Effective pasture management is one of the most important aspects of successful dairy production, yet many dairy farmers are not using pasture measurement equipment.
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Alison Hall, PhD candidate at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, is exploring the link between technology usage, extension activities and on-farm pasture management practices.
Miss Hall developed an interest in Tasmania’s dairy industry after studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours at the University of Tasmania and working as Dairy Extension Officer with TIA for four years.
Her study, ‘Technology in Tasmanian dairy farming – exploring and optimising its role and uptake for improved pasture management’, will help to inform future extension activities for the dairy industry.
“As part of the project I’m exploring why and how Tasmanian dairy farmers make decisions around pasture management, and what factors drive farmers’ engagement with extension activities,” Miss Hall said.
“Levels of on-farm pasture consumption remain below what is possible to achieve, indicating there is potential to further increase pasture utilisation through farmers refining their pasture management knowledge and skills through measuring and monitoring of pasture.”
Miss Hall surveyed Tasmanian dairy farmers on the extent of tools and technology used for measuring pasture, including a rising plate meter or CDAX bike reader.
The survey also asked farmers about their involvement with extension activities to determine the drivers behind current on-farm practices.
“The survey found that three out of five dairy farmers in Tasmania own a pasture measurement tool, but only two out of five currently use them,” Miss Hall said.
“It also found that farmer engagement with extension in Tasmania has been high, with 86 per cent of farmers having attended general extension activities, and 76 per cent having attended an activity specifically focused on pasture management.”
After attending a pasture-specific extension activity, 38 per cent of farmers changed their management, with 35 per cent purchasing a pasture measurement tool, but only 7 per cent used that tool to measure pasture.
A key focus in Tasmanian dairy industry research has been on increasing awareness, knowledge and use of best practice pasture management principles and practices to optimise pasture management and production on farms.
Miss Hall’s PhD is part of the Dairy on PAR project, funded by Dairy Australia and the University of Tasmania, with additional funding through the AW Howard Memorial Trust.