Management solutions for pasture dieback: Outcomes of field research

Abstract

Pasture dieback causes premature death of productive tropical and subtropical grass-pastures. Due to the productivity impact and the substantial knowledge gap of effective solutions, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries initiated scientific field-trial research in 2018 to investigate practices to restore pasture productivity. In management practice trials at Brian Pastures Research Facility, the original pasture species affected by dieback has regenerated naturally regardless of treatment imposed. The same species performed well in another trial at the same location when resown into a fully cultivated seedbed where the original pasture had succumbed to dieback. While pasture regeneration has occurred at this site, this has not been a consistent outcome in all pasture dieback situations and so should not be considered a reliable management strategy. Annual forages and perennial legumes appear to be unaffected by pasture dieback and can provide valuable feed for the short and long term where grasses have been affected.