Pasture management

The long term productivity and quality of pastures relies on good management skills. A well managed enterprise will maximise the economic viability of grazing systems through increased production of livestock. In cropping systems, shifting pastures towards legume dominance is also important. To successfully grow annual and perennial pastures, it is important to consider the influence of factors such as soil, climate, pests and grazing on each particular species.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides information and advice to assist farmers to make appropriate decisions about weed management, fertiliser application, grazing systems, pest and disease management, seed production and seed harvesting. Meeting each species’ requirements is essential in order to realise the potential benefits from improved pastures.

Articles

  • The Northern Beef Development program aims to support the Western Australian northern beef industry to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable.

  • Cultivars of French serradella (Eliza, Cadiz, Erica and Margurita) and yellow serradella (Charano, Santorini and Yelbini) have been developed with the aim of reducing the cost of seed production.

  • The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is a research partner in the national collaborative Dryland Pasture Legume Systems Project to develop pasture legumes that can

  • Traditionally, agriculture in the Western Australian rangelands has predominantly relied on grazing stock on native vegetation, with some irrigation precincts around Carnarvon and on the Ord River

  • Biserrula is a persistent pasture legumes for Mediterranean farming systems. Biserrula has hard seed, a deep root system and a high level of grazing tolerance.

  • Cadiz, Eliza, Margurita and Erica have different characteristics allowing them to be used in different agricultural systems.

  • Signal grass is a warm season (C4) sub-tropical grass but it is not recommended for sowing either alone or as a component of species mixtures in Western Australia due to a high risk of causing seco

  • Setaria is a a palatable bunch grass with moderate drought tolerance.

  • Perennial pastures have transformed large areas of the agricultural area in south-western Australia.

  • Lucerne or alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a deep-rooted, temperate, perennial pasture legume which is well adapted to mixed farming systems in southern Western Australia.