Pastures

Pastures play a major role in agricultural enterprises and contribute over $3 billion annually in Western Australia through animal production, improvements to crop rotations and conserved fodder. In a typical year pastures occupy up to half the land in low to medium rainfall areas and over two thirds of the land in high rainfall areas. Improved pastures are increasingly being used to play a more comprehensive role in farming systems to address emerging challenges for environment protection and food production.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is a world leader in pasture breeding and selection, grazing systems design and agronomic management of pastures. The department provides information, tools and resources to support the success of the agriculture sector in improving the productivity and profitability of pasture systems under both dryland and irrigated conditions. 

Articles

  • Estimating or measuring soil texture provides valuable information about soil properties affecting crop and pasture growth. Soil texture affects the movement and availability of air, nutrients and

  • The most commonly used nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers in the high rainfall south-west of Western Australia can be leached into the groundwater and washed into waterways, resulting in serious e

  • Micronutrient deficiencies can result from removal of agricultural products over many years, changes in soil acidity, or from large increases in plant biomass as a result of added nitrogen fertilis

  • Three-quarters of high rainfall (more than 600mm annual rainfall) clover pastures in Western Australia do not need additional phosphorus for optimal plant growth.

  • Prima is the first cultivar of gland clover to be released in Australia.

  • 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.

  • French serradella is an annual pasture legume with three cultivars suited to Mediterranean climatic zones of Australia. Cadiz and Eliza are soft seeded while Margurita and Erica are hard seeded.

  • Bartolo is the first cultivar of bladder clover (Trifolium spumosum) commercially available to world agriculture.

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

  • The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development provides this agri-climate profile of historical and projected climate information to support farm business managers in their response

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