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Publication Date

1993

Location

New Zealand

Description

Reducing brigalow {Acacia harpophylla) sucker numbers is necessary to maintain the productivity of grass pastures on brigalow soils in' Australia. Blade ploughing brigalow sucker regrowth is an effective control oplion. A 97% mortality was achieved when brigalow suckers were treated with a blade plough in central Queensland. Pasture yield was 3 times higher in a blade-ploughed paddock than in an adjacent sucker paddock 6 months after treatment and after 2 more summers. During 3 years of grazing, stocking rates were 7 .5 ha/steer in the sucker paddock and 2.3-3.2 ha/steer in the blade0ploughed paddock, Annual· live-weight gains/head were similar for both treatments, ranging from 145 to 166 kg/head. Consequently, livestock production/ ha in the blade-ploughed paddock was 3 times greater than that from the untreated paddock.

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Improving Livestock Production using the Heavy-Duty Blade Plough on Pastures Infested with Brigalow Suckers

New Zealand

Reducing brigalow {Acacia harpophylla) sucker numbers is necessary to maintain the productivity of grass pastures on brigalow soils in' Australia. Blade ploughing brigalow sucker regrowth is an effective control oplion. A 97% mortality was achieved when brigalow suckers were treated with a blade plough in central Queensland. Pasture yield was 3 times higher in a blade-ploughed paddock than in an adjacent sucker paddock 6 months after treatment and after 2 more summers. During 3 years of grazing, stocking rates were 7 .5 ha/steer in the sucker paddock and 2.3-3.2 ha/steer in the blade0ploughed paddock, Annual· live-weight gains/head were similar for both treatments, ranging from 145 to 166 kg/head. Consequently, livestock production/ ha in the blade-ploughed paddock was 3 times greater than that from the untreated paddock.