking rate up to the level of 17.3/ha when greasy wool production exceeded 115 kg/ha. A production goal of 120 kg greasy wool per hectare is suggested for this environment. This corresponds to indices of c. 10 kg greasy wool/ha/ 1000 kg pasture DM and c. 22 kg greasy wool/ ha/100 mm April-November rainfall.
Citation
Carter, Edward D., "Stocking rate and the ecosystem: Some soil-plant-animal interrelationships on annual pastures in South Australia" (1977). IGC Proceedings (1977-2023). 41.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1977/sess6/41)
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Stocking rate and the ecosystem: Some soil-plant-animal interrelationships on annual pastures in South Australia
Merino wethers were grazed continuously for five years on an annual pasture at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in the Mediterranean environment of South Australia to assess the soil, plant and animal responses to, and financial returns from, five stocking rate treatments ranging from 7.4 to 22.2 sheep per hectare. The experiment highlighted the biological and economic inefficiency of low stocking rates. Not only was pasture production increased by increasing the stocking rate but production of wool per head of sheep was not significantly affected except at the highest stocking rate. Wool production and wool value increased almost linearly with stocking rate up to the level of 17.3/ha when greasy wool production exceeded 115 kg/ha. A production goal of 120 kg greasy wool per hectare is suggested for this environment. This corresponds to indices of c. 10 kg greasy wool/ha/ 1000 kg pasture DM and c. 22 kg greasy wool/ ha/100 mm April-November rainfall.
