Many farmers feel that livestock have an important place in the risk management of their business.  However, with such high prices for grain there is also incentive to crop as much as possible.

One way around this dilemma is to graze the crops in early winter when the stock are often very short of feed.  This is a flexible option that allows farmers to have “the best of both worlds”.

A series of workshops is about to go on the road Australia-wide, featuring two stops on the Eyre Peninsula. They will highlight the grazing crop work researchers and farmers have collated from the Grain & Graze Program.

In wetter areas farmers could often graze their normal crops for short periods early in the growing season.  If simple guidelines are followed there should be no, or negligible, reduction in the final yield of the crop so it is almost a “free lunch” for their stock.

Green cereal crops, or canola, are very high value stock feed. The stock should do very well on them with some low-cost mineral supplements.

While the stock are grazing the crops they are not grazing the pasture.  This means the pastures can get well ahead of the stock and build up leaf area so that they make the most use of rainfall and sunlight. The benefit to the pasture is one of the main reasons to graze your crops.

In dryer areas it may be too risky to graze normal crops because the season can cut off so early. Farmers in these areas could sow a cereal into some of the areas that are normally pasture.  Often they can sow dry – before the rush at normal seeding time.

This cereal/pasture mix has been shown to produce much more bulk than most normal pastures.  This benefits the stock greatly but also increases organic matter in the soil.

In some years these crops will grow far more feed than the stock need.  They can then be shut up and cut for hay, reapt, or even left and grazed in autumn as a standing crop.

Whether you are considering grazing your normal crops, or sowing specific crop for feed, the coming Grazing Crops workshops can help you.

Workshops will be held at Cummins on Tuesday 4th of March at the Rambler’s Clubrooms and at Cleve on Wednesday 5th of March at the Golf Club. Both workshops are from 1.30 to 5.30pm.

Top speakers including; Hugh Dove (Senior Scientist from CSIRO, Canberra), Mick Faulkner (Agrilink consultant), agronomists, researchers and farmers.

For more information ring Minnipa Agricultural Centre on 8680 6233. Workshops are free and registration is not necessary.

AUTHOR: Michael Bennet, Research Agronomist, SARDI

CONTACT: Minnipa Agricultural Centre, Telephone: 08 8680 6233

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