This update is part of the Gippsland Soil Moisture Probe Producer Demonstration Site (PDS), running across central and east Gippsland, funded by MLA, East Gippsland Shire and Agriculture Victoria. It aims to help farmers interpret the data provided by their local soil moisture probes to inform seasonal decisions.
For more information, please contact James Paulet on 0447 695 839 or james.paulet@agriculture.vic.gov.au
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Key Messages:
Winter rainfall has been below average for the three months to the end of August across the Gippsland region (averaging 55 mm for sites in this project). As a result, soil moisture has continued to decline over August and is lower across most sites (averaging 52%) compared to September 2022 (average 92%). Soil temperatures are rising at most sites and are higher (averaging 10.3oC) than the same time last year (average 9.2oC).
It is important to note that some soil probes were installed at different depths, by different organisations. We would expect sites with deeper soil probes to respond more slowly to a drying environment as they do not record the top soil moisture. Soil moisture averaged 34% for the 10-80 cm probes recorded on September 1, dropping from 39% recorded on August 1 and with the lowest record on September 1 at the Ensay Site at 8%. Soil moisture averaged 63% across the deeper 30-100 cm probes, down from 68% recorded on August 1.

Overall, there was considerable variation in soil moisture due to rainfall, soil type and farm enterprise (annuals versus perennials). It is important to know the soil moisture status across your farm during spring to help make informed decisions.

Table 1. July and August 2023 monthly rainfall, soil temperature and percentage of moisture within the soil profile (September 1 2023) with September 1 2022 comparison.

Please Note:
• *Soil temperature taken at 10cm
• #GRF is located at Gippsland Agricultural Group’s research farm next to the Bairnsdale Aerodrome
• Probes are under pasture unless stated. At this time of year, crops are likely to be drawing more moisture than under grazed pastures.
• Soil moisture is indicative of one source point measurement and should not be used alone when making management decisions rather incorporated with knowledge from all tools/information available.  Understanding the capacity of different soil types to store water, and the rate of water extraction by plants will help inform management decisions.

Timely tips to consider:
The following information is provided as a general guide. You should also consider seeking specific advice from your farm advisor.

• In regions with low soil moisture, consider how much supplementary feed you have on hand, plan stock numbers to take you through summer/ autumn and prioritise which classes could be sold early. Consider early weaning as an option.
• Pastures may appear green following recent rain events, however, pasture growth rates are likely to be slower than expected at this time of year given the soil moisture deficit. This factor needs to be taken into account when budgeting feed on hand and planning for any future pasture growth.
• The window for planting summer crops is quickly closing due to reductions in soil moisture, particularly in the top 10cm, where sowing and germination occurs.
• When thinking about fodder conservation, consider your current soil moisture and pasture availability and determine whether it is more cost effective to cut or graze and buy in feed.
• In areas where soil moisture is still adequate, urea application may increase pasture / fodder production.
• As temperatures rise, so will insect activity in your pastures. Moisture stress will make pastures mores susceptible to insect attack, so monitoring this is important. Talk to your local agronomist about treatment options.

SMP Demonstration Site Data: (September 1, 2023)

Pasture growth rate measurements recently commenced at the three demonstration sites; Gippsland Research Farm (GRF) near Bairnsdale, Omeo and Buchan. Pasture growth rates are influenced by pasture species, soil type and fertility, soil moisture, temperature and management. Knowing your pasture growth rates will assist with calculations of feed availability for the short and medium term. One of the aims of this project is to help understand typical pasture growth rates throughout the year and the influence that soil moisture and temperature (provided by soil probes) has on growth.
Current pasture growth rates at the sites are varied between 10 and 23 kg DM/ha/day, limited by dry conditions.
• The GRF had the lowest growth rate (10kg DM/ha/day). This site has the lowest pasture density and moderately low fertility.
• The Omeo site is at a higher elevation, has had several severe frosts, reducing soil temperature, and had the lowest August rainfall.
• The Buchan site has the highest growth rate (23 kg DM/ha/day), the highest fertility, and has had the most rainfall.
Strip trials were set up at the three demonstration sites in early August. The strip trials are now showing responses to the inputs, with the gibberellic acid and dissolved urea visually showing increased pasture growth compared to the control. We will provide results upon completion of the project.
For more information on pasture growth rates, visit:
https://www.feedinglivestock.vic.gov.au/pasture-resources/pasture-growth-rate-guide/

https://www.evergraze.com.au/library-content/regional-pasture-growth-rates/index.html

More information from the sites in table 1 can be found at:
http://gippslandag.com.au/research/weather-stations and  intelliweb.mait.com.au (use gagg for username and password)

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