You can help
if you are interested in this project or think you may want to be involved at some stage, please contact anyone from the team here:
Peter Beale – Local Land Services Hunter (Taree – Mid North Coast) – peter.beale@lls.nsw.gov.au
David Deane – Local Land Services Hunter (Tocal) – david.deane@lls.nsw.gov.au
Martin Correa Luna – The University of Sydney – martin.correa.luna@sydney.edu.au
Juan Gargiulo – NSW DPI – juan.gargiulo@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Yani Garcia – The University of Sydney/DRF – sergio.garcia@sydney.edu.au
Josh Hack – Ag Farming Systems (Taree) – josh@farmingsystems.com
Zita Ritchie – NSW DPI – (North Coast) zita.ritchie@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Jane Woolacott – Dairy NSW – (South Coast) – jane@dairynsw.com.au
The participating farms are a vital component in the generation and transference of new knowledge, new tools and technologies, and new farm practice.
P1 seeks to engage with up to 5 pasture-based farms using Kikuyu-based pastures in three regions: North Coast; Mid Coast/Hunter; and South Coast (15 farms in total).
What are the benefits for P1 farms?
P1 farms will have their farm monitored by satellite/s on a paddock-by-paddock basis and a regular frequency (daily to weekly depending on the satellite used). Two systems will be set and evaluated by the project, including the commercially available program Pasture.io.
Farmers will receive, or access via a dynamic online reporting system, processed data (images, biomass, pasture growth rate) at regular intervals. These data will include pasture covers, growth rates, nutritive value and amount of utilised pasture per paddock and overall. After an initial (assessment) phase, we envisage an increasing use of the information by the farmers for decision making on grazing and feeding management.
Dairy UP will also organise regular zooms/teams meeting with farmers and researchers and the software manufacturers for mutual benefits (skill development for farmers and farmers’ inputs for tool’s development).
Farmers will also receive frequent updates on the other subprojects (toxicity, genetics, environmental impact). A regular visit from a project technical officer and scientists will assist in upskilling farmers with data management, interpretation, and use.
For more information contact
Prof. Yani Garcia (sergio.garcia@sydney.edu.au)
This research is funded by the Dairy UP initiative (https://www.dairyup.com.au/) and it is expected to benefit all farmers with kikuyu pastures.