Newcourt Farm – Drought Fodder Plantation Trial
Project Profile
| Name of Project | Drought Fodder Plantation Trial |
| Name of group(s) involved | Newcourt Farm |
| Time frame | 2008 |
| Location | Mount Marshall |
| State | Western Australia |
| NRM Region | Avon |
| What industry does the group belong to? | Livestock/cropping |
| Corporate Partners involved | Woolworths |
| Level of Funding from LAL | $5,634 |
| Funding from other sources | $1,317 |
Issues
A Western Australian wheat/sheep farming family from the Mount Marshall Shire has been trialling the endurance of the native shrub Rhagodia in drought conditions to identify its suitability as drought fodder. Rhagodia is known to be suited to low rainfall areas and can grow in a wide range of soil types.
Utilising funding from a Woolworths Sustainable Farming grant in conjunction with Landcare Australia Ltd, the project addresses wind erosion issues and a lack of ‘green feed’ for stock during drought.
The project was designed by Robert Grylls, owner/operator of Newcourt Farm, to trial the native shrub Rhagodia, recently discovered as a potentially new perennial drought fodder plant. The trial would determine its suitability to the area. If successful, it would provide a new valuable source of green feed with benefits to farm viability and environmental health.
Robert found that Rhagodia preissii in particular persists well on the sandy loam sections of his property, even through drought. It was palatable to sheep and offered all the nutrients needed for their wellbeing while greatly benefiting both the ecology and soil health.
Further work is needed but Robert envisages that fenced plantations of this plant will enable him to give surrounding pastures a chance to establish free from grazing through the traditionally dry autumns, while soil temperatures are still warm.
Project Detail
| Background to Project | During periods of drought, green feed for livestock can be very sparse. A lack of nutritional feed can lead to health problems and severely affect stock value, as well as endanger the worth of a farmer’s core breeding flock. When stock go without green feed for months on end, they can eventually develop a vitamin E deficiency and there is a high risk of the life threatening pregnancy toxaemia in lambing ewes. There is also a high risk of soil erosion and a deterioration of soil health with a lack of vegetation ground cover.Fodder shrub plantations that produce green feed can reduce the suffering of livestock during drought periods, which traditionally deprive stock of green feed for months on end and can cause health problems.
These plantations, if of sufficient area, could also increase the productivity of surrounding paddocks. During the traditional autumn drought when farmers anxiously await opening rains, livestock could be retained on the plantations, giving surrounding pastures a chance to establish free from grazing and while soil temperatures are still warm. Rhagodia, a native plant known to be suited to low rainfall areas and with the ability to grow in a wide range of soil types had recently been discovered as a potentially new drought fodder plant. It had been established successfully further west and closer to the coast, but very little work had been done on establishing it in the dryer eastern wheatbelt of WA. Other fodder shrubs such as the introduced Tagasaste (lucerne tree) from the Canary Islands had failed to provide a reliable fodder source in this area due to the harsh climate and the acid sands that prevail. 1. The South Australian Enrich project found that perennial forage shrubs provided profitable and sustainable grazing and that Rhagodia preissii has been identified as one of the “top performers for mineral content” – Ca 8.4g/kg, Mg 10.7g/kg, P 1.6g/kg, S 3.7g/kg, Cu 9.4mg/kg, Zn 20mg/kg. Visit Enrich project findings www.futurefarmonline.com.au/_literature_79355/FoP_Dec_2010_2 The property has a number of soil types including small areas of rocky granite (unsuitable for cropping), gravel , wodjil sand (acidic and highly susceptible to wind erosion), heavy clay (large creek flat) and red loam. The project was designed by Robert Grylls, owner/operator of Newcourt Farm, to trial the native shrub Rhagodia, recently discovered as a potentially new perennial drought fodder plant. The trial would determine its suitability to the area. If successful, it would provide a new valuable source of green feed with benefits to farm viability and environmental health. |
| Key Objectives | To trial Rhagodia plantations to see if they would be capable of surviving in Australian drought periods in the Mount Marshall region for the purposes of providing green feed to livestock during dry conditions while reducing the risk of damage to the environment. |
| Description of Project | The project involved the planting of a Rhagodia plantation on the Gryll’s property and monitoring its growth and level of health. It was expected that sheep would graze the plants once they were established. Over the course of a year, measurements were taken and plants analysed to determine which conditions benefited Rhagodia.Rhagodia seedlings were trialled using 1 to 2 ha of land at each of two trial sites which were on different soil types – sandy loam and granite country. The seedlings were planted in double hedge rows (2 metre plant spacings) with 6 metre row spacings for vehicle access on a number of different soil types.
The plantations were fenced off (approx 6 ha) to stock with 6 line fastlock using black steel posts at 8 metre spacings and strainer post assemblies on corners. Some areas were seeded with perennial grass pastures such as Rhodes Grass (summer active) and Italian Ryegrass (winter active) between the rows. The growth rates of plants were monitored, however these grasses failed to persist. |
| Issues encountered during the project | • At the completion of the project it was too early to draw any official conclusions about the efficacy of Rhagodia growth (More information has been derived since the project) • It was physically difficult to plant seedlings deep enough on rocky sites |
| Project Outcomes – Qualitative | • Rhagodia shrubs seemed to grow best in good soil depth with sandy loam but failed to grow on rocky areas interspersed with clay • The land management methods for this farm are changing to ensure degraded land has rest periods • Bare rooted seedlings failed to survive planting • Rhagodia seedlings planted from small pots survived and have grown well • Rhagodia preissii has proven palatable to sheep on the Grylls’ property |
| Project Outcomes – Quantitative | • Areas of land that had been unproductive and wind blown in the past were now growing a variety of native shrubs, including Rhagodia preissii, with improvements to both the ecology and soil health • Sandy loam soil types have been favourable for the establishment of Rhagodia shrubs in the eastern wheat belt (although the trial needs to continue for a period of time) |
| Lessons Learned | • Rhagodia shrubs grew best where there was good soil depth and they preferred sandy loam soil • The species can fail on rocky areas interspersed with clay • Bare-rooted seedlings should not be used unless conditions are ideal • Larger areas of fodder shrubs need to be planted in order to make a significant improvement to the sheep enterprise and general soil health of the farm • Rhagodia preissii grows successfully in the drier areas of the WA Wheatbelt • Rhagodia preissii continues to grow and produce fodder in droughts when conventional pasture is dying • Ewes with lambs that have access to saltbush fodder shrubs do not eat mineral supplements, unlike ewes and lambs that have no access to saltbush. These ewes eat more mineral supplement than can practically be supplied. Therefore, it is assumed the saltbush is providing all the minerals lactating ewes require, including calcium |
| Transferable Outcomes | • Trialling the suitability of Rhagodia and other native fodder shrubs will continue into the future on the Newcourt Farm • Information on lessons learned will be transferred to other farmers in the area |
Photography
Robert Grylls at Rhagodia trial site. Photo courtesy R Grylls
Photo courtesy R Grylls
