PASTURE DEVELOPMENT IN QUEENSLAND - A SUCCESS STORY

Of a total of 172.8 million (m) ha in Queensland, an easily attainable sown pasture potential of 22.1 m ha is identified. The current development of 42.5% of this potential to sown (4.4 m ha) and naturalized pasture (5.0 m ha) reflects the success of plant introduction. Major plants to contribute to this development are the grasses Chloris gayana, Cenchrus ciliaris, C. pennisetiformis, Panicum spp., Sorghum spp., Setaria sphacelata, S. incrassata, Brachiaria decumbens and Bothriochloa pertusa and the legumes Stylosanthes hamata, S. scabra, S. guianensis, Aeschynomene americana, Cassia rotundifolia, Medicago spp. and Trifolium spp. Previously widely used legumes such as S. humilis, Macroptilium atropurpureum and Desmodium spp. are now less important, due to either disease or high management requirements. About 70% of sown pastures are presently planted only to grasses, particularly on the more fertile brigalow soils. This is foreshadowed to change, with a greater use of grass-legume mixtures to improve the productivity of less fertile soils and to help restore run-down grass pastures. The need to restore soil fertility in cultivated lands will also increase the use of legume and grass-legume ley pastures. These changes will be helped by the recent development of better adapted legumes. Overall, production losses caused by the reducted area of grazing lands due to urban and rural development, as well as decline in native pasture condition and land degradation, have been more than offset by production gains achieved through new pasture plants, resource development and improved animal husbandry. The increase in livestock equivalents to the present 11 m level, plus a reduced age of cattle turnoff, reflect a much increased level of production from the pasture resource. Although there has been considerable progress in sown pasture research and development, there is still much to do. The greatest challenge for our future is to identify sound management practices which will ensure maintenance of the pasture resource. 43% of this resource is affected by either soil or species degradation. More resources and effort need to be allocated to these areas if improvement is to be achieved before irreversible degradation is widespread.