Dairy Up project 1a: Unlocking the potential of kikuyu based pastures

Kikuyu grass is a high yielding C4 species capable of producing well over 20 t of dry matter/ha. per annum. Yet the actual average pasture utilisation on commercial farms in Australia is estimated at only a third or less of that amount. Remote sensing and advanced data analytics for pasture monitoring provides a novel opportunity to exploit the potential of Kikuyu-based pastures for the Australian dairy industry. This project will explore how spatial and temporal variations of pasture cover can be captured through satellite-derived data and combined with other information to assist tactical (daily-weekly) grazing and feeding decision-making on farm, resulting in improved pasture utilisation (grass into milk). The project will involve a combination of research methods including real-time data acquisition from commercial farms, experimental controlled research, and dynamic simulation modelling to develop new methods for maximising growth and quality of Kikuyu-based pastures.