Offered Papers Theme C: Delivering the Benefits from Grassland
Description
'Lifetime Wool' project (LTW) is a national project that is developing new nutritional guidelines for the management of ewe flocks across Australia funded by farmers through Australian Wool Innovation (AWI EC298; 2001-2008). A large replicated plot-scale experiment was used to define the dose-response of current production (wool and reproduction from the ewe) and future production (survival, growth and wool from progeny over their lifetime) to a range of levels of ewe nutrition (Thompson & Oldham, 2004). However, farmers and research workers have long realised that the difference between the results obtained on experimental plots and those obtained by farmers is of crucial importance if farmers are to be convinced to adopt new technology (Davidson & Martin, 1968). Hence, the LTW was designed from the start to include four distinct phases: (i) plot-scale research (2001 2003; see Oldham et al. 2006); (ii) on-farm paddock-scale research (2003 - 2005); (iii) whole-farm systems modelling (see Young et al. 2004); and (iv) on-farm demonstration or 'road-testing' of the draft guidelines (2005-2007).
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
On-Farm Participatory Research is an Essential Step Towards Achieving Successful Adoption of Innovation: ‘Lifetime Wool’ a Case Study
'Lifetime Wool' project (LTW) is a national project that is developing new nutritional guidelines for the management of ewe flocks across Australia funded by farmers through Australian Wool Innovation (AWI EC298; 2001-2008). A large replicated plot-scale experiment was used to define the dose-response of current production (wool and reproduction from the ewe) and future production (survival, growth and wool from progeny over their lifetime) to a range of levels of ewe nutrition (Thompson & Oldham, 2004). However, farmers and research workers have long realised that the difference between the results obtained on experimental plots and those obtained by farmers is of crucial importance if farmers are to be convinced to adopt new technology (Davidson & Martin, 1968). Hence, the LTW was designed from the start to include four distinct phases: (i) plot-scale research (2001 2003; see Oldham et al. 2006); (ii) on-farm paddock-scale research (2003 - 2005); (iii) whole-farm systems modelling (see Young et al. 2004); and (iv) on-farm demonstration or 'road-testing' of the draft guidelines (2005-2007).
