Woolgrowers Lead Research into Saline Grazing Systems

_This project is now complete. For further information go to the [Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands](http://landwaterwool.gov.au/index.php?q=subprogram/6) section_.

Woolgrowers in the Great Southern region are involved in cutting-edge agricultural research that aims to bring their previously unproductive saline land back into production and increase farm profits.

The project, which is being run under the auspices of local woolgrower group, the Jinka’s Hill Land Conservation District Committee, involves setting up a low cost grazing system that combats salinity and gives best live weight gain and wool production from sheep.

The research is being carried out on the Pepall family property near Katanning. John Pepall farms ‘Edenia’ together with his wife Andrea and parents Ivo and Rosemary.

SGSL team member John Paul Collins said the aim of the trial is to increase livestock production from previously unproductive land.

“In order to do this, livestock production on a set-stocked paddock will be compared to production from rotationally-grazed saltland pastures. We will also be testing the use of gypsum to improve pasture production,” he said.

“In many ways perhaps this land that we are focussing on in this project should not have been cleared,” John Pepall said. “It gave us 50 years of good cropping but now it is seemingly unproductive because it is too saline.

“However, this project is aiming to both bring the land back into production and lower the water table. If we are successful my farm will be more profitable as I will have more grazing area, utilising saline land for productive grazing.”

The family farms 1820 hectares as a mixed enterprise with 40 per cent of the farm devoted to sheep and 60 per cent cropping. John said that the loss of valuable farming land due to salinity is a common problem in his area of the Great Southern.

“We need to try and turn the salinity around in order to bring this land back into production and keep our farms viable,” he said.

“The saltland pasture consists of a saltbush alley and an understorey. We had a ‘shotgun’ mix of seed which contained four varieties of saltbush, one bluebush and over seven different varieties of perennial pasture applied.

“This approach has worked very well because the different species have given us a thorough pasture and saltbush coverage in the area. The degree of salinity varies but the variety of species can manage that variation. The pasture mix has allowed us to really cover our bases.

“Next year, with anticipated lower water tables, we will follow up with a ‘shotgun’ mix of clovers to add further value to the existing clover and saltbush.”

John Paul Collins said four treatments are being carried out on the partially saline land. One area will be set-stocked to sheep while the other three areas will have a mob of sheep rotationally-grazing them.

“We will be comparing the rotational grazing against the set stocking in terms of livestock production,” he said.

“The three areas that will be rotationally grazed will all have different treatments. One will be left as saltbush and perennial pasture. The other two will compare different rates of gypsum (2.5 t/ha and 5 t/ha) over the saltland pasture which will be used to improve the soil structure.”

John Paul said that the soil in the area is hard-setting clay. “We hope that the gypsum will improve the soil structure and allow better infiltration of water thus preventing water logging,” he said.

Another issue that the grower group has to contend with is the presence of samphire (a succulent plant that grows in severely salt-affected land).

According to John Paul: “the saline area that we are dealing with in this trial, about 40 ha, is largely covered with samphire. We have picked out the best areas which are moderately saline to conduct this trial.

“This project has a livestock focus and weight gain and condition score will be regularly monitored. The feed on offer and pasture quality with regard to the degree of digestibility and level of protein will also be monitored.

“It is giving farmers a taste for on-farm research in a practical way a and should in the end improve their financial viability.”

First published December 2004. For more information go to the Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands Sub-program.