AGSY300 – Grazing Systems Assignment - Northern New South Wales

Assignment Task

The Challenge

A producer in northern New South Wales wants to convert their cropping enterprise to a grazing enterprise.

1. Identify and describe the potential environmental constraints to production on the property.

2. Propose an appropriate feedbase for optimal pasture production, then assess if there are any feed gaps given the planned grazing enterprise (see details below). Here you are focusing on what the feedbase will be once it is fully implemented:

a. Provide a detailed description of your proposed feedbase, including information about the species you have selected.

b. Demonstrate the appropriateness of your proposed feedbase using the MLA Feed Demand Calculator.

c. If there is a feed gap, suggest how the feed gap could be resolved. You need to demonstrate this by using the MLA Feed Demand Calculator.

3. Provide clear steps to implementation of your proposed feedbase and feed year plan:

a. Detail how the feedbase should be implemented (e.g. sowing rates and times, fertiliser etc.) and how long this will take to achieve.

b. Detail any ongoing management (e.g. fertiliser and grazing management) once the feedbase is fully implemented.

c. Detail how any feed gap will be managed.

Property Details

The property is located near Bellata in northern New South Wales (Figure 1) and consists of nine paddocks (Figure 2). Paddocks K1–K8 are currently under cultivation, so an appropriate feedbase needs to be established in these paddocks. These paddocks are to be planted to winter crops within the next two months and will be harvested in October–November, so pasture establishment could begin any time after this. Paddock K9 cannot be cultivated and is currently dominated by native, summer grasses.

Pasture Details

In the MLA Feed Demand Calculator, use pasture details for ‘NSW – Warialda’. This will provide a range of pasture types, including growth rates and quality details. Soils are generally ‘clay loam’ and the soil slope is ‘undulating’. Monthly wastage rates are estimated to be 20% for growing wastage and 30% for carryover wastage.

The pasture type for the cultivated areas (paddocks K1–K8) will depend on your proposed feedbase. The pasture type for the uncultivated area (paddock K9) should be set as ‘Native Grass – Std Year’.

Further Property Information

Further information such as soil test results will be provided on myLearn. There is also a discussion forum where you can ask any questions you want and I will provide the answers so that the whole group can see them.

Executive Summary

A brief summary of what is contained in the report, including an introduction to the problem and your solution to the problem. Executive Summary (10%) A brief summary of what is contained in the report, including an introduction to the problem and your solution to the problem

Table of Contents (part of overall presentation)

Include a table of contents that outlines the different sections of the report. The table of contents will not be extensive as the report is only ~1500 words, but it is still useful to include particularly if you have several headings and subheadings.

Introduction

The first section should focus on setting the scene. Provide a brief overview of the property and outline the purpose of the report. Then you should identify and describe the environmental constraints to production.

Implementation and Management

In this section, you need to provide clear steps on how to implement your proposed feedbase for the producer. You should also provide detail about any ongoing management.

This AGSY300 – Management has been solved by our PHD Experts at My Uni Paper.