This project uses a new tool to help graziers manage pastures better, aiming to improve land and water quality in Queensland.
About the project
Pasture and land degradation and sediment loss are major risks associated with Queensland’s variable and drought-prone climate. Forage budgets can help graziers make decisions at critical times to:
- achieve their targets for animal growth, pasture utilisation and ground cover
- minimise the risks.
This project will assess the impacts of the FORAGE pasture budget tool in critical management decisions at 4 commercial properties.
The aim is to:
- achieve better outcomes for the grazing industry, the land, and reef water quality
- increase the understanding and value of pasture budget information, and confidence in using the information.
What we do
We are working with 4 commercial properties—2 in the Burdekin catchment and 2 in the Fitzroy catchment—and met with the managers to discuss property infrastructure, pasture, herd, husbandry, supplementation and market information.
We identified field sites and undertook the first wet season biomass sampling and UAV hyperspectral imaging at the properties. This data will be used to develop new repeatable and spatially explicit measures of pasture growth, quality and yield.
We will also:
- engage with the properties throughout the life of the project to undertake the assessment
- provide field support for wet and dry season pasture sampling at the properties
- undertake a whole-property analysis to assess the value of the FORAGE budget tool to inform critical management decisions.
Property managers will review FORAGE budget information and detail their management options. We will then assess the outcomes of these management decisions (e.g. pasture, land, herd and financial outcomes).
More information
- Learn more about FORAGE reports
- Watch videos about FORAGE
Get involved
For more information, contact us online, by phone or in-person.
Last updated: 23 Apr 2025