At Southern Dirt, we are proud to be a key partner in the MLA Dual Purpose Crops project. This initiative is designed to explore and enhance the use of crops that serve both as a source of forage for livestock and as a grain harvest. Our involvement focuses on providing local expertise, facilitating on-ground trials, and supporting our growers with the latest research and practical insights.

From 2020 to 2023, we collaborated with mixed farming enterprises across Great Southern Western Australia. Our producers ranged from ewe flocks managing 2,000 heads to sprawling fields nurturing 7,000 sheep – even grazing cattle found a place within our study.

Key Findings:

• Kojonup (2020):ÂWilliams oats resulted in notable lamb growth rates of 342 g/head/day compared to 216 g/head/day on traditional pastures.
  
• Qualeup (2022): Early grazing of Accroc winter wheat showed a minimal 0.40% yield reduction, highlighting the benefits of early sowing and strategic management.
• Katanning (2021) & Qualeup (2022): Challenges with late-season grazing were noted, with barley yield reductions of 11.77% and 23.8%, respectively. Despite these reductions, late grazing at Katanning positively impacted ewe hoggets’ growth.

The trial demonstrated that dual-purpose crops can effectively bridge the autumn feed gap by providing high-energy green feed from June to August, ultimately dependent on seasonal growing conditions. This project has shown that with strategic management, dual-purpose crops can offer both high-quality feed and competitive cash crop returns, benefiting our local producers significantly.