Sustainable Grazing of Saline Lands (WA)

Product Information

This final report reflects on the aims, objectives, methods, findings, observations, outcomes and impacts of this participatory research and development project. SGSL is a five-year national project funded by Australian Wool Innovation Ltd. and Land and Water Australia with completion planned for December 2006. Additional partners include Meat and Livestock Australia, the CRC for Plant Based Management of Dryland Salinity, the WA Department of Agriculture, the WA Chemistry Centre and the Saltland Pastures Association Inc. In WA, there are currently 61 grower groups undertaking 69 on- farm trials each of whom are researching ways to increase the profitability of the use of salt and waterlogging affected land through enhancing livestock production. The grower groups represent a significant proportion of the Wheatbelt. They range from sites near Mullewa in the north to the others near Jerdacuttup in the southeast

There have been benefits to the livestock enterprises of the growers involved through increased confidence in establishing adapted plants, increased grazing days (year round & autumn) and good evidence on a payback on investment. There is evidence of growers having an increased feeling/sense of satisfaction and pride as well as minimising further degradation. The project recommends that a continuation should be seriously considered to make full use of the body of information and experience. That a new project should adopt the same participatory process and should involve project participants, farmers and partners in a similar way. This time to experience the ‘ongoing management and grazing and the integration into the whole farm’ aspect of saltland pastures and therefore to help complete the full picture of the system.

The project has reinvigorated interest in saline land management in Western Australia by fine tuning the principles of agronomy in a broad range of saline landscapes and rainfall zones. These principles were directly drawn from the producer trials and cover site design, establishment, drainage, grazing, perennial mixes and economics. The project findings are linked to the project’s contracted objectives.