B.Ag.Sci. Honours (2017)
Feeding value of dryland lupin/cocksfoot pasture compared to lucerne pasture for sheep (PDF 2.4MB)
Research Overview
Celia quantified the live weight gain and feed intake of sheep grazing on a dryland lupin-cocksfoot-sub clover pasture compared to lucerne. She focused on addressing the lack of published knowledge on the feeding value of lupin as a pasture component of a pasture mix within a rotational grazing system and its contribution to the feeding value of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata)-based pasture mixtures in dryland environments. Celia’s research showed Sheep grazing cocksfoot/lupin pasture gained 60% as much liveweight per hectare as sheep grazing lucerne pasture over the over the year. Herbage intake was 1.496 kg DM/sheep/day on lucerne pasture, higher than the 0.986 kg DM/sheep/day gained by sheep on cocksfoot/lupin pasture. However, the feeding value of cocksfoot/lupin pasture was adequate for liveweight gain in young sheep. In the high country environment where the rooting depth of lucerne is restricted by high Al content in soils, limiting lucerne growth, cocksfoot/lupin pasture can be used as an alternative forage crop. Celia was supervised by Dr Alistair Black.