productivity through fine tuning of key management strategies. Contents: The day was attended by 73 people, which included 27 producers representing 23 properties with a combined total of around Questions and opportunities at the Kidman Springs Field Day 1 285,000 head. Potassium nitrate for mango One of the key messages was the significant opportunity to lift flowering manipulation 5 herd productivity and profitability in the northern beef industry. What impact has grazing had on Steve Petty, director of Northern Development Company, said that soil carbon? 6 the recently published Northern Beef Situation Analysis Remote sensing in water highlighted some big opportunities. Generally it is accepted that management 7 producers are running pretty tight businesses in terms of Important cattle diseases affecting expenditure, so there to cut costs, but Dr Petty isn’t much room productivity in the NT: Vibriosis 9 pointed out there was significant opportunity to improve cost of production through improving herd productivity. He used the Notifiable diseases of livestock 10 example of Heytesbury Beef during the 1990s, who moved Chasing outstanding waybills 11 weaning rates from around 50% to 80% over ten years. This was Second round of Farm Finance largely due to fine tuning of herd management strategies and Concessional Loans Scheme 11 strategic development of under-utilised, higher productivity land. Bushfires NT Update 12 Getting the stocking rate right, weaning twice a year down to kg, strategic supplementation, culling for fertility and age, Awards and scholarships available 12 focussed heifer management, and low stress mustering were some of the strategies leading to improved productivity. Dr Petty Round the region 13 also advised considering increasing carrying capacity through Pastoral market update 14 water point development of under-utilised pastures, but counselled Events calendar 16 producers to look at a range of options and compare the returns for each. Questions and opportunities at the Kidman Springs Field Day Trisha Cowley, Beef Extension Officer, Katherine Are you asking the right questions about your business? Are you collecting the right data to ask the right questions? These were some of the questions asked at Kidman Springs Field day on the 13th of August. Despite the issues that challenge the NT pastoral industry, there was an overwhelming message that considerable gains can be made in
Contents: Questions and opportunities at the Kidman Springs Field Day 1 Potassium nitrate for mango flowering manipulation 5 What impact has grazing had on soil carbon? 6 Remote sensing in water management 7 Important cattle diseases affecting productivity in the NT: Vibriosis 9 Notifiable diseases of livestock 10 Chasing outstanding waybills 11 Second round of Farm Finance Concessional Loans Scheme 11 Bushfires NT Update 12 Awards and scholarships available 12 Round the region 13 Pastoral market update 14 Events calendar 16 Questions and opportunities at the Kidman Springs Field Day Trisha Cowley, Beef Extension Officer, Katherine Are you asking the right questions about your business? Are you collecting the right data to ask the right questions? These were some of the questions asked at Kidman Springs Field day on the 13th of August. Despite the issues that challenge the NT pastoral industry, there was an overwhelming message that considerable gains can be made in productivity through fine tuning of key management strategies. The day was attended by 73 people, which included 27 producers representing 23 properties with a combined total of around 285,000 head. One of the key messages was the significant opportunity to lift herd productivity and profitability in the northern beef industry. Steve Petty, director of Northern Development Company, said that the recently published Northern Beef Situation Analysis highlighted some big opportunities. Generally it is accepted that producers are running pretty tight businesses in terms of expenditure, so there isn’t much room to cut costs, but Dr Petty pointed out there was significant opportunity to improve cost of production through improving herd productivity. He used the example of Heytesbury Beef during the 1990s, who moved weaning rates from around 50% to 80% over ten years. This was largely due to fine tuning of herd management strategies and strategic development of under-utilised, higher productivity land. Getting the stocking rate right, weaning twice a year down to kg, strategic supplementation, culling for fertility and age, focussed heifer management, and low stress mustering were some of the strategies leading to improved productivity. Dr Petty also advised considering increasing carrying capacity through water point development of under-utilised pastures, but counselled producers to look at a range of options and compare the returns for each.