Background

In recent years livestock producers (cattle and sheep) have begun to adopt new grazing systems based on the introduction of perennial pastures.  In particular growers in the West Midlands have had some success with summer active perennial grasses.  These grasses grow on a wide range of soil types and have the ability to access deep stored soil moisture as well as grow out of season (i.e. Oct – May)

The benefits of such a grazing system are numerous but some of the major benefits include:

Ø       Increased carrying capacity of previously unproductive soils

Ø       Increased production on all soil types, with extreme production possible on water gaining sites.

Ø       Use extra water and thus prevent ground water rise (salinity)

Ø       Ability to carry stock (on green feed) at the notoriously difficult autumn feed gap time (i.e. March – May).  This in turn means less wind erosion, reduced costs associated with feeding livestock and better wool quality.

Ø       Other environmental benefits will include reduced stream eutrophication, less pesticides, less erosion, increased soil fertility and improved soil structure.

These grass species have traditionally been grown in Queensland and Northern NSW and this is where most of the initial information has come from.  Currently growers are operating on a limited knowledge bank but developing research programs through the Department of Agriculture, etc will see data and information gathered which will allow better management, better selection of species and better establishment which will in turn see a rapid increase in area sown.

Examples of Economic Benefits from Perennials

Economic

The value of the beef industry in the Dandaragan shire increased an average of 24% per year over a 14 year period largely due to the introduction of the fodder shrub, tagasaste.

Productivity

·         Bob Leeson, Dandaragan returned $316/ha for lamb production from a first year, dry land lucerne stand. (Weight gain 1kg/week)

·         David Monks, Badgingarra produced $1,760/ha of fine wool from a Kikuyu and Strawberry clover pasture on wet areas

·         Peter Nixon, Gillingarra produced 1,100kg/ha of prime lamb from a Strawberry and Balansa clover pasture on seepage sites

·         Tim Pannel, Yuna returned $250/ha of sheep meat from a first year perennial grass and lucerne pasture on deep sand.

The Opportunity – seed production in the Mid West!

For perennial grass to become a common part of many livestock farms in the Mid West it is vital to not only prove up the system with sound research but also to build a seed industry of our own.  The Mingenew-Irwin Group sees an opportunity to build such an industry in this region (this view is supported by the Dept of Agriculture.  Tim Wiley pers comm).

If farmers could produce and successfully harvest the seed then the flow on benefits would be seed cleaning, packaging, marketing and sales.  Obviously the Mid West has the expertise and infrastructure to be able to fill this role as required.

If this project can prove up this opportunity then the future could see a whole new seed industry based on a new farming system which is economic and environmentally viable.  On farm improvements and increases in production brought about by this system would certainly help to stimulate local economies through increased jobs on farm (this grazing system will be intensive and require extra staff to successfully manage).

Importance

Lack of Seed

In 2001 there was approximately 2 tonne of perennial grass seed sown in Western Australia.  In 2002 it is envisaged that there will be approximately 10 tonne of seed sown in WA of which approximately half will be in the Mid West Region (mainly in the coastal areas of Eneabba, Irwin, Northampton, etc).

Tony Rosser, CRT Geraldton reports that his perennial grass seed sales have gone from zero in 2000, to 280 kg in 2001 and 3,000 kg to date in 2002. This seed is being sown at an average of 2 kg/ha.

Based on these figures it is not out of the question to expect this area to expand in 2003 to requiring up to 50 tonne of seed.

Unfortunately there is no seed industry in WA and all of the seed is imported from Queensland.  Currently much of Queensland is in drought and as such the chance of obtaining 50 tonne of seed out of Queensland is very low.  The chance of obtaining this amount of seed would be slim even in the best of years.

Seed Contamination

Aside from the lack of supply there is also the very real risk of bringing in new weed species to WA.  Many of the weeds that are a problem in Queensland are not found in Western Australia.  Thus the risks associated with the importation of seed are substantial.

Aside from weeds there is also the risk of diseases not presently found in WA being imported with seed.

Quality control over seed sources is urgently required and the best way of doing this is to have an industry of our own.

Harvesting Perennial Seed

Harvesting perennial grass seed is not as straight forward as harvesting seed / grain from annual crops and pastures.  Harvesting of annuals involves the relatively simple process of ‘head’ removal at the point of full plant maturity or dryness (at the end of the season).  Obviously WA broadacre farmers are experts at this type of harvesting.

Perennial grasses flower and produce viable seed at differing times and often at numerous times throughout a season.  Thus harvesting methods are very different to that of an annual plant. The other significant difference is the size and weight of the seed.  Most are extremely ‘light and fluffy' and as such are quite difficult to handle and are very bulky.  All of these factors mean that harvesting is very different than for most annual plants.

Harvesting techniques used in Queensland are fairly ‘basic’.  WA farmers are far greater users of technology and have access to state of the art equipment.  It is this knowledge and access to specialist equipment, which gives us the confidence that we can develop more efficient and applicable harvesting processes than those used in Queensland.

Harvesting Options 

Ø       Direct head removal (conventional harvesting technology)

Ø       ‘Beating and collecting’.  This technique is based around the principle of shaking the plant and collecting ripe seed, which falls as a result.  Advantage over conventional harvesting is that you can harvest at differing times and only the ripe seed is harvested.

Ø       Driving through the seed crop with a wire mesh and subsequently collecting.

Ø       Use of a ‘chaff cart’ is thought to have some potential.  Chaff carts are used to collect unwanted annual seeds when harvesting annual crops.

The Project

In this project the Mingenew-Irwin Group will work closely with farmers, researchers and seed industry specialists from Queensland to evaluate seed production potential, figure out how to best harvest seed and determine the basic market for a commercial seed industry.

Aims

1.       Evaluate different harvesting methods across a range of perennial grass species.

2.       Determine if irrigation of seed crops is required to achieve viable quantities of seed.

3.       Carry out some basic market research into demand, world wide, for perennial grass seed.

Outputs

1.       A basic agronomic and harvesting package that would form the basis of further harvesting research and development.

2.       Results from a trial irrigated area, which will show whether there is economic benefit in irrigating summer active, perennial grass species for the purposes of seed production.

3.       A report on the demand for perennial grass seed in Australia and also over seas (i.e. Middle east, Africa and Asia).

Outcomes

Resulting from of this project and the other larger research projects already discussed.

1.       A perennial grass seed industry supplying domestic and export demand for ‘summer active perennial grass seed’.

2.       With the industry will come engineering opportunities (i.e. harvesting equipment) as well as other value adding opportunities such as seed cleaning, packaging, etc.

3.       Because of this industry we will have the inclusion of perennial grasses into the farming system and as such will achieve:

Ø       Increased carrying capacity on many parts of the landscape, particularly on poor sandy soils and water gaining sites not suited for cropping.

Ø       Increased water use across the landscape (reduced salinity risk).

Ø       Improved environmental performance in other areas (reduced wind erosion, eutrophication, pesticide use, etc)