National Dairy Feedbase Integration

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National Dairy Feedbase Integration

• Dave Henry

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Why the focus on feedbase ?

• Key driver of productivity and profitability
• Threats/Opportunities
• Climate change
• Climate variability
• Soil Plant Health
• Increasing variable costs of production
• Legislation

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Diversity of farms, farming systems, people
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National investment in feedbase

• Historically,
• Project by project
• Projects delivered into (single) regions
• Little cross-regional value gained from
  investment elsewhere (despite opportunities)

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How can the Tasmanian Dairy Industry benefit
from National Integration ?

• Objective Better understanding of feedbase
  principles for higher levels of pasture
  production and consumption

• Understanding the impact of, and interaction
  between
• Defoliation interval intensity
• Soil N
• Soil moisture

Greener Pastures, WA
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What can we learn from the work in WA ?

• Different systems, pasture types, soils however
• General pasture management principles
• Research and extension design, methodologies
  techniques

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Diversity of farms, farming systems, people
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For farms already achieving high levels of
pasture consumption-

• How do they achieve it ?
• Where is next gain coming from ?
• Decision making guidelines ..

3030 (Vic)
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What can we learn from 3030 ?

• Optimising management of the ryegrass pasture
  base
• beyond ryegrass role of complementary
  forages (where is next gain coming from)
• Process for whole farm systems analysis to
  determine where gains can be made
• Role of modelling

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It works both ways the role of Tasmania in the
national effort (examples)

• Perceived strong linkages between research and
  extension
• Other regions keen to learn from experiences
• Technologies/tools for daily resource management
• Greenhouse gas calculator
• Perennial ryegrass knowledge base

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Outcomes

• Regions leverage off National research and
  extension efforts in order to meet priority needs
• Assist farmers to confidently manage their
  feedbase resources to optimise profit
• Develop a capacity to adjust their systems to
  changing circumstances and opportunities