Innovations

1. Innovations Craig Forsyth Producer, Dongara WAMingenew Irwin Group Chair

2. Acknowledgements • Donelle, Bree, Brooke and Nathan • Sheila and Helene from MIG • Tim Wiley from DAFWA • Bob Nichols • The Darcy Family • The Grey Family • The Gooch Family • The Quadrio Family • The Hetherington Family • CSIRO Scientists • Our Bank

3. Reason for change 1999 Waterlogging Herbicide resistance Diseases Wind Erosion 2014 We knew we had to change the way we operated.

4. Avoca, WA Soil type White sands Rainfall 400 mm/year Property Area (ha) 3600 Main Enterprise Growing out pastoral cattle Current pasture Perennial grasses, fodder shrubs, annual pasture Stocking rates 2800 in Spring, turn off 3000cattle/year Vegetation (ha) 600 ha remnant vegetation

5. What we changed • A rapid decline in area cropped from1,400 ha in 1999 to nothing in 2003. • Improved pastures with perennial grasses. • Introduced fodder shrubs. • Improved the watering system. • Fenced to soil types. • Symbiosis with pastoralists – matching the feed demand to the supply.

6. Perennials benefits • Use of out-of season rainfall. • Increased production and year-round groundcover. • Symbiosis between annual and perennial pastures. • Reduced wind and water erosion. • Reduced soil surface temperatures. • Increased diversity in the system. • Increased soil moisture • Increasing soil carbon levels. • Increased biological activity and nutrient cycling

7. Perennials: Grasses and Shrubs

8. Alliance with pastoralists • Profit share arrangement with 5 pastoralists. • Complementary climate and feed – matching the feed demand to the supply • Improved pasture utilisation • Improved marketing • Improved genetics Tropical 500-1200mm Dec - April Mediterranean 350-600mm May-October

9. Benefits to our business • Larger numbers coming down with one ear mark. • Cattle can be organised to arrive on farmwhen feed is growing. • Easier to use large numbers of cattle to betterutilise pastures. • Flexibility of system enables quick turnover to meet short term markets. • Improving the supply chain builds certainty and helps remove risk from our business.

10. Opportunity for mating heifers • Delivered on farm 200 to 250 kg. • Joined for 7 weeks at 300 kg. • Preg tested 6 weeks later. • Empties sold. • Pregnant heifers returned to station with bulls. • Cost for station-bred cow similar but 1 year older and could be pregnant to mickey bull with vibrio? • Heifers are weighed on-farm for performance selection

11. Opportunity for mating heifers Cost of heifers being mated on farm • Heifers come down 200-250kg • Return at 350-400 kg (avg weight gain 150 kg) • Backgrounding $165/head • 2% bulls - $3,000/bull $75/calf • Freight both ways $60/head • Vaccinations $20/head • Total cost to pastoralist $320/head Cost of heifers being mated on station • Opportunity cost (agist for 12 months) $130/head • 4% bulls - $3,000/bull $150/calf • Mortality – 10% but could be higher $40/head • Total cost to pastoralist $320/head

12. Opportunity for mating heifers • Pregnant to good bulls. • Mated at correct weight. • 7 week calving span. • Proven fertile and “set up” for life. • Adapted to station environment. • Environment acclimatisation of the accompanying bulls. • Unloaded to saved paddock. • Younger average age of breeder herd. • Proximity to Port of Geraldton means cattle can be moved easily. • Reduce freight and shrinkage to southern ports or feedlots.

13. Projects • More cattle on the property = Embrace Continuous Improvement through Research. • Importance of good relationship with funding bodies and researchers. • Most valued aspect: working with project partners. • MIG has a history of working collaboratively with funding bodies and scientists. We are often asked to participate on various projects thanks to our strong relationships with research partners.

14. CSIRO project: Peer Training • Adaptation of rangeland cattle relocated to temperate agricultural pastures. • Cattle fitted with collars with activity sensors. • Behavioural adaptation period of 4-6 weeks for pastoral heifers (1/3 weight gain). • Local cattle used as peer trainers will assist in adaptation but not necessarily weight gain. • Better understanding of behaviour = better management and increased weight gain.

15. SERCS Shrubs for Emission Reduction and Carbon Storage • Run by the Mingenew Irwin Group nationally – 7 locations in 3 states. • Based on Enrich project findings. • 7 species of perennial shrubs. • 7256 shrubs planted over 16ha. • 71% survival rate. • Methane emissions measurement following grazing. • Soil analyses.

16. SERCS

17. Anameka saltbush • New elite line of Oldman saltbush. • Selected for robustness AND palatability. • Commercially available for the first time this year. • Planted in July 2015. • 10,000 trees over 20 ha. • Survival rates and grazing in 2016.

18. Shrubs, erosion and climate • Demonstration of perennial shrub systems enabling adaptation to erosion and climate variability. • 31 ha paddock . • Over 20,000 shrubs to be planted in 2016. • Survival rates, wind speed and microclimate measurements will be collected.

19. Future plans • Trial different shrubs species. • Improve planting design. • Improve shade and shelter. • Improve pasture health and utilisation. • Improve annual legumes with our perennial subtropicals. • Improve soil health. • Continuous Improvement with grazing management. • Aim: to produce 1kg of LWG per mm of rain per hectare = better utilisation.

20. Thank you. Never be frightened to try new ideas.The fear of growing broke is the mother of innovation. For more information on the MIG projects, www.mig.org.au