Does wet season spelling improve land condition?
Does wet season spelling improve land condition? Conference Paper
17th Australian Rangeland Society Biennial Conference
- Author(s): Paul Jones, Carly Harris, Richard Silcock
- Published: 2012
- Publisher: Australian Rangeland Society
Abstract: This project seeks to improve the evidence base and modelling capacity underpinning recommendations for use of wet season spelling to recover poor condition grazing land and design more reliable and cost-effective spelling options for producers across northern Australia. There is limited experimental work or expert knowledge on spelling strategies to improve or maintain land condition (McIvor 2011). Site 1 has a study on the key combinations of timing, duration and frequency of spelling within a grazed ‘C’ land condition paddock in Central Queensland for a five year period. Site 2 will be established in the 2nd year of the project at the Wambiana grazing trial in northern Queensland on ‘C’ land condition sites subject to moderate and heavy grazing. Data from field trials will be used to improve the capacity of GRASP to simulate the impacts of different spelling and stocking rate regimes on pasture conditions over a range of pasture community types and seasons. The project will engage with producers and field staff at each site. Site 1 has had variable rainfall over the previous decade with predominantly dry or very dry conditions. Good growing conditions, prior to and during the first two summers of recordings have resulted in high pasture yields and crown cover. Pasture yields have been high for both Bothriochloa ewartiana and Aristida spp. While there has been a small improvement in land condition overall, there has been minimal impact so far from the spelling strategies applied compared to the continuously grazed control.
- Urls: https://www.austrangesoc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Poster-6-10-Paul-Jones.pdf , https://www.austrangesoc.com.au/biennial-conference/17th-biennial-conference-papers-2012/
- Publisher Location: Kununurra, Western Australia,