Grain & Graze 2 – Esperance 2010 Trials Summary Greg Warren & Michelle Handley Esperance, WA

Project Objectives  To investigate the impact of sheep and cattle grazing of cereals and canola in winter by comparing grazed and ungrazed areas in 3 paddock scale trials per year for 3 years.

Project Objectives cont.  To determine the impact on crop maturity, grain quality, disease, weed density and harvest yield (using yield mapping technology).

Project Objectives cont.  To determine the impact on crop and livestock productivity and profitability measured using DSE grazing days and grain harvest yield. $ ?

2010 Trials Overview  3 cereal trials – Cascades, Dalyup, Mt Howick  2 x Wheat – one trial site grazed by ewes and lambs once, one grazed twice  1 x Barley – grazed by cows and calves once  Average annual rainfall at trial sites varied from 350 – 550mm  Soil types – acidic sand and gravelly sand to shallow sand over alkaline clay

2010 Grain & Graze Trial Sites

Cascades Trial Site

Cascades Trial Results - Grazing Livestock Type Livestock Number Value DSE/ha Grazed Area (ha)Date InDate Out Grazing Days DSE Grazing Days/ha$/ha 1 st Grazing Ewes nd May15th Jun $ st Grazing Lambs nd May15th Jun $ st GrazingTOTAL293.89$ nd Grazing Ewes th Jul12th Jul $ nd Grazing Lambs th Jul12th Jul $ nd GrazingTOTAL159.15$21.81 OverallTOTAL453.04$62.06 Crop – Wylah Wheat, 100kg/ha sowing rate Commencement of 2 nd Grazing kg/ha feed 14.05% DM = 332kg/ha DM, - Crop Growth stage GS Note: 365 Grazing Days/ha = 1DSE annual carrying capacity

17 th July – 5 days after 2 nd Grazing GrazedUngrazed

Cascades Trial Results – Harvest Yield

Cascades Trial Results – Grain Quality Grazed Paddock (69.29 ha) Ungrazed Plot (7.03 ha) Grazed Header Run 10 Ungrazed Header Run 8 Date22/11/2010 Average Yield Hectolitre Weight (kg/hl) Protein (%) Screenings (%) Moisture (%) Grain ClassificationAGP 1 (Protein)AGP 1 (Screenings) Farm Gate Price $/tonne$250.00$250 Return - $/ha (before costs) $324.00$449.00

Dalyup Trial Site

Dalyup Trial Results - Grazing Livestock Type Livestock Number Value DSE/ha Grazed Area (ha)Date InDate Out Grazing Days DSE Grazing Days/ha$/ha Cows nd Aug13th Aug $18.91 Calves (5 mths old) nd Aug13th Aug $14.37 TOTAL242.97$33.28 Crop - Dash Barley, 80kg/ha sowing rate Commencement of Grazing kg/ha feed 12.48% DM = 188kg/ha DM, - Crop Growth stage GS 15, 22 Note: 365 Grazing Days/ha = 1DSE annual carrying capacity

Dalyup Trial Results Ungrazed Grain fill - doughy Grazed Grain fill - milky 23 rd October 21 st August – 8 days after cattle removed

Dalyup Trial Results– Harvest Yield

Dalyup Trial Results – Grain Quality Grazed haUngrazed 4.451ha Grazed Header Run 13 Ungrazed Header Run16 Date1/12/2010 Total Biomass (g per m 2 ) Stubble Biomass (g per m 2 ) Harvest Index (%) Average Yield (tonnes/ha) Hectolitre Weight (kg/hl) Protein (%) Screenings (%) Colour Moisture (%) Grain Classification - Feed Variety Feed Feed Farm Gate Price $/tonne $ Return $/ha (before costs) $500.50$522.28

Mt Howick Trial Site

Mt Howick Trial Results – Grazing Livestock Type Livestock Number Value DSE/ha Grazed Area (ha)Date InDate Out Grazing Days DSE Grazing Days/ha$/ha Ewes st Jul26th Jul693.75$14.17 Lambs st Jul26th Jul674.10$11.20 TOTAL167.85$25.37 Crop - Wylah Wheat, Sowing Rate100 kg/ha, Row Spacing 25cm Commencement of Grazing kg/ha 18.1% DM = 425 kg/ha DM - Crop Growth Stage GS 14, Note: 365 Grazing Days/ha = 1DSE annual carrying capacity

Mt Howick Trial Results 26 th July – sheep were removed as photos taken

Mt Howick Trial Results – Harvest Yield

Mt Howick Trial Results – Grain Quality Grazed Paddock (29.16 ha) Ungrazed Plot (2.967 ha) Grazed Header Run 11 Ungrazed Header Run 8 Date11/12/201011/12/2011 Total Biomass (g/m 2 ) Stubble Biomass (g/m 2 ) Harvest Index (%) Average Yield (tonnes/ha) Hectolitre Weight Protein (%) Screenings (%) Moisture Grain ClassificationAPW 2 APW 2 Farm Gate Price $/tonne $ Return $/ha (before costs) $ $

Gross Margin Summary No costs included Trial Location Ungrazed Income $/ha Grazed Income $/ha Grain Value $/ha Grazing Value $/ha Total Grain & Grazing Value $/ha Grazed compared with Ungrazed $/ha Cascades$449.00$324.00$62.06$ ($62.94) Dalyup$522.28$500.50$33.28$ $11.50 Mt Howick$787.46$749.27$25.37$ ($12.82)

Key Lessons Learnt  Plan Grazing regime – sow multiple paddocks with varieties that have longer and shorter growing seasons.  Commence grazing early – leaves options open to graze over a longer period.  Keep crop grazing as even as possible to help minimise yield reduction.

Key Lessons Learnt  2 grazings are only possible with an early sowing (late March to early April).  Crop regrowth after 1 st grazing is uneven.  Monitor crop growth stage carefully and regularly (set up a monitoring cage).  Be conscious of GS 30 in cereals (ie “Hollow Stem”) and do not graze beyond this.

Key Lessons Leart cont..  Grass weeds become worse in cereals as the weeds regrow as competitively as the crop.  Chemical control measures limited due to Grazing Witholding Periods.  Early sowing may lead to poor control of ryegrass with pre-sowing herbicides

Key Lessons Learnt cont..  No evidence in 2010 of increase or decrease of cereal foliar diseases following grazing.  Grazing delayed colonisation in barley by cereal aphids.  On average grazing delayed flowering by 7-10 days.

Grain & Graze 2 Trial Plans for 2011  Canola – Hybrid vs Open Pollinated, Cattle and sheep grazing  Cereals – conventional wheat and barley varieties  Grazing comparison - Set stocked vs 2 shorter grazing periods

Acknowledgements  Cooperating Farmers  Scott Welke  Tim Creedon  Damien & Simon Schlink  GRDC  Australian Government – Caring for our Country