The trial site near Evandale in Tasmania's north is run by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (University of Tasmania).
Trials at Evandale compare grazing sheep using three treatments:
set stocking
high-density medium spelling
high-density long spelling
Measurements
Soils:
methane and carbon dioxide (ppm, 60 cm)
temperature (℃,60 cm)
relative humidity (%, 60 cm)
bulk density (g/cm^3^, 0-15 cm, 15-30cm, 30-60 cm)
pH (0-15 cm, 15-30cm, 30-60 cm)
carbon content (%, 0-15 cm, 15-30cm, 30-60 cm)
nitrate and ammonium (mg/kg, 0-15 cm, 15-30cm, 30-60 cm )
Farm systems
Livestock liveweight (kg)
Feed quality (DMD, energetic value, crude protein) before grazing
Biomass production (by drone imagery and field sampling)
Biomass quality (field sampling sent for analysis)
Daily weather data (accessed via weather station ~ 10 km away)
Rainfall
Temperature
Solar radiation
Evapotranspiration
Quantify field agronomic and environmental (greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration) implications of cell grazing,
Provide field data to calibrate and validate models to explore the agronomic, economic and environmental implications of cell grazing on drought resilience under future climates
Prof Matthew Harrison
Project Lead & TIA Lead for Climate Science
Dr Ke Liu
Agricultural Systems Modeller
Dr Ranju Chapagain
Agricultural Systems Modeller
Dr Karen Christie-Whitehead
Agricultural Systems Modeller
Prof Caroline Mohammed
Agricultural Systems Centre Leader
