Track 2-10: Water Resources and Catchment Management in Grassland and Forage Systems
Description
The dairy industry in northern Victoria, Australia is primarily based on the border check irrigation of temperate forage species over the spring to autumn period. Traditionally, dairy cows have grazed the perennial species (white clover and perennial ryegrass) and annual pastures (based on short-lived ryegrasses and subterranean or Persian clover). However, due to a more variable climate – particularly a period where the annual rainfall has been significantly less than the long-term average – the summer irrigation allocations have been substantially lower and more variable than the preceding 20-30 years. Under this climate scenario, dairy farmers are re-evaluating their feed base to ensure that they are optimising forage production under conditions of less water (both rainfall and irrigation - Greenwood et al. 2006; Lawson and Kelly 2007).
Research at the Department of Primary Industries at Tatura in northern Victoria is focussing on identifying forage species and management systems that are better adapted to the predicted future climate (of higher summer temperatures and greater plant water stress) than perennial ryegrass. Research on lucerne is evaluating the flexibility of this species to perform when both rainfall and irrigation vary greatly across seasons and years. The aim of research on tall fescue is to develop an effective grazing management system that will capitalise on its high dry matter potential through the summer.
Included in
Flexible Forage Systems for Variable Water Supplies
The dairy industry in northern Victoria, Australia is primarily based on the border check irrigation of temperate forage species over the spring to autumn period. Traditionally, dairy cows have grazed the perennial species (white clover and perennial ryegrass) and annual pastures (based on short-lived ryegrasses and subterranean or Persian clover). However, due to a more variable climate – particularly a period where the annual rainfall has been significantly less than the long-term average – the summer irrigation allocations have been substantially lower and more variable than the preceding 20-30 years. Under this climate scenario, dairy farmers are re-evaluating their feed base to ensure that they are optimising forage production under conditions of less water (both rainfall and irrigation - Greenwood et al. 2006; Lawson and Kelly 2007).
Research at the Department of Primary Industries at Tatura in northern Victoria is focussing on identifying forage species and management systems that are better adapted to the predicted future climate (of higher summer temperatures and greater plant water stress) than perennial ryegrass. Research on lucerne is evaluating the flexibility of this species to perform when both rainfall and irrigation vary greatly across seasons and years. The aim of research on tall fescue is to develop an effective grazing management system that will capitalise on its high dry matter potential through the summer.
