Multispecies pastures, biostimulants and increased biodiversity
Goulburn Mulwaree Landcare celebrating biodiversity in the paddock
The issue
Craig Hunt from GMLL is a local farmer in the Parkesbourne district who set about to address symptoms in farming pastures related to lack of productivity, low plant and soil biology diversity, overgrazing and invasive weed species. A paddock was selected for a fertiliser trial which was initially sown down to Phalaris, then sprayed out to sow a lucerne crop which failed to produce. The paddock had been ploughed many times and its soil biology severely damaged by the overuse of a selective herbicide.
The solution
The project comprised of 11 plots covering an area of 2 ha and included 2 control plots that had no chemical fertilisers and no biostimulants. The other plots had a range of fertiliser application with DAP, single super, Nutrisoil and Biostimulants. The Multi Species that were sown were: Blackbutt oats, chicory, field peas, brassica 2kg, radish, plantain, white turnip, lupins, fescue, Phalaris, white and red clover and three different types of sub clover. High density, short duration grazing with long periods of rest have also been used as a management strategy to encourage healthy biodiverse pastures with great success
The impact
In the plots without the synthetic fertiliser, higher sugar levels were found in the leaf and more biology found in the soil. From these observation it appeared that the synthetic fetiliser was restricting soil biology. Craig has now replicated his multispecies plantings over about 12 ha and on a neighbouring Landcare property The paddocks are very productive with good ground cover and improved soil health. Soil test results show increasing organic carbon and mildly increasing phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S)
Learnings
Farmers don’t have to spend a fortune on regenerative agriculture. Setting aside one paddock and trialing less chemical application, less synthetic fertilisers, adding worm juice and folic sprays, and sowing multi-species pastures. We recommend starting small and building up from there once results are seen. A good seed bed is important and trials sowing into either a tilled, sprayed out, or crashed grazing as a trial could further help our learnings. Worm juice and TM folic plus spray has been a key stimulator of soil microbiology.
Key facts
- Beneficial outcomes from multi-species pastures, high density, short duration grazing, worm Juice and biostimulants
- Less production & less soil biodiversity from set stocking, chemical use and synthetic fertilisers