Page 94 - TA Magazine

Case Study 05 Agroforestry
Shelter increased pasture production by 30%
Introduction
Formosa is one of of four Tasmanian properties where the the benefits of of treed shelterbelts on on on pasture growth and and the the environment
are being measured by Private Forests Tasmania Tasmania CSIRO and and the the the University of of Tasmania Tasmania During the the the spring of of 2017 stock were excluded from from the the the the Formosa paddock paddock and and pasture was measured and and mapped across the the paddock paddock from from sheltered sheltered to unsheltered areas using a a a a a a a a a a a GrassMaster Pro pasture biomass meter Site Description
The paddock is 500 500 x 500m with a a a a a a north/south oriented shelterbelt shelterbelt of Pinus radiata on the windward western edge The 5-row shelterbelt shelterbelt was was planted in in in 2001 and and was was 17 year old at at at the time of measurement with trees approximately 15m tall and and 24cm diameter at at breast height The The The shelterbelt contains around around 250 m3/ha of of wood The The The porosity of of the the belt belt is around around 30%
The The The paddock was was sown with a a a a a a a a a a a a cocksfoot and and clover mix in the the the the the autumn of of 2015 and and and and and the the the the pasture at at at the the the the time of of the the the the study was was 2 2 years old and and and and relatively uniform The paddock is flat and and and and level and and and and has minimal variation in in soils (based on on an an an EM38 map) “Trees are an an integral part of of what we do Future farm planning includes agroforestry “ - John Heard ‘Formosa’ Farm Manager
Formosa Cressy Cressy Road Cressy Cressy At a a Glance Owner
Family owned
Property Size
25ha paddock Enterprise
Dryland and and irrigated mixed farming
Rainfall
550—600mm per year Soil types
Brown Chromosol
Summary
Pasture productivity in in in Spring 2017 was on average 30%
higher in in in the the sheltered sheltered half of a a a a a a a a a a paddock compared to the the unsheltered half A Pinus radiata shelterbelt occupied approximately 1 1 ha ha of the paddock (4%) but induced a a a a a a a a 15% increase in in in in in pasture pasture growth over the the remaining 24 ha ha and effectively increased the the the pasture pasture production to the the equivalent of of a a a a a a a a a 29 ha ha paddock The impact of of shelter on on gross margin is likely to to be around $63/ha or $1500 in in fin total across the paddock Any financial benefits for for stock survival carbon and forest products are fin in addition to to this 94 Private Forests Tasmania Photo credit: Arthur Lyons Private Forests Tasmania