Developing the role of perennial forages for crop–livestock farms: a strategic multi-disciplinary approach

Authors

Rick S. Llewellyn, CSIRO, Waite Road, Urrbrae, South Australia
Michael J. Robertson, CSIRO, Underwood Avenue, Floreat, Western AustraliaFollow
Richard C. Hayes, Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University), Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
David Ferris, Department of Agriculture and Food WA, South Perth, Western AustraliaFollow
Katrien Descheemaeker, Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, PO Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands
Clinton Revell, Department of Agriculture and Food WA, South Perth, Western AustraliaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-7-2014

Journal Title

Crop and Pasture Science

ISSN

ISSN 1836-0947 eISSN 1836-5795

Keywords

Adoption, Decision-making, economics, Mixed farming, Australia, Perennial, Grasses, Shrubs

Disciplines

Agribusiness | Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Education | Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Beef Science | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Finance and Financial Management | Management Information Systems | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Operations and Supply Chain Management | Plant Biology | Sheep and Goat Science | Water Resource Management

Abstract

Developing new and improved grazing systems for crop–livestock farms where crop production is the major driver of farm management decisions presents a unique research and development challenge. In southern Australia, a substantial proportion of animal production from grazing comes from regions and farms where cropping is the major enterprise. In this paper, we describe a multi-disciplinary farming-systems research approach (EverCrop) aimed at improving farm profitability, risk management and environmental impacts through the development and integration of new grazing options with an emphasis on perennial species. It has been used to analyse and target new opportunities for farmers to benefit from perennial species across dry Mediterranean-type and temperate regions of southern Australia. It integrates field experimentation, on-farm trialling, farmer participatory research, soil–plant–climate biophysical modelling, whole-farm bioeconomic analysis and evaluations of adoptability. Multi-functional roles for summer-active grasses with winter cropping, integration of forage shrubs and establishment of new mixes of perennial grasses in crop rotations to improve farming system performance are identified, along with an analysis of factors likely to affect rate of uptake by farmers.

Recommended Citation

Llewellyn Rick S., Robertson Michael J., Hayes Richard C., Ferris David, Descheemaeker Katrien, Revell Clinton (2014) Developing the role of perennial forages for crop–livestock farms: a strategic multi-disciplinary approach. Crop and Pasture Science 65, 945-955. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP14111