THE management of sandy soils on Limestone Coast farms will be the focus of a Grassland Society MLA Pasture Update at Lucindale later this month.
Farmers will be shown the best options for growing pastures in sandy soil conditions and how containment areas can be used to better manage the land.
The update will be held from 1pm-5pm on Thursday, November 29.
The day will start at Dave and Steph Brooker’s farm Tennyson at Lucindale and will also include a visit to the nearby Kallinga property.
GSSA Limestone Coast branch president Dylan Brodie said most properties in the region were made up of flats and high ranges, often with sandy soil where it’s difficult to establish pastures like lucerne.
“The update will help local farmers to better manage their sandy soil conditions, and it will also appeal to consultants who give advice on what to grow and how to manage those areas,” he said.
At Tennyson and then Kallinga, attendees will see two varieties of kikuyu, including a new variety claimed to have better winter production.
David Gould from Seed Force will also outline how to grow kikuyu, its varieties, pitfalls and benefits of using it on sandy soils to reduce erosion – a big issue for many local farmers.
Mr Gould will also talk about companion species for year-round production.
San Jolly from Productive Nutrition will talk about containment feeding for productivity, reducing erosion and pasture protection, including different uses over summer and autumn, optimal designs and different feeding options.
There will also be an update on the Limestone Coast branch's NRM-funded project looking at the economic benefits of precision soil sampling in pastures in broadacre grazing.
Rural consultant Tim Prance will explain if the savings from soil sampling are worth the investment.
MLA’s Joe Gebbels will detail phase two of the oestrogenic clover project, including some results of the first phase of the project and information about other on-farm R&D projects relevant to the South East.
Registrations for the event are essential.
It costs $20 for Grassland Society and MLA members and $50 for non-members and includes afternoon tea and a barbecue at Kallinga.
- Details: RSVP to GSSA secretary Melinda Caspersz 1300 137 550 or at office@grasslands.org.au
