An MLA Participatory R&D Project
PPS were one of the seven Victorian groups successful in applying to be part of the MLA participatory research project. PPS is one of two groups participating in the pasture persistence project. The other group is in the south west of Victoria and will be concentrating on ryegrass, and the PPS project is studying phalaris persistence. It is an opportunity to get a deeper insight into the longevity of phalaris based pastures.
The Victorian projects are being coordinated by Lisa Miller from Southern Farming Systems and Dr Kevin Smith, Professor in Pasture Agronomy at Melbourne University, has been appointed as the research scientist to work with PPS in the research design and analysis. PPS members have a large resource of long term phalaris pastures and PPS is investigating the common factors in successful persistent pastures, as well as the management and environmental issues that may have contributed in less successful phalaris stands .Forty paddocks have been included in the project. The project will look at the economics of phalaris persistence and will utilise the PPS trial work in the pasture comparisons at Jallukar, Elmhurst and Mooneys Gap as well as the new Greenfields site.
PPS is combining with DEDJTR to conduct fertiliser exclusion trials at two of the phalaris sites.