Australian Superfine Wool Growers' Association Inc.
Meetings & Events
|
Office Bearers 2009/10 |
|
| President | Ian Humphry |
| Secretary/Treasurer | Margaret Humphry |
| Delegates |
Ian Humphry |
| Reserve Delegates |
Sue Housego |
NOVEMBER 2009
A very mild winter with enough rain for growth
set us up for a good season but an extended period during late August September
of no rain almost caused the wheels to fall off. Some oat crops were too
advanced to benefit from good early October rain. Later sewn cereal however did
benefit and is now showing it in the yield.
After a number of dry springs where basically
the only grass to set seed has been barley grass local farmers are having real
issues with seed contamination of wool, meat and eyes. Late merino lambs have
been particularly badly affected.
Most of our area has had 3 or 4 inches of storm
rain through November. Farmers with native pasture have benefitted but dry
winter growing annual grass feed has been spoilt with the rain.
We have begun experimenting with pasture
cropping techniques under the guidance of Colin Seis and Dr Christine Jones.
Colin Seis has been using the technique for
about 10 years along with long rotation grazing and has seen enormous increased
plant densities. The most important benefit is the increase in soil carbon
levels brought about by the utilization of C4 Native grasses. They have a
different photo-synthetic pathway to C3 natives and they deposit carbon between
300 and 600mm below the surface in a stable humus form and will enormously
increase the water holding capacity of the soil. Other forms of carbon capture
near the surface are not as stable or long term as the C4 natives.
This is a very interesting and challenging
concept and has been applied from high rainfall zones to the arid zones at the
back of Cobar with astounding results.
I believe the answer to tender wool may lie in
the application of these principles in the broader picture.
