Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > AN09015
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 49(10)

Poor adoption of ley-pastures in south-west Queensland: biophysical, economic and social constraints

D. K. Singh A G , N. McGuckian B , R. A. Routley A , G. A. Thomas C , R. C. Dalal D , Y. P. Dang C , T. J. Hall A , R. Strahan A , N. Christodoulou A , S. Cawley E and L. Ward F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Primary Industries and Fisheries, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, PO Box 102, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

B RMCG Consultants for Business, Communities & Environment, Box 2410, Bendigo, Vic. 3554, Australia.

C Department of Natural Resources and Water, PO Box 318, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

D Department of Natural Resources and Water, 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Qld 4068, Australia.

E Primary Industries and Fisheries, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, PO Box 61, Miles, Qld 4461, Australia.

F Ward Agriculture Pty Ltd, PO Box 158, Roma, Qld 4455, Australia.

G Corresponding author. Email: dhananjay.singh@dpi.qld.gov.au

Animal Production Science 49(10) 894-906 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09015
Submitted: 23 February 2009  Accepted: 18 May 2009   Published: 16 September 2009

Abstract

The present review identifies various constraints relating to poor adoption of ley-pastures in south-west Queensland, and suggests changes in research, development and extension efforts for improved adoption. The constraints include biophysical, economic and social constraints.

In terms of biophysical constraints, first, shallower soil profiles with subsoil constraints (salt and sodicity), unpredictable rainfall, drier conditions with higher soil temperature and evaporative demand in summer, and frost and subzero temperature in winter, frequently result in a failure of established, or establishing, pastures. Second, there are limited options for legumes in a ley-pasture, with the legumes currently being mostly winter-active legumes such as lucerne and medics. Winter-active legumes are ineffective in improving soil conditions in a region with summer-dominant rainfall. Third, most grain growers are reluctant to include grasses in their ley-pasture mix, which can be uneconomical for various reasons, including nitrogen immobilisation, carryover of cereal diseases and depressed yields of the following cereal crops. Fourth, a severe depletion of soil water following perennial ley-pastures (grass + legumes or lucerne) can reduce the yields of subsequent crops for several seasons, and the practice of longer fallows to increase soil water storage may be uneconomical and damaging to the environment.

Economic assessments of integrating medium- to long-term ley-pastures into cropping regions are generally less attractive because of reduced capital flow, increased capital investment, economic loss associated with establishment and termination phases of ley-pastures, and lost opportunities for cropping in a favourable season. Income from livestock on ley-pastures and soil productivity gains to subsequent crops in rotation may not be comparable to cropping when grain prices are high. However, the economic benefits of ley-pastures may be underestimated, because of unaccounted environmental benefits such as enhanced water use, and reduced soil erosion from summer-dominant rainfall, and therefore, this requires further investigation.

In terms of social constraints, the risk of poor and unreliable establishment and persistence, uncertainties in economic and environmental benefits, the complicated process of changing from crop to ley-pastures and vice versa, and the additional labour and management requirements of livestock, present growers socially unattractive and complex decision-making processes for considering adoption of an existing medium- to long-term ley-pasture technology.

It is essential that research, development and extension efforts should consider that new ley-pasture options, such as incorporation of a short-term summer forage legume, need to be less risky in establishment, productive in a region with prevailing biophysical constraints, economically viable, less complex and highly flexible in the change-over processes, and socially attractive to growers for adoption in south-west Queensland.

Additional keywords: farming systems, forage lablab, livestock, short-term ley-pastures.


Acknowledgements

We acknowledge financial support from GRDC for the Western Farming Systems and Maranoa–Balonne Grain & Graze Projects in this region. We also acknowledge valuable time and suggestions given by Dr Ron Hacker and reviewers for improving the quality of this manuscript.


References


ABARE (2005) ‘Australian crop report.’ (ABARE: Canberra)

Angus JF , Peoples MB , Gault RR , Gardner PA , Howe GN (1996) Improved pastures and their effects on subsequent crops. In ‘Proceedings of 8th Australian agronomy conference’. pp. 68–71. (The Australian Society of Agronomy: Toowoomba, Qld)

Armstrong RD, McCosker KJ, Millar GR, Walsh K, Johnson S, Probert ME (1997) Improved nitrogen supply to cereals in central Queensland following short legume leys. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 359–368.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | [Verified August 2009]

Gruen FH (1959) Pasture improvement – the farmer’s economic choice. Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics 3, 19–44. [Verified December 2007]

McGuckian (2008) Making complex decisions. In ‘Managing complex systems: preliminary findings from Grain and Graze’. (Land & Water Australia: Canberra)

Miles RL (1993) Soil degradation processes in a semi arid woodland. PhD Thesis, Griffith University, Brisbane.

Pannell D, Marshall G, Barr N, Curtis A, Vanclay F, Wilkinson R (2006) Understanding and promoting adoption of conservation practices by rural landholders. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 1407–1424.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Pengelly BC, Conway MJ (2000) Pastures on cropping soils: which tropical pasture legume to use? Tropical Grasslands 34, 162–168. open url image1

Pengelly BC, Whitbread A, Mazaiwana PR, Mukombe N (2003) Tropical forage research for the future-better use of research resources to deliver adoption and benefits to farmers. Tropical Grasslands 37, 207–216. open url image1

Peoples MB , Gault RR , Angus JF , Bowman AM , McCallum M (1998 a) Comparisons of the efficiency of nitrogen fixation in pasture. In ‘Proceedings of the 9th Australian agronomy conference’. (The Australian Society of Agronomy: Wagga Wagga, NSW)

Peoples MB, Gault RR, Scammell GJ, Dear BS, Virgona J, Sandra GA, Paul J, Wolfe EC, Angus JF (1998b) Effect of pasture management on the contributions of fixed N to the N economy of ley-farming systems. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 49, 459–474.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Peoples MB, Bowman AM, Gault RR, Herridge DF, McCallum MH, McCormock KM, Norton RM, Rochester IJ, Scammell G, Schwenke GD (2001) Factors regulating the contribution of fixed nitrogen by pasture and crop legumes to different farming systems of eastern Australia. Plant and Soil 228, 29–41.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Ridley AM, Christy B, Haines PJ, Dunin FX, Wilson KF, Ellington A (2001) Lucerne in crop rotations on the Riverine Plains. I. Soil water balance. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 263–277.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sibson K (2008) Ley pastures and their establishment in the Western Downs and Maranoa of southern in land Queensland. Grain and Graze final report. University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld.

Silburn DM , Carroll C , Ciesiolka CAA , Hairsine P (1992) Management effects on runoff and soil loss from native pasture in central Queensland. In ‘Proceedings of the 7th Australian biennial rangeland conference, Cobar, NSW’. pp. 294–295. (Australian Rangeland Society: Cobar, NSW)

Singh DK , Alsemgeest V , Cooper D , Routley RA , Sale PWG (2004) Managing economic and environmental sustainability with better P nutrition and summer forage legume in rotation with wheat in southern Queensland. In ‘Proceedings of 4th international crop science conference’, Brisbane.

Singh DK, Sale PWG, Routley RA (2005) Increasing phosphorus supply in subsurface soil in northern Australia: rationale for deep placement and the effects with various crops. Plant and Soil 269, 35–44.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Singh DK, Strahan R, Christodoulou N (2009) Validating economic and environmental sustainability of a short-term summer forage legume in dryland wheat cropping systems in south-west Queensland. Animal Production Science 49, 816–825.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Steele KW , Vallis I (1988) The nitrogen cycle in pastures. In ‘Advances in nitrogen cycling in agricultural ecosystems’. (Ed. JR Wilson) pp. 274–291. (CAB International: Wallingford, UK)

Strahan R (2008) Can pasture phases pay? In ‘Managing mixed farms in the Maranoa–Balonne and Border Rivers’. (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland: Brisbane)

Strong WM, Dalal RC, Weston EJ, Lehane KJ, Cooper JE, King AJ, Holmes CJ (2006) Sustaining productivity of a Vertosol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilisers, no-tillage or legumes. 9. Production and nitrogen benefits from mixed grass and legume pastures in rotation with wheat. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 375–385.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomas G , King T , Orange D , Holems C , Dalal R , Weston E , Lehane J (2001) Comparison of winter crop rotations – ‘Dunkerry South’ trial, Nindigully. In ‘Western Farming Systems Project result booklet 2001’. pp. 24–26. (Grain Research and Development Corporation, Department of Primary Industries, and Natural Resources and Mines: Brisbane)

Thomas G , Dalal R , King T , Orange D (2002) Dunkerry South trial, Nindigully – 2001 winter crop result. In ‘Western Farming Systems Project result booklet 2002’. pp. 7–12. (Grain Research and Development Corporation, Department of Primary Industries, and Natural Resources and Mines: Brisbane)

Thomas G , King A , Orange D , Dalal R , Fraser M , Christodoulou N , Singh DK (2005) ‘Crop and pasture rotation experiment’, ‘Mulga View’, St George, Qld. National Farm’s Group Manual GRIST. (GRDC Publications and Products: Canberra)

Thomas GA, Titmarsh GW, Freebairn DM, Radford BJ (2007) No-tillage and conservation farming practices in grain growing areas of Queensland – a review of 40 years of development. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 887–898.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomas GA, Dalal RC, Weston EJ, Lehane KJ, King AJ, Orange DN, Holmes CJ, Wildermuth GB (2009) Pasture-crop rotations for sustainable production in a wheat and sheep-based farming system on a Vertosol in south-west Queensland, Australia. Animal Production Science 49, 682–695.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thompson DP, McIvor JG, Gardener CJ (1983) The effect of seedbed type on the establishment of legumes and grasses at four sites in north Queensland. Tropical Grasslands 17, 3–10. open url image1

Vanclay F (2004) Social principles for agricultural extension to assist in the promotion of natural resource management. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, 213–222.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Vanclay F, Mesiti L, Howden P (1998) Styles of farming and farming subculture: appropriate concepts for Australian rural sociology? Rural Society 8, 85–107. open url image1

Vere DT, Muir AM (1986) Pasture improvement adoption in south-eastern New South Wales. Review of Marketing and Agricultural Economics 54, 19–32. open url image1

Ward L (1993) The establishment of warm-season perennial grasses on degraded Vertisols in north-west New South Wales. Master of Rural Science Thesis, University of New England, Armidale, NSW.

Weston EJ , Dalal RC , Strong WM , Lehane KJ (1997) The benefit of a pasture ley in cereal cropping. In ‘Proceedings of the 12th annual conference of the Grassland Society of New South Wales’. pp. 11–17. (Grassland Society of NSW: Dubbo, NSW)

Weston EJ, Doughton JA, Dalal RC, Strong WM, Thomas GA, Lehane KJ, Cooper JC, King AJ, Holmes CJ (2000) Managing long-term fertility of cropping lands with ley pastures in southern Queensland. Tropical Grasslands 34, 169–176. open url image1

Weston EJ, Dalal RC, Strong WM, Lehane KJ, Cooper JE, King AJ, Holmes CJ (2002) Sustaining productivity of a vertisol at Warra, Queensland, with fertilisers, no-tillage or legumes. 6. Production and nitrogen benefits from annual medic in rotation with wheat. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 961–969.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Whitbread AM, Clem RL (2006) Graze to grain-measuring and modelling the effects of grazed pasture leys on soil nitrogen and sorghum yield on a vertosol soil in the Australian subtropics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 489–500.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Whitbread AM, Pengelly BC, Smith BR (2005) An evaluation of three tropical ley legumes for use in mixed farming systems on clay soils in southern inland Queensland, Australia. Tropical Grasslands 39, 9–21. open url image1

Whitehouse MJ, Littler JW (1984) Effect of pasture on subsequent wheatcrops on a black earth soil of the Darling Downs. II. Organic C, nitrogen and pH changes. Queensland Journal of Agricultural and Animal Sciences 41, 13–20. open url image1

Whitfield DM , Newton PJ , Mantell A (1992) Comparative water use of dryland crop and pasture species. In ‘Proceedings of the 6th Australian agronomy conference’. pp. 262–265. (The Australian Society of Agronomy: Armidale, NSW)

Williams J, Chartres CJ (1991) Sustaining productive pastures in the tropics. 1. Managing the soil resource. Tropical Grasslands 25, 73–84. open url image1

Wylie PB (1996) Economics of pasture rotations in Queensland wheat areas. In ‘Proceedings of the 8th Australian agronomy conference’. (The Australian Society of Agronomy: Toowoomba, Qld)