Pastures

Making More From SheepSustainable pasture production and utilisation is the core on which profitable wool production is based. By optimising the conditions in which pasture grows and  ensuring sustainable utilisation, it is possible to develop profitable wool and sheep production systems.

AWI investments in pastures cover plant breeding and seletion, grazing management, soils, pasture pests and weeds and the pastoral zone.

  • Introduction to Australian Pastures

    Australian wool is produced across three major production zones. AWI provides information on the characteristics of each region.

  • Pasture selection & plant breeding

    AWI is commercialising new breeds of annual legumes, perennial legumes and phalaris cultivars which will be more productive and resilient in conditions ranging from droughts to waterlogged soils, acid soils and salinity.

  • Grazing Management

    The productivity and profitability of many grazing enterprises in the high rainfall and sheep-wheat zones of Australia can be improved by increasing the attention paid to grazing management. AWI investments in grazing management are focussed on providing wool growers with knowledge, tools and practices to improve the productivity and sustainability of their business.

  • Soils

    Acidity threatens large areas of south-eastern Australia. AWI is undertaking research to determine the cost effectiveness of applying lime to acid soils for wool production.

    Increasing our understanding of soil biology under pastures has the potential to deliver increased pasture productivity in the future.

  • Pasture pest & weeds

    Pasture productivity can be severely impacted by weed invasion and pests that consume pasture and damage the plants. AWI invests in a range of projects aimed to combat the impact of weeds and pests on pastures including Timerite which allows wool growers to control red legged earth mites in pastures using an annual spray.

  • Pastoral zone

    AWI’s investments in the pastoral zone focus on lowering the costs of production and increasing the sustainability of grazing systems.

Overview

Productive and stable feed systems underpin all gains in sheep productivity. The genetic potential of wool sheep will only be realised in sheep grazing systems where pasture management optimises sheep health and productivity.

The production of high quality wool with good staple strength, low vegetable fault and high yield is also dependant on the supply of quality pasture on a year round basis.

Wool is produced across a wide range of environments from the dry pastoral zone to the high rainfall zone and dominated by a variety of summer and winter rainfall patterns. 

Across this varying landscape wool sheep are grazed on a variety of pastures from those dominated by natives in the pastoral zone to a mixture of native and introduced species and those dominated by introduced species such as subterranean clover, phalaris and ryegrass in the high rainfall and sheep/wheat zones.

Introduced pastures generally require fertiliser and other inputs to maintain their productivity. Many native and mixed pasture swards receive little or no fertiliser. In the high rainfall zone most farms are likely to have a mixture of land types and related pastures types from native based, low input pastures to high input introduced pastures. In the sheep/wheat zone farms are likely to be dominated by introduced pastures that are sown as part of the cropping rotation.

Grazing management and utilisation on all pasture types has a substantial impact on pasture persistence, productivity and utilisation.

AWI investments in pastures are focussed on developing profitable and sustainable pasture systems in all production zones and across all pasture types.

 

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