FEED365 spring field day 2024 - Tuesday 17 SeptemberForage systems for year-round grazingJoin us at DPIRD's Katanning Research Station for the FEED365 spring field day. For more information view the flyer and register today. |
FEED365 aims to create resilient sheep production systems to enable farmers to increase livestock returns by grazing quality (preferably green) forage all year round with minimal supplementary feeding.
Objectives
- To re-design the pasture/forage systems in the wheatbelt of WA to be more productive and resilient in the face of a drying climate and increasing seasonal variability.
- To measure the impact of trees in the landscape on pasture productivity.
The desired long-term outcome of the project is to reduce supplementary feeding costs of a typical mixed farming business by 30% and lift on-farm profitability by 10%.
Key activities
FEED365 will evaluate forage species from a wide selection of traditional and novel species under grazing at the DPIRD Katanning Research Station (see photos 1 and 2). These include:
- perennial legumes and grasses
- annual legumes and grasses
- specialist winter forages such as forage brassicas and forage cereals
- grazing crops
- opportunistic summer forages such as C4 tropical grasses
- crop stubbles
- shrubs.
The project will also partner with the Grower Group Alliance and individual grower groups on satellite demonstration sites which will give producers a chance to be directly involved in the research and see the results firsthand.
Research site - B14
Research site - B1
Forage treatments
| Site/Plots | Site/Plots | Winter 2021 | Autumn 2022 | Spring 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1-1/13 |
| Pink Serradella | Oats |
|
| B1-2/18 |
| Pink Serradella + Yellow Serradella + Tall wheat Grass | Regenerating serradellas | Kikuyu |
| B1-3/15 | B14-12/25 | Pink Serradella + Yellow Serradella + annual ryegrass | Regenerating serradellas + annual ryegrass |
|
| B1-4/12 | B14-5/17 | Vetch + annual ryegrass + cereal rye | Cereal rye + Triticale + Oats + Vetch + Tillage radish |
|
| B1-5/11 | B14-2/14 | Wheat | Barley |
|
| B1-6/22 | B14-3/21 | Pink serradella | Pink serradella | Japanese Millet + Tillage Radish |
| B1-7/16 | B14-4/19 | Lucerne + Chicory + Cocksfoot | Lucerne + Chicory + Cocksfoot |
|
| B1-8/21 |
| Pink serradella | Biserrula |
|
| B1-9/17 |
| Veldt grass + Pink Serradella + Yellow Serradella | Veldt grass + Pink Serradella + Yellow Serradella |
|
| B1-10/19 | B14-7/18 | Subclover + annual ryegrass | Regenerate subclover + annual ryegrass |
|
| B1-14/20 | B14-1/20 | Mixed shrubs | Mixed shrubs + subclover + gland clover + Pink Serradella |
|
| B14-6/15 |
| Tedera | Tedera |
|
| B14-8/16 |
| Subclover | Oats |
|
| B14-9/26 |
| Biserrula | Pink serradella | Pearler Millet + Sunflower |
| B14-10/24 |
| Arrowleaf + Gland + Crimson + Bladder + Balansa + annual ryegrass | Regenerating Trifolium mix + annual ryegrass | Pearler Millet + Rape + Tillage Radish + Sorghum |
| B14-11/22 |
| Subclover + Tall Wheat Grass | Subclover + Tall Wheat Grass |
|
| B14-13/23 |
| Wheat, Barley, Canola, Pink Serradella, Vetch, Gland clover | Tillage radish |
|
| Site/Plots | Site/Plots | Autumn 2023 | Spring 2023 | Autumn 2024 | Spring 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1-1/13 |
| Pink Serradella + Triticale + Rye |
| Pink Serradella + Triticale + Rye |
|
| B1-2/18 |
| Kikuyu + Pink Serradella + Subclover |
| Kikuyu + Pink Serradella + Subclover |
|
| B1-3/15 |
| Serradellas + annual ryegrass |
| Serradellas + annual ryegrass |
|
| B1-4/12 |
| Pink Serradella + Triticale + subclover + Crimson clover |
| Serradella + clovers + Triticale + Cereal rye |
|
| B1-5/11 | B14-2/14 | Wheat |
| Barley |
|
| B1-6/8 |
| Lupins + Triticale + Cereal rye | Japanese Millet | Lupins + Triticale + Cereal rye | Yes |
| B1-7/16 | B14-4/19 | Lucerne + Chicory + Cocksfoot |
| Lucerne + Chicory + Cocksfoot |
|
| B1-9/17 |
| Veldt grass + Pink Serradella + Yellow Serradella |
| Veldt grass + Pink Serradella + Yellow Serradella |
|
| B1-10/19 |
| Subclover + annual ryegrass |
| Subclover + annual ryegrass |
|
| B1-14/20 | B14-1/20 | Mixed shrubs |
| Mixed shrubs + Triticale |
|
| B1-21/22 |
| Biserrula |
| Biserrula |
|
| B14-3/21 |
| Triticale + Cereal rye | Japanese Millet | Oats | Yes |
| B14-5/17 |
| Triticale + Cereal rye + Balansa + gland +crimson clover + subclover |
| Clovers + Triticale + Cereal rye |
|
| B14-6/15 |
| Tedera |
| Tedera + Oats |
|
| B14-7/18 |
| Subclover + annual ryegrass |
| Subclover + annual ryegrass |
|
| B14-8/16 |
| Subclover + Triticale + Cereal rye |
| Subclover + Triticale + Cereal rye |
|
| B14-9/26 |
| Triticale + Cereal rye | Sorghum | Awnless Triticale |
|
| B14-10/24 |
| Triticale + Cereal rye | Sunflower | Black Oats + Forage oats |
|
| B14-11/22 |
| Subclover + Tall Wheat Grass |
| Subclover + Tall Wheat Grass |
|
| B14-12/25 |
| Canola | Pearler Millet | Triticale + Rye | Yes |
| B14-13/23 |
| Triticale + Cereal rye + Tillage radish |
| Purple clover + Balansa + Triticale + Cereal rye |
|
Podcasts
Podcast: April 2022
DPIRD Feedbase Pasture Researcher Daniel Real talks about the FEED365 project and solving a common problem for farmers in the West Midlands region and across WA: early and late season feed gaps. Joined by West Midlands Group’s Simon Kruger and Melanie Dixon the episode gives an insight into FEED365, the first phase of research, and how this innovative and far-reaching project will be working with farmers across WA, aiming to eliminate the need for confinement feeding in periods of low feed quality and availability. PaddockChat podcast developed by the West Midlands Group. Listen here
Podcast: October 2024
Hear about our FEED365 project from its designers, farmer Hayden Sprigg and DPIRD collaborators Justin Hardy and Angelo Loi. Listen here
Contact information
For more information or details about the SheepLinks FEED365 project, please contact Senior Research Scientist Daniel Real at Daniel.Real@dpird.wa.gov.au or phone +61 (0)409 016 422.