New moisture probes help pasture decisions

New soil moisture probes – like those used to measure sub-soil moisture in dryland cropping areas for the past seven years – are now up and running and delivering important moisture and soil temperature data to Victoria’s pasture growing districts.

A total of 18 new pasture probes, in a range of soil types and rainfall zones, have been added to the ‘Risk management through soil moisture monitoring’ project which began in 2011.

Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist Dale Boyd, who has led the project since its inception, has teamed up with Meat and Wool Services’ Jane Court to expand the range of data in the monthly Soil Moisture Monitoring (SMM) report.

The first update from the SMM pasture probes is now published, providing information on water infiltration after rains, as well as showing how plants are using water as they grow dry matter across a range of districts.

Ms Court said the information would help

Market report for 28th and 29th November Wednesday Fat Sale 297 head. Thursday Bull and Cow Sale, 56 bulls, 497 cows and 24 steers.

297 head this Wednesday for the fat sale, which was 14 less than last week. The top vealer making 311.6 cents per kg, down 4 cents on last week. There were 197 vealers, 10 less which averaged 250.5, up 7 cents in a sale. There were 22 heifers offered, 27 less with the top 285 up 15 cents. There were 75 steers offered, 20 more than last week to top at 280, down 10 cents. The yard average was 246.2 which was up 10 cents on last week. With the return of a meat company keen to buy bigger steers and heifers which made a good sale on these cattle with 75 steers averaging 248.9.

The bull sale on Thursday had 56 bulls, 12 more than last week and sold to top of 242.6 cents per kg. With demand still a very strong on bulls, the bull average was 211.1 cents, up 3 cents with still lot of lighter dairy bulls on offer.

Beef cows sold to good demand for the better cows, saw the top cow make 248.2 cents, up 13 cents. 24 steers were yarded to sell to 247.2. The good run of dairy cows sold with good demand with the tail end lighter in condition.

The cow average was 174 cents, up 2 cents. The yard average was 179.9, down 8 cents. The average per head of 578 cattle yarded was $968.80.

Vealers 1 Lim 2 Lim 1 Lim 1 Lim 1 Char 1 Lim Steers 1 Ang 1 Cley 2 M/G 1 Ang 4 Sim 6 Hfd Heifers 1 Lim J McDougal, Vesper 1 Hfd R&L Miller, Buln Buln East Export Cows & Heifers 1 Ang Latrobe Park, Morwell 1 Ang R Kimber, Buln Buln 1 Lim J McDougal, Vesper 1 Lim M&D Reynolds, Churchill 1 Hfd D&S Armour, Warragul 1 R/B A&H Rhodes, Darnum Dairy Cows 2 Frn C&L Vaughan, Yarragon 1 Frn R&R Peacock, Modella 1 Frn JHC Farm 23, L/touche 4 Frn Minaroo, Heyfield 6 Frn I&L Cocksedge, Trafalgar 1 Frn DJ Armstrong, G/borough 1 Frn G&R Atherton, Drouin Steers

5 Frn Bulls 1 R/A I Murray, Drouin 835 236.2 1972 1 Ang WA Missen, Gormandale 980 234.6 2299 1 M/G SA Kent, Lang Lang 720 231.2 1664 2 Jsy Bonnie View, Drouin 662 219.2 1449 3 Frn Upston Farms, Drouin 745 214.6 1598 VLE Warragul last sale is combined Wednesday Sale 19th December. First sale in new year calf sale Monday 7th January, then fat sale Wednesday 9th January.

1. NGL, 2. Elders,

KD Melzer, Hazelwood Nth 400 K&K Vistarini, Modella 367 W Guy, Tynong 460 R&K Fleming, Willung 320 MCB Nominees, Yarragon 410 J Dickinson, Iona 360

G&C Rathjen, Cloverlea A Battista, Moe M Sewell, Rokeby GT&DM Price, Neerim Sth P&R Marx, Trafalgar Sth M Sewell, Rokeby Borsarto Ent, Yarragon

470 550 483 610 498 576

435 525

565 585 625 790 835 630

722 705 560 490 740 635 725

532

311.6 310.0 304.6 302.6 300.0 300.0

280.0 278.0 278.0 276.6 275.0 271.2

285.0 242.0

247.2 240.0 230.2 213.2 205.0 202.2

190.2 190.2 190.0 190.0 188.2 186.0 182.0

204.6

1246 1137 1401 968 1230 1080

1316 1529 1341 1687 1368 1566

1239 1270

1396 1404 1438 1684 1711 1273

1373 1340 1064 931 1392 1181 1319

1088 3. SEJ, 4. Scotts, 5. Landmark. We have a Facebook page. Like and follow us on VLE Warragul. producers make decisions about options to boost pasture production such as urea or gibberellic acid application, or even to make early decisions about stock management or hay/silage making.

Soil moisture probes are now installed in perennial pastures in West Gippsland at Longwarry; East Gippsland at Yarram and Bairnsdale and in the state’s North-East at Greta.

There are also two sites in central Victoria at Baynton near Kyneton, South-West at Jancourt, Dartmoor, and Pigeon Ponds and Lawloit in the Wimmera.

An existing cropping site in Gippsland at Giffard West has had an additional sensor added to the telemetry system that is monitoring pasture soil moisture and comparing that with the crop in the next paddock.

“When the cropping network was set up seven years ago as a pilot we realised that the information was useful to farmers and serviced a knowledge gap,” Mr Boyd said.

“Data could be used for a range of decisions, for example what crop type to grow, but predominately, the information has assisted with yield estimations,” he said.

“We can track what the moisture accumulation is like over winter periods and see how the spring set-up is looking and what inputs you might apply to that crop to meet its potential yield”.

“Early results from the pasture probes show us that this will also be the case for those growing pasture and estimating spring growth and possibilities of growth extending into early summer.”

For more information about the new pasture probes and to subscribe to the monthly report go to the Agriculture Victoria website here http://go.vic.gov.au/MYdUD0