Education for landholders facing pasture dieback, tight winter conditions

LOCAL Land Services (LLS) is hosting workshops in Paterson and Gresford to support producers to adapt to current conditions and issues.

The first session, to be held on-farm in Paterson on Wednesday 6 May from 9–11am, explores pasture dieback.

Pasture dieback is a condition causing premature death of high yielding tropical and sub-tropical grasses.

It is now present in the Hunter region with new infections identified in an increasing geographic area.

Workshop attendees will hear from Dr Suzanne Boschma and Sarah Baker (NSW DPI) on the latest pasture dieback research and how the condition is being managed in other areas.

According to LLS, attendees can expect “a clear understanding of what pasture dieback looks like in the Lower Hunter, and practical ideas on simple management options you can start using now”.

A second workshop, to be held at the Gresford School of Arts Hall on Thursday 14 May from 9:30am to 1pm, will focus on managing livestock through a tight winter, with expert local insights to help landholders make confident, informed decisions.

Presenting the workshop will be LLS Livestock Officer Teresa Hogan, District Veterinarian, and Sustainable Agriculture Officer Sam Harwood.

Topics include:

• outlook of current season
• assessing paddock feed to understand how long stock can be grazed
• determining what supplements to use and how much to feed, based on production goals and pasture quality

current animal health issues affecting the region

• a local market outlook, supporting decisions around buy, sell, or hold.

“This is a valuable opportunity to hear from local specialists, ask questions, and take away practical tools you can apply immediately on-farm,” LLS said in a statement.

For details of LLS events, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/local-land-services/events.