AWI funds regenerative farming project
Australian Wool Innovation, the non-profit organisation that carries out research and marketing activity on behalf of the Australian wool industry, is helping to fund a project to help farmers in areas affected by drought.
The aim of the initiative, called the Dryland Legume Pasture Project (DLPS), is to increase the feed supply on mixed farms with acidic and alkaline soils in medium-to-low rainfall zones in different parts of Australia. It is funded by AWI, Australia’s department of agriculture water and Environment and Meat and Livestock Australia.
Working with universities across the country, DLPS will investigate methods of growing hard-seeded annual legumes in dry areas to improve feed supply for sheep.
So far, hard-seeded annual pasture legumes have proved to be “significantly more productive” than traditional plants. “They allow woolgrowers to more reliably produce high-quality feed for a longer period of time throughout the growing season and under variable climatic conditions to reduce feed gaps,” AWI said.
