Charles Sturt University researchers have received $2 million to develop strategies for sheep producers to combat climate change
A $2.2 million grant has been awarded to a Charles Sturt University-led research team to enhance the production, profit and resilience of sheep-based agriculture.
Senior researcher Susan Robertson will lead the project with the Charles Sturt Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, aiming to make sheep meat and wool production systems more resilient against the impacts of climate change.
“This is already having an impact on the sheep industry, all while reducing methane emissions, avoiding soil erosion and degradation of pastures,” Robertson says.
“The project will assist in meeting goals for environmental sustainability while improving sheep production and profitability, so it will be a win-win for the industry and the environment.”
Novel feed supplements will be tested, which Robertson says are known to help animals cope with heat stress, improve production and reduce the intensity of methane emissions.
“Heat stress already reduces the number of lambs weaned per ewe and will become a larger issue as the number of hot days increase, so strategies to minimise heat stress are expected to have large benefits,” she says.
In addition to climate impacts, the project will investigate strategies to improve performance of confinement feeding.
“Confinement feeding is a key method to protect soils and pastures from over-grazing, but lambing in confinement is a practice most producers avoid,” Robertson says.
“We need to work out what might work for Australian producers, because droughts are inevitable.”
Supported by the Australian government and funded over the next three and a half years, Robertson says the project will see industry and research collaborate to achieve the best outcomes.
“The Charles Sturt research team has partnered with Green Blue Health and Four Seasons Company who will provide novel feed supplements, and also JM Livestock and MerinoLink to engage sheep producers,” she says.
“This co-design will help combine the project findings and information to then assist farmers’ decisions on profitable, sustainable practices.
“This assistance will be delivered through extension events facilitated by MerinoLink across six locations through NSW and Victoria, as well as through online national events.”