Natural Resource Management
Dairying for Tomorrow is a practical Natural Resource Management (NRM) program to secure the future of Australia's dairy farms.
Dairying for Tomorrow supports dairy farmers, and the industry, reduce their environmental footprint by enabling activities such as reduced on-farm fertiliser loss, improved effluent systems, retaining native bush and the fencing of waterways.
For more information visit Dairying for Tomorrow.
Dairy soil nutrients - minimising impact, maximising production
DairySA secured funds to assist dairy farmers across the state to monitor dairy farm soil nutrient levels in order to maximise fertiliser efficiency and production and reduce nutrient loads in to the environment.
Participating farms in the Fleurieu, South East and Barossa Mid North districts will work with local agronomists to conduct intensive soil sampling programs in order to ascertain current acidity and fertility levels. Risk of loss of nutrients from the farm will then be assessed for each paddock that has been soil tested. This data will be used to develop detailed farm fertility maps and build targeted nutrient budgets for the farm that maximise fertilier efficiency and reduce potential nutrient loss to the environment.
The project will not ony lead direct change on participant farms but will also provide a comprehensive farm fertility benchmark that will assist farmers to improve productivity and reduce nutrient losses. For further information on this project please contact Dairy SA Verity Ingham 87660127 or Monique White 0400 972 206
Future Ready Dairy Systems
Future Ready, Dairy Systems is a Dairy Australia national project. It will examine adaptation strategies and technologies that have been used by farmers to:
- manage increased climate variability,
- reduce farm carbon emissions and;
- maintain or increase profitability.
The project is run through DairySA and with local project coordinator Monique White. The project aims to help farmers manage climate extremes and help prepare for potential Government emissions policy.
The aim of the project in SA is to examine existing farm systems on the Murray and Barossa/Mid North dairy regions using grass based, PMR and TMR production systems. This will consider the differing ratios of grass : supplementary feeding that are being undertaken and the relative benefits of each farms system. Farm field days will focus on the aspects of the farm system that are exceptionally good in each case.
Farmers in the Murray system have an added decision complexity in that should a partial system include irrigated pasture production. Is it economic to continue to spend money on irrigation or water particularly where the drought has led to significant infrastructure and repasturing costs?
A partial budgetary analysis will need to be undertaken in order to demonstrate the costs and benefits of the system as will a DGAS assessment to show the estimated farm carbon emissions.
Attendees at the farm days will be able to examine the system and its components and consider its relevance to their own farm, encouraging gradual system improvement rather than a wholesale change from one system to another. This gradual step change opportunity may also help farmers who currently feel overwhelmed by the “leap” from grass to TMR and are uncertain about the economic viability of a PMR System.
Contact Monique White 0400 972 206
Water Use - a tool to help budget yours!
This is a computer program that helps dairy farmers budget intended water use and manage their allocation across the season.
It gives dairy farmers the ability to assess potential water use across various forage / crop options as well as to prompt irrigation scheduling and water use efficiencies on farm.
This program is specifically for dairy farmers. It was developed to be simple in its operation, and relevant to day to day irrigation management.
Click here to use the water bugeting tool but please read these instructions first.
Effluent Management Case Studies
The following posters show photographic sequences of recently installed effluent management systems, along with a brief explanation of the type of infrastructure installed. The posters showcase the following farms:
Donnybrook Farms Pty Ltd
Donovans Dairy
Compass Dairies
Kongorong Dairies
Kurleah - Allendale East
BK & HM McHugh & Sons
Melchris Pty Ltd
JM & GR Mieglich
Pt MacDonnell Dairying Pty Ltd
MK Seeliger
SA Dairy Effluent Management Systems project summary
Dairying for Tomorrow newsletters
The Dairying for Tomorrow newsletter provides information on dairy NRM action and productivity projects on dairy farms across Australia.