Ms Alison Frischke1
1Birchip Cropping Group, Birchip, Australia
Biography:
Alison has 27 years of mixed farming research and extension experience, her time spanning across Eyre Peninsula with SARDI, before joining BCG in 2010, based in Bendigo. Working closely with producers, her research and extension activities focus on a broad range of plant and soil health, pasture, fodder and livestock production issues. Alison oversees field trials in north-west Victoria for the National Hay Agronomy project, as part of the AgriFutures Export Fodder Program.
Abstract:
The National Hay Agronomy (NHA) project was a large-scale national investment by AgriFutures Australia in export fodder agronomy. This paper highlights one component of the project: applied nitrogen and its impact on yield and quality in Victoria. Optimising nitrogen (N) rates for oaten hay production found that N drives more biomass, and taller and greener plants than without applied N. Peak hay yield was achieved with 90 kg N/ha when averaged across varieties and locations, but the target N was lower when below-average rainfall was received during critical periods of the season. Varieties responded similarly to increasing N for hay quality traits. Nitrogen was not a major driver of hay quality defects (thick stem diameter, high acid detergent fibre (ADF), high neutral detergent fibre (NDF) or high lignin), except that it increased crude protein and decreased water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC). Applying more than 90 kg N/ha increased the risk of not meeting the industry's low WSC limit for premium hay set at 22%. The key N management advantage between varieties, is that more N can be applied to varieties with higher genetic levels of WSC before they drop a grade, potentially increasing hay yield while maintaining the same quality grade for customers seeking higher WSC.