Water consumption and water turnover of sheep grazing semiarid pasture communities in New South Wales

1974 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 339 ◽  
Author(s):  
AD Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Mineral Content ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Supplementary Data ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Water Turnover ◽  
Merino Sheep ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Reduced Water

The water consumption and water turnover of Merino sheep grazing on three natural pastures of south-western New South Wales were recorded throughout 1 year, and supplementary data on the water consumption of sheep on some pastures were collected for a further 2–4 years. On Danthonia caespitosa grassland, water was consumed for up to 7 months each year over the summer months. Maximum intakes were 3–3.5 litres per sheep per day, but this was reduced for 1–2 weeks after falls of rain of less than 25 mm and for longer periods after heavier falls. The provision of shade reduced water turnover by a maximum of 0.3–0.5 litre per day on some occasions only, which indicates that shade is of little importance to woolled sheep. On the saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria) and belah-rosewood (Casuarina cristata-Heterodendrum oleifolium) communities, water intakes were up to 6–7 litres per day in summer. In the particularly dry summer of 1972–73, water intakes of the sheep on saltbush rose to 12 litres per day for several months. The higher water intakes of these sheep were attributed mainly to the high mineral content of the Atriplex and Bassia spp. eaten by them, although the sheep on the belah-rosewood community were also in a hotter environment. In contrast to the sheep on Danthonia, those on the bush communities consumed significant amounts of water throughout the winter in years of low rainfall.

Influence of panicle fragment size on ant seed-harvesting and seedling recruitment in Phalaris aquatica

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Kelman ◽  
G. M. Lodge ◽  
R. A. Culvenor
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Naked Seed ◽  
Seed Harvesting ◽  
Second Year

Successful seedling recruitment events in sparse stands of the grass Phalaris aquatica (phalaris) are rare. A major contributing factor to this situation is the seed-harvesting activity of ants. In recently developed cultivars of phalaris, the seed is retained within the glumes of the floret and is shed in a seed-retaining panicle fragment. We tested the hypothesis that seed contained in panicle fragments was less likely to be harvested by ants than naked seed and that this would be reflected in increased seedling recruitment. Observations of ant seed-harvesting activity and records of seedling recruitment following dispersal of seed and panicle fragments onto field plots were made at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, and Tamworth, New South Wales, over 2 years. In the second year, the effects of 2 pasture renovation treatments (sheep-grazing and shallow-discing) on seedling recruitment from seed and panicle fragments were examined. Averaged over the 2 localities, 4% of large-sized (>10�florets), 13% of medium-sized (5-10 florets) and 27% of the small-sized (2 or 3 florets) panicle fragments were harvested in a 24 h period by ants (mainly Pheidole spp.), compared with 83% of the naked phalaris seed. The effects of panicle fragment size on recruitment were variable depending on site in the first year and the interaction of site and renovation treatments in the second year, but contrary to expectation, recruitment often was not higher in panicle fragment treatments than in seeded treatments. Seedling recruitment at Canberra (a hardsetting sandy loam) was lower (22 plants/m2 from naked seed and 15 plants/m2 from seed in panicle fragments) because of the competition from existing vegetation and germination of subterranean clover from the seedbank, than at Tamworth (a self-mulching red chromosol; 179 plants/m2 from naked seed and 118 plants/m2 from seed in panicle fragments), where seedling recruitment was also significantly increased by the sheep-grazing renovation treatment. At Tamworth, a larger seedbank was recovered from plots of oversown panicle fragments compared with plots oversown with naked phalaris seed. This suggested that protection of seeds in panicle fragments over the summer months on the Tablelands of New South Wales would increase the time over which phalaris seeds are available for recruitment. Further work is needed to test seedling recruitment in panicle shattering v. non-shattering phalaris populations and to define the conditions under which the seedbank contained in the panicle fragments can be exploited to improve stand persistence.

THE BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT OF MERINO SHEEP ON THE GRANITIC SOILS OF EASTERN NEW ENGLAND, NEW SOUTH WALES.

1957 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 129-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Cotsell ◽  
Grahame Edgar
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Merino Sheep ◽  
South Wales

scholarly journals Frost Risk Management in Chickpea Using a Modelling Approach

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 460
Author(s):  
Yashvir S. Chauhan ◽  
Merrill Ryan
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Frost Risk ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Trends ◽  
Reduced Water ◽  
Modelling Approach

Post-flowering frosts cause appreciable losses to the Australian chickpea industry. The Northern Grains Region (NGR) of Australia, which accounts for nearly 95% of chickpea production in Australia, is frequently subjected to such events. The objective of this study was to map frost risk in chickpea in the NGR and develop strategies to minimise the impacts of such risk. The Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM) modelling framework was used to determine spatial and temporal trends in post-flowering frost risk. The NGR could be divided into six broad sub-regions, each delineating locations with similar frost risk. The risk was nearly two to three times greater in the Southern Downs and Darling Downs sub-regions as compared to the Central Queensland Highlands, Dawson Callide, New South Wales, and Northern New South Wales–Western Downs sub-regions. There was an increasing trend in the frequency of frost events in the Southern Downs and New South Wales sub-regions, and a decreasing trend in the Central Queensland Highlands and Dawson Callide sub-regions, consistent with the changing climate of the NGR. In each sub-region, frost risk declined with delayed sowings, but such sowings resulted in simulation of reduced water limited yield potential (unfrosted) as well. The model output was also used to compute 10, 30, 50, and 70% probabilities of the last day of experiencing −3 to 2 °C minimum temperatures and identify the earliest possible sowings that would avoid such temperatures after flowering. Choosing the earliest sowing times with a 30% frost risk could help increase overall yields in environments with high frost risk. Simulations involving genotype x environment x management interactions suggested additional opportunities to minimise frost losses through the adoption of particular cultivars of differing phenology and the use of different agronomy in various environments of the NGR. The study indicates that there is considerable variation in frost risk across the NGR and that manipulating flowering times either through time of sowing or cultivar choice could assist in minimising yield losses in chickpea due to frost.

Lambing potential and mortality in Merino sheep as ascertained by ultrasonography

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 311 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Kilgour
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
The State ◽  
Merino Sheep ◽  
South Wales

The results of commercial ultrasongraphic determination of fetal number in 47 648 autumn-joined and 7846 spring-joined Merino ewes on private properties in New South Wales were analysed to determine reproductive potential. Overall, about 12% of maiden ewes and 31% of adult ewes were diagnosed as carrying twins, with about 5% of ewes diagnosed as dry. Season of joining had no effect on these proportions, except for a slightly lower number of dry ewes among those spring-joined. This analysis indicates that the average flock gives birth to 121 lambs per 100 ewes joined, while the average number of lambs marked per 100 ewes is 80. This means that the State flock is achieving only two-thirds of its potential.

Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees. complex pastures in southern New South Wales, Australia: a comparison of Eragrostis curvula cv. Consol and Medicago sativa L. cv. Nova under intensive rotational management

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Johnston ◽  
P. S. Cornish ◽  
T. B. Koen ◽  
V. F. Shoemark
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
Eragrostis Curvula ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Average Plant

The productivity, carrying capacity and liveweight performance of wether sheep grazing pastures of Eragrostis curvula cv. Consol and Medicago sativa cv. Nova, which were also sown with annual grasses and Trifolium subterraneum, were compared under an intensive 4-paddock rotational grazing regime in a ‘put-and-take’ grazing experiment at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales from November 1993 to August 1996. The productivity of the pastures was broadly similar, with production peaks of >1000 kg/ha in winter and >3000 kg/ha in spring and summer in paddocks that had been spelled for 6 weeks. Although annual species contributed a high proportion of the total herbage mass in spring, over the remainder of the year, both pastures were dominated by their respective perennials. E. curvula maintained an average plant density of approximately 20 plants/m2. The density of M. sativa declined noticeably during the 3 years, and at the end of the experiment M. sativa plants in 1 replicate of the experiment were killed by rising groundwater and dryland salinity. The long-term average stocking rate of E. curvula and M. sativa pastures were similar (12.1 v. 12.5 sheep/ha) and both pastures were capable of sustaining high stocking rates for lengthy periods in spring and summer. Sheep grazing M. sativa tended to be heavier than animals grazing E. curvula, and they produced, on average, 1.1 kg (or 21%) more wool. However, M. sativa was more difficult to establish and its costs for weed and insect control were higher. Therefore, although it was more productive, it might not have been the most economically viable of the 2 pastures. The implications of the findings were discussed within a whole-farm context and it was concluded that E. curvula has a complimentary role to M. sativa for sowing on landscapes and in situations to which M. sativa is poorly adapted.

Management of lucerne for sheep grazing on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales

1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (71) ◽  
pp. 726 ◽  
Author(s):  
GT McKinney
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Sheep Grazing ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Farm Systems ◽  
Annual Grasses

Eight whole-farm systems of managing lucerne pasture were compared at one high (near optimum) stocking rate of breeding ewes. These systems were continuous grazing (C), a 2-paddocks (2P), two 3-paddocks (3P), three 6-paddocks and one 12-paddocks rotations. Pasture density, yield and composition were almost solely dependent on spelling time. Maximum lucerne density was maintained when spelling times averaged more than 50 days over the year. Near maximum contributions of annual grasses were achieved when spelling times were less than 45 days. Therefore, to optimize persistence of important pasture components a 'minimum spelling time' policy is suggested. This time ranges approximately from 53 weeks in summer to 8 weeks in winter. Animal production appeared to depend on botanical composition and the extent to which lucerne stem was allowed to develop. Where lucerne failed to persist, or spelling times were long, liveweight gain was low over summer. Thus production was lower on C and 12P respectively, than other systems, and 2P and 3P gave the best overall production.

Phenotypic variance of fibre diameter along wool staples and its relationship with other raw wool characters

1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 463 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Denney
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Fibre Diameter ◽  
Phenotypic Correlation ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Merino Sheep ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Grazing Sheep ◽  
Staple Strength

The variance of fibre diameter along the staple was estimated in a flock of 198 two-year-old Merino sheep, whose management and nutrition were typical of grazing sheep in central-western New South Wales. In a subgroup of this flock, it was found that the estimated variance of fibre diameter along the staple was highly repeatable between duplicate staples sampled from the same sheep, and variation in fibre diameter along the mid-side sample was representative of that variation in the whole fleece. In the main flock, variance of fibre diameter along the staple varied from 0.74 to 6.98 �m2 between sheep, but there were no differences between castrated males and ewes. Differences were found between sire groups in their susceptibility to environmental change. Phenotypic correlation between variance of fibre diameter along the staple and staple strength was -0.30 (P<0.001), but correlations with other raw wool characteristics were not different from zero (P>0.05).

Radiotherapy utilization in New South Wales from 1996 to 1998: Comment

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 483-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
JH Kearsley
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
South Wales
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