The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 3. Annual liveweight gains from pasture based systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bortolussi ◽  
J. G. McIvor ◽  
J. J. Hodgkinson ◽  
S. G. Coffey ◽  
C. R. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Production Environment ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Finishing Cattle ◽  
North West ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Central Highlands

The herd performance of 375 northern Australian beef producers during the 1991 and 1992 to 1995 and 1996 financial years was surveyed in 1996 and 1997. Estimates were made of annual liveweight gain from production systems based on native and improved pastures together with hormonal growth promotant use and supplementation practices. The most commonly used pasture communities for growing and finishing cattle were black speargrass and brigalow communities in Central Coastal Queensland and the Central Highlands; black speargrass in Northern Queensland; Mitchell grass and gidgee in Central Western and North-west Queensland; Mitchell grass in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia regions and brigalow–softwood scrub in the Maranoa South West. There was considerable variation and overlap in the production ranges of the various pasture communities. The estimates and ranges of annual liveweight gains were comparable with measurements from scientific and commercial studies for 3 major pasture communities (black speargrass, brigalow and Mitchell grass). On this basis, the annual liveweight gain data are considered to represent sound estimates of performance from the pasture communities and husbandry systems in use in northern Australia. Mean annual gains for pasture communities in the more northern regions tended to be <150 kg/year. Half the survey group used hormonal growth promotants but use varied between regions with lowest levels in Central Coastal Queensland (30%) and highest usage in the Central Highlands (59%). Steers and bullocks were the most commonly implanted class of cattle. Supplementation periods tended to be longest in more northern regions. Nitrogen was a component of >90% of the supplements offered. The percentage of producers supplementing various classes of cattle varied widely (0–77%). Steers were often the least supplemented class and weaners were the most common. The highest percentage of producers (>68%) supplementing weaners was found in North-west and Northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. Significant correlations explaining 3–23% of the variance were found between annual liveweight gain and latitude and/or longitude for native black speargrass and Mitchell grass pasture communities and improved brigalow pastures. Generally, annual liveweight gain increased with increasing latitude and longitude. The results are discussed in relation to herd management practices and sources of variation in the northern Australian production environment.

Kale-based out-wintering systems for weaned Aberdeen Angus cross and Limousin cross steers during a winter store period

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 236-236
Author(s):  
J. J. Hyslop ◽  
D. Fleming ◽  
G. J. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Feeding Period ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Finishing Cattle ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Grazing Period ◽  
The Uk

Since de-coupling of CAP subsidy schemes from actual animal production, lowering the costs of finishing cattle production systems is one of the key challenges facing the beef industry. One of the largest costs associated with finished cattle production from spring-born suckled calves is the costs of over-wintering the weaned steer calf once the suckling phase is over. The capital tied up in buildings is a major component of these costs in countries such as the UK where the relatively harsh winter environments have traditionally led to many weaned suckled calves being housed and fed conserved forages over the winter months to ensure adequate performance. Previous work (Hyslop et al, 2006) has shown that under appropriate field conditions, non-lactating, spring calving suckler cows can be out-wintered on both grazed kale or turnip based-systems with an acceptable degree of animal performance. The objective of the current study was to determine liveweight (LW) changes in weaned spring-born suckled calf steers when managed outdoors on kale-based grazing systems during a short winter feeding period and to assess the dirtiness of steers hides at the end of the kale grazing period.

The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 4. Condition and management of natural resources

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bortolussi ◽  
J. G. McIvor ◽  
J. J. Hodgkinson ◽  
S. G. Coffey ◽  
C. R. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Natural Resource Management ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Visual Observation ◽  
Rangeland Management ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
North West

Natural resource management practices were surveyed on 375 northern Australian beef properties in 8 regions during 1996–97. These producers represented a broad cross section of the beef industry in terms of geographical location, size of enterprise, and herd and ownership structures. More than 48% of producers reported land degradation (erosion, salinity, weeds, etc.) and >68% reported woody weeds on their properties. Eucalypt (Eucalyptus and Corymbia spp.) and wattle (Acacia spp.) regrowth were universally common native woody weeds. Parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) was widespread across all survey regions occurring with the greatest frequency in northern regions. A range of native and exotic woody weed species were regionally significant. Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) regrowth was mainly reported in the central Queensland and Maranoa South West regions. Prickly acacia (Acacia nilotica) was mainly reported in central and north-west Queensland. Rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora) was mainly reported in northern Queensland with a significant presence in central coastal and north-west Queensland. Infestations with multiple weed species were common. Although many producers reported the presence of problem woody weeds, only 3–29% indicated that weed management was practised. Most producers (67–100%) used fire. The intended purpose of fire varied across survey regions but fire was commonly used to reduce rank material, reduce fire risk, control woody weeds and for grazing management. Seasonal conditions and variability restricted fire use. Assessment by visual observation was a commonly used practice for determining stocking rate. Between 4–20% of producers were using visual observation combined with some form of calculation of stocking rate at the end of the growing season to determine stocking rate. A majority (>67%) of producers used some form of paddock spelling or regeneration practice. Many producers (47–89%) considered that they used conservative stocking rates. Carrying sufficient stock to meet income requirements was significantly (P<0.05) correlated with the percentage of producers reporting woody weeds as a problem on their property. In the 5 years preceding the survey, >66% of producers had increased the number of stock watering points, and more than 85% of producers had erected fencing. Most fencing was for new paddocks and laneways, or to replace old fences, and was not associated with new stock watering points. However, the installation of new stock watering points was associated with the creation of new paddocks. Planned future fencing focused on creating new paddocks or laneways or replacing old fences. The results are discussed in relation to contemporary natural resource management issues and the future approaches to and challenges of implementing sustainable rangeland management.

The northern Australian beef industry, a snapshot. 5. Land and pasture development practices

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bortolussi ◽  
J. G. McIvor ◽  
J. J. Hodgkinson ◽  
S. G. Coffey ◽  
C. R. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Legume Species ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Average Annual Rainfall ◽  
Native Pastures

The land and pasture development practices of 375 northern Australian beef properties in 8 regions were surveyed during 1996–97. These properties represented a broad cross-section of the beef industry in terms of geographical location, enterprise and herd size, and ownership structures. Both tree clearing and killing were more common in Queensland than in the Northern Territory or northern Western Australia. In all regions where trees were poisoned, native pasture was more widely used than sowing introduced grass and/or legume species. In contrast, tree clearing was most often accompanied by sowing pastures (either an introduced grass only or introduced grass and legume species together), rather than using native pastures. Central coastal Queensland had the highest use of poisoning trees for pasture development. Tree clearing and using native pasture was most important in central Queensland regions and the Maranoa South West. Sowing introduced pasture species under live trees was more commonly practiced in northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia than in other regions. A considerable number of introduced grass and legume species were sown by producers. Most of the sown species were grasses. Many of the sown grass and legume species were spreading naturally. Buffel grass was spreading in all areas with < 1000 mm average annual rainfall, but most sown species were spreading only in wetter regions. Stylosanthes spp. were the most commonly spreading legume species in regions with > 500 mm average annual rainfall. The results are discussed in relation to contemporary natural resource management issues and how this may affect land and pasture development activities in the future.

Northern Territory, and possibly parts of the Pilbara, have been ‘seeded’ with virus which could result in epizootic activity when appropriate environmental conditions occur. Our conclusions could have important health implications as the population in north-western Australia increases through intensive agriculture, mining, service industries and tourism and, in the longer term, through possible effects of climate change (Mackenzie et al. 1993b; Lindsay and Mackenzie 1997). Furthermore, increased virus activity could be exacerbated as new irrigation areas are developed in the Wyndham–East Kimberley shire and the adjacent part of the Northern Territory. Finally, there is little doubt that the profound ecological changes resulting from the establishment of the Ord River irrigation area have provided ideal conditions for increased arboviral activity. These conditions are also suitable for other exotic arboviruses, such as Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya viruses, and exotic mosquito vectors, such as Aedes albopictus. Indeed an unusual strain of MVE has been isolated from the Ord River area, which was believed to have been introduced from the Indonesian archipelago (Mackenzie et al. 1991). Further-more, the recent incursion of Japanese encephalitis virus into islands in the Torres Strait and Cape York, and its possible enzootic presence in the south of Papua New Guinea, provide additional cause for concern. It is therefore essential that monitoring and surveillance of mosquitoes and arboviruses is continued so that exotic virus or vector incursions can be rapidly detected. Acknowledgments We would like to thank our many colleagues who have contributed to these studies of MVE virus activity in the north-west of Western Australia. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Health Department of Western Australia and the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Commonwealth Department of Health. References

1998 ◽  
pp. 137-139
Keyword(s):  
Japanese Encephalitis ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Indonesian Archipelago ◽  
Virus Activity ◽  
Important Health ◽  
Unusual Strain

Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Craig ◽  
R. R. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Low Input ◽  
No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

scholarly journals Legumes increase grassland productivity with no effect on nitrous oxide emissions

2019 ◽  
Vol 446 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 163-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlete S. Barneze ◽  
Jeanette Whitaker ◽  
Niall P. McNamara ◽  
Nicholas J. Ostle
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Grassland Productivity

Abstract Aims Grasslands are important agricultural production systems, where ecosystem functioning is affected by land management practices. Grass-legume mixtures are commonly cultivated to increase grassland productivity while reducing the need for nitrogen (N) fertiliser. However, little is known about the effect of this increase in productivity on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in grass-legume mixtures. The aim of this study was to investigate interactions between the proportion of legumes in grass-legume mixtures and N-fertiliser addition on productivity and GHG emissions. We tested the hypotheses that an increase in the relative proportion of legumes would increase plant productivity and decrease GHG emissions, and the magnitude of these effects would be reduced by N-fertiliser addition. Methods This was tested in a controlled environment mesocosm experiment with one grass and one legume species grown in mixtures in different proportions, with or without N-fertiliser. The effects on N cycling processes were assessed by measurement of above- and below-ground biomass, shoot N uptake, soil physico-chemical properties and GHG emissions. Results Above-ground productivity and shoot N uptake were greater in legume-grass mixtures compared to grass or legume monocultures, in fertilised and unfertilised soils. However, we found no effect of legume proportion on N2O emissions, total soil N or mineral-N in fertilised or unfertilised soils. Conclusions This study shows that the inclusion of legumes in grass-legume mixtures positively affected productivity, however N cycle were in the short-term unaffected and mainly affected by nitrogen fertilisation. Legumes can be used in grassland management strategies to mitigate climate change by reducing crop demand for N-fertilisers.

scholarly journals Pollination Potential in Portugal: Leveraging an Ecosystem Service for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Caroline Wentling ◽  
Felipe S. Campos ◽  
João David ◽  
Pedro Cabral
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Administrative Boundary

As urbanization and agriculture increase worldwide, habitats and food sources for wild pollinators are often fragmented or destroyed. As wild pollinators contribute both resilience and variety to agricultural fields, it is desirable to implement land management practices that preserve their well-being and ability to contribute to food production systems. This study evaluates continental Portugal for its change in suitability to host bee’s pollinator species (Apis mellifera) from 1990 to 2018. It uses the InVEST crop pollination modeling tool and CORINE Land Cover, as well as parameterization to produce pollinator abundance and supply maps. These are generalized to municipality boundaries to provide actionable insights to farmers and policymakers and strengthen land management practices. It finds that the potential for pollination services is growing, with averages of both pollinator abundance and supply indices improving by 8.76% across the continental territory in 28 years. The study results are validated using another pollination index derived from a study that is based on expert opinion and field sampling in a sub-region of Portugal. This method of aggregation of model results and comparison of the percent difference by administrative boundary has the potential to better inform both policymakers and farmers about the pollination potential on a local level, as well as inspire interventions for future productivity.

scholarly journals 395 Impact of pig mortality on U.S. pig producers

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 184-185
Author(s):  
Caleb M Shull
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Functional Approach ◽  
Production Cycle ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Significant Challenge ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Step

Abstract Swine producers in the U.S. face a significant challenge. On top of the ever-changing market dynamics that lead to wide swings in profitability or loss, is an underlying issue of pig mortality that the industry must address. While significant improvements in total piglets born per litter have been achieved over the last 10 years, pig mortality has seen no improvement or has worsened (Figure 1). When expressed as a percentage of piglets born (excluding mummies), a total of 7.9% were recorded as stillborn and 13.4% died prior to weaning in 2019. Assuming a typical mortality range of 7–10% from weaning to harvest, a typical U.S. producer could expect to lose around 27–30% of all piglets born. In addition, the average producer had around 12% annual sow mortality (Figure 1). Litter size and post-weaning growth rate and feed efficiency will always factor heavily into research priorities due to the economic impact associated with those traits; however, the opportunity to drive value through reduction in pig losses across the production cycle is staggering. In defense of the industry, improving pig survival is not an easy task for a number of reasons. The sample size (i.e., number of pigs) required to do mortality research correctly is often a limiting factor for many production systems. Furthermore, a cross-functional approach is likely required to make significant improvements in mortality. Specifically, the relationship between genetics, health, and management practices warrant consideration. Recent collaboration across the industry to improve mortality is a positive step forward and this collaboration should continue moving forward.

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