Agriculture Victoria researchers are examining the impacts of multi-species pasture cropping at their research facility at Ellinbank, in Gippsland.
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Pasture crops look a little different at Agriculture Victoria’s Ellinbank facility in Gippsland, as researchers test the viability of multi-species swards for increasing pasture sustainability and resilience, and reducing input costs for farmers.
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Agriculture Victoria researcher Anna Thomson is part of the team behind the Resilient Foragers Project, a five-year study exploring whether multi-species pastures can outperform traditional monoculture pastures, such as rye-grass.
“The core concept is that we mix species together that have complementary attributes, hopefully producing effects which are positive,” Ms Thomson said.
The multi-species pasture includes a mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs.
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Instead of relying primarily on perennial rye-grass, the trials combine grasses, legumes and deep-rooted herbs, each bringing something different to the system.
One of the biggest potential gains is a reduction in the need for nitrogen fertiliser.
By increasing the proportion of legumes, which naturally fix nitrogen into the soil, some test pastures are now operating without any applied nitrogen at all.
“Those high legume swards, they actually don’t receive any nitrogen fertiliser,” Ms Thomson said.
With fertiliser prices a major pressure point for farmers, the savings could be substantial, without sacrificing productivity.
The Agriculture Victoria research team regularly takes measurements at its demo site. Pictured are Anna Thomson, Krystel Alcazar, Dani Stayches and Craig Butler.
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Early results are promising.
“We seem to be able to really reliably get high yields from these multi-species pasture combinations,” Ms Thomson said.
“We are effectively getting more from less, which is amazing.”
The benefits may go beyond the balance sheet.
The inclusion of deep-rooted herbs is proving particularly valuable during dry conditions, allowing pastures to keep growing when traditional species may struggle.
“Because of their deep roots, they are really good at actually living longer into dry spells,” Ms Thomson said.
“This can actually elongate the feed supply into difficult summer months, which is really valuable,” she said.
That resilience was put to the test during recent dry periods, where mixed pastures showed a stronger capacity to bounce back.
“Where we had the mixtures … those plants actually recovered well,” Ms Thomson said.
There are also early signs that multi-species systems could play a role in reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.
Early research linked to the project has shown some pasture herbs produce lower methane emissions during digestion.
“Multi-species pastures are a pathway to potentially lower methane emissions in a kind of natural and passive way where you don’t have to feed an additive,” she said.
Importantly, the work is not confined to research plots.
The Pasture 365 program takes the research beyond the Ellinbank facility, trialling multi-species pasture crops on fully operational farms.
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Through the companion Pasture 365 program, farmers are trialling multi-species mixes on their own properties, testing how they perform in real-world conditions.
For producers considering the shift, Ms Thomson said confidence was growing, but careful planning remained essential.
“It is really important to consider what species you're putting in and why,” she said.
“If you know what the mix is doing, it just sets you up for success.”
As climate pressures and input costs continue to rise, the humble pasture mix could play an increasingly important role in the future of dairy farming, offering a system that is not only more resilient, but potentially more profitable as well.
