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Farm level assessments of a novel drought tolerant forage: Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa C.H. Stirt var. albomarginata)

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Finlayson, John
  • Real, Daniel
  • Nordblom, Tom
  • Revell, Clinton
  • Ewing, Mike
  • Kingwell, Ross
Registered author(s):

    Abstract

    Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa C.H. Stirt var. albomarginata) is a drought tolerant perennial legume originating in the Canary Islands. This study evaluates the potential role and value of tedera in dryland mixed crop and sheep production systems in southern Australia. Regional variants of the bio-economic model MIDAS are used to assess tedera in farming systems at two locations. The analysis considers the quantity and quality of feed produced by tedera, the ability of other forages to complement or substitute for tedera and its impact on meat versus wool-producing sheep flocks. The results indicate that tedera offers the potential to increase farm profits by up to 26% and be grown on ∼28% of a low rainfall mixed enterprise farm. On a high rainfall mixed enterprise farm tedera may boost profit by up to 58% and be grown on ∼75% of the farm. The modelled increases in farm profit were large and relate to savings in supplementary feed and higher stocking rates. The results of our analysis suggest additional experimental and breeding work is required but the current state of knowledge is consistent with tedera becoming an important forage in southern Australian farming systems.

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    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X12000868
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    Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Agricultural Systems.

    Volume (Year): 112 (2012)
    Issue (Month): C ()
    Pages: 38-47

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    Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:112:y:2012:i:c:p:38-47
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2012.06.001
    Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy

    Keywords: Tedera; Drought tolerant forage; Mediterranean-type climate; Autumn feed gap; Bio-economic modeling; MIDAS;

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    1. Finlayson, John & Bathgate, Andrew & Nordblom, Tom & Theiveyanathan, Tivi & Farquharson, Bob & Crosbie, Russell & Mitchell, David & Hoque, Ziaul, 2010. "Balancing land use to manage river volume and salinity: Economic and hydrological consequences for the Little River catchment in Central West, New South Wales, Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(3), pages 161-170, March.
    2. Monjardino, Marta & Revell, Dean & Pannell, David J., 2010. "The potential contribution of forage shrubs to economic returns and environmental management in Australian dryland agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(4), pages 187-197, May.
    3. David J. Pannell, 1996. "Lessons from a Decade of Whole-Farm Modeling in Western Australia," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 18(3), pages 373-383.
    4. Morrison, David A. & Kingwell, Ross S. & Pannell, David J. & Ewing, Michael A., 1986. "A mathematical programming model of a crop-livestock farm system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 243-268.
    5. Bathgate, A. & Revell, C. & Kingwell, R., 2009. "Identifying the value of pasture improvement using wholefarm modelling," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 102(1-3), pages 48-57, October.
    6. Byrne, F. & Robertson, M.J. & Bathgate, A. & Hoque, Z., 2010. "Factors influencing potential scale of adoption of a perennial pasture in a mixed crop-livestock farming system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(7), pages 453-462, September.
    7. Finlayson, J.D. & Lawes, R.A. & Metcalf, T. & Robertson, M.J. & Ferris, D. & Ewing, M.A., 2012. "A bio-economic evaluation of the profitability of adopting subtropical grasses and pasture-cropping on crop–livestock farms," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 102-112.
    8. Gibson, Lauren & Kingwell, Ross & Doole, Graeme, 2008. "The role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant crop weeds: A whole-farm analysis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 199-207, October.
    9. Kingwell, Ross S., 2011. "Managing complexity in modern farming," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 55(1), March.
    10. Kingwell, Ross & Fuchsbichler, Amy, 2011. "The whole-farm benefits of controlled traffic farming: An Australian appraisal," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(7), pages 513-521, September.
    11. Ross Kingwell, 2011. "Managing complexity in modern farming," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 55(1), pages 12-34, 01.
    12. Kopke, Emma & Young, John & Kingwell, Ross, 2008. "The relative profitability and environmental impacts of different sheep systems in a Mediterranean environment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 96(1-3), pages 85-94, March.
    13. Kingwell, R., 2002. "Sheep animal welfare in a low rainfall Mediterranean environment: a profitable investment?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 221-240, November.
    14. O'Connell, Michael & Young, John & Kingwell, Ross, 2006. "The economic value of saltland pastures in a mixed farming system in Western Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 89(2-3), pages 371-389, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Komarek, Adam M. & Bell, Lindsay W. & Whish, Jeremy P.M. & Robertson, Michael J. & Bellotti, William D., 2015. "Whole-farm economic, risk and resource-use trade-offs associated with integrating forages into crop–livestock systems in western China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 63-72.

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