Approaches for assessing some attributes of feed-base systems in mixed farming enterprises
Lindsay W. Bell A E , Michael J. Robertson B , Dean K. Revell C , Julianne M. Lilley D and Andrew D. Moore DA CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, PO Box 102, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.
B CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Private Bag 5, PO Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.
C CSIRO Livestock Industries, Private Bag 5, PO Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.
D CSIRO Plant Industries, Clunies Ross Street, Black Mountain, ACT 2601, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: Lindsay.Bell@csiro.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(7) 789-798 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07421
Submitted: 18 December 2007 Accepted: 21 April 2008 Published: 20 June 2008
Abstract
Improving the feed-base to better balance livestock demands with the variation in feed supply can improve the sustainability and productivity of livestock enterprises. This paper outlines some approaches and tools that can be applied to the assessment of new feed options and/or potential changes to the feed-base in mixed farming systems. Demonstrations of strategic aspects of designing feed systems include: whole-farm feed planning using simple tools, such as the MLA Feed Demand Calculator, that enable iterative changes to the balance between feed supply and demand to be considered simultaneously; assessing production and environmental risks of different feed-base systems using simulation models (e.g. APSIM, GRAZPLAN); and using bio-economic models (e.g. MIDAS) to investigate the impact of a new feed source on whole-farm profitability and the optimal balance of other feed sources and livestock production system. Also included is an example of an approach to identifying opportunities and seasonal triggers for a tactical response for utilising an alternate feed source (e.g. grazing a grain crop). The importance of economics and risk as factors for assessing feed-base systems is demonstrated. In particular, the marginal value of extra feed supply is a critical element driving the whole-farm economics of the feed system. Some approaches consider seasonal averages, but the risk of year-to-year and within-year variations in the timing and amount of feed supply should also be assessed. Several tools of varying complexity exist to investigate attributes of the feed-base, but it is important that the correct approach is applied to the particular question in mind. A range of approaches could be applied concurrently to fully explore a range of aspects of the performance of a feed-base system.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Australian Society of Animal Production Committee for inviting us to prepare this paper. Thanks also go to Andrew Bathgate for supplying Fig. 3, and John McIvor and Jeremy Whish for their comments on the paper. Many of the analyses and data presented were conducted by the National Feed-base Project of the Grain and Graze program, which is jointly funded by Meat and Livestock Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Australian Wool Innovation, and Land and Water Australia.
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