Southern Dirt, in collaboration with Meat Livestock Australia, Stirlings to Coast Farmers, and the Farm Optimisation Group, is excited to announce a groundbreaking project aimed at revolutionizing out-of-season feed management in Western Australia’s Great Southern region.

This initiative focuses on the economic utilisation of salt land pasture and standing fodder crops to address the challenging seasonal feed gaps faced by producers. By leveraging these resources, we aim to provide sustainable and profitable solutions for feed management.

At the heart of this project is the Farm Optimiser Platform, an advanced economic decision-support tool developed by the Farm Optimisation Group. This platform empowers producers with critical insights into managing their fodder sources, addressing key aspects such as:

• Fodder Establishment
• Grazing Timing and Duration
• Stock Class and Supplementation
• Economic Impacts

By answering these vital questions, the platform aims to enhance farm profitability and resilience.

 

The first year of the Towards Optimal Out-of-Season Feed Supply project has given producers a sharper understanding of how standing fodder systems can carry livestock further through the summer–autumn feed gap. Two contrasting demonstration sites formed the backbone of the work: Roger House’s site, where standing lupin fodder and retained oaten residue from the previous year’s harvest were grazed, and Bindi Murray’s site, where established old man saltbush was used to test shrub-based feeding at a time of year when quality feed is low and stock begin lambing.

Roger House site:

The aim at Rogers site was to look at how these two fodder sources function together in a real-world paddock system. The standing lupin fodder provided high-protein grazing as expected, while the retained oaten fodder (carried over from the previous harvest) offered roughage and maintained grazing bulk. This combination gave stock a more balanced feed source than lupins alone and extended the useful grazing period well into early summer, reducing the immediate need for supplementary feed.

Bindi Murray Site:

Bindi’s site demonstratedthe value of established saltbush paddocks as a lambing resource. The shrubs provided shelter, consistent nutrition, and natural vitamin E at a time of year when pasture quality is typicallylowand ewe condition is critical. Ewes grazed on the Saltbush throughout the lambing period, reflecting the nutritional support saltbush can provide when managed to suit the season and stock class. The site reinforced that long-term saltbush plantings can play a practical and reliable role in a mixed farming system well beyond simply filling a feed gap.Fodder shrubs also provideenvironmental benefits: increased groundcover, better soil protection, and reduced erosion risk compared with open stubble paddocks.

Workshops:

Workshops were held with local producers where our host farmers provided valuable insights about the project and how their stock performed. Using the Farm Optimiser Platform, producers tested different grazing sequences, stocking options, and feed budgets inside the app using both their own figures and project data. It gave a clear sense of how integrating saltbush or standing fodder changes the whole-farm feed supply picture under increasingly variable seasons.

As the project moves into the second year of monitoring (2025/2026 summer period), we will build on the previous year’s learnings on Saltbush and lupin fodder as well as how lambs perform on lucerne pasture. This season will focus on tracking utilisation, grazing duration, and animal performance as summer conditions tighten again.

Producers will continue to be involved through paddock visits and workshops, helping shape what a practical and resilient out-of-season feed strategy looks like for the Great Southern’s changing climate. If producers wish to attend the upcoming workshop please get in touch with Southern Dirt.

The second year of the project is well underway, with two host sites actively grazing and generating data that builds on what was learned in Year 1.

Standing Lupin Fodder Site, Muradup

37 ha of lupin fodder was established this season at a cost of $281/ha. Weaner lambs were transitioned onto the crop in late December following a short training period on supplementary lupins. Feed quality testing showed the lupin fodder carried a crude protein of 15.7% and an estimated ME of 7.7 MJ/kg DM. Stock grazed the fodder through January with most maintaining condition, though feed was fully utilised by late January and lambs were moved to oaten fodder to continue the grazing program.

Established Lucerne Site, Jingalup

The lucerne pasture at this site is in its second year and performing well. In Year 1, a direct comparison between weaner lambs on lucerne and vetch showed a clear difference in performance: lambs on lucerne gained an average of 205 g/hd/day over 34 days, compared to 62 g/hd/day for lambs on vetch over a similar period. Feed testing returned a crude protein of 18.9% and ME of 8.2 MJ/kg DM, reflecting the quality of a well-established lucerne stand. Weaner lambs are again on the lucerne this season and performance is being tracked. A chicory and lucerne paddock seeded in 2025 has also been successfully established and grazed throughout the year, offering further insight into perennial pasture options for mixed farming systems.

Saltbush and Saline Tolerant Pasture Site, Darkan

A new host site has been added to the project for Year 2. This property features extensive rehabilitated saline pastures and established saltbush that have been productively grazed for a number of years. This season the focus will be on grazing weaner lambs through these pastures, with particular interest in the role saltbush can play as a natural source of vitamin E, potentially reducing or replacing supplementation requirements. The site will be a feature of an upcoming field day and July 2026 workshop, with results to follow.

What’s Next

A workshop is scheduled for 22 July 2026 where producers will review the season’s results and work through the Farm Optimiser Platform to identify the costs and benefits of various out-of-season feed sources within their own farm systems. A field day will also be hosted to visit established fodder sites in the area. If you would like to attend either event, get in touch with Southern Dirt.