Livestock industries projects

A summary of Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) livestock industries current and recently completed projects is shown below.

Our projects are organised into 8 themes:

  1. Managing the feedbase for optimal production
  2. Improving reproductive productivity through the application of genetic principles and technology
  3. Optimising productivity through nutritional management
  4. Animal husbandry and management
  5. Buffalo and other livestock species
  6. International livestock industries development benefiting Australia
  7. Economics and development of the pastoral industry
  8. Extension and adoption.

In addition to the above, DITT also has other business units responsible for agricultural diversification, cropping and hay production, market development, investment attraction, animal welfare and biosecurity.

Each quarter, DITT publishes a Pastoral Feed Outlook summarising seasonal conditions, pasture growth, standing dry matter levels, fire risk and drought risk. Subscribe to the NT Pastoral Feed Outlook.

For more information on the progress and findings of our projects, see DITT annual research reports, contact the project leader, or go to the FutureBeef website.

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
'The Sweet Spot': improving breeder herd performance through optimal pasture utilisation
A multi-agency desktop project to quantify the effect of pasture utilisation rates on reproductive performance of beef cattle across northern Australia (including central Australia).
Update: COVID lockdowns and movement restrictions has delayed the modelling of the case study sites, but progress is being made on modelling sites in the Alice, Sturt, Katherine and Barkly regions.
Location: Desktop study and modelling.
Robyn Cowley 2018-24 QDAF, QDES, Karingal Systems, MLA FutureBeef website
NT carrying capacity project
Ongoing research and development to refine the scientific derivation of sustainable carrying capacity estimates for different land types.
Location: Various commercial properties and computer assessment.
Robyn Cowley Ongoing - FutureBeef website
Pasture sustainability at Kidman Springs Monitoring the long-term sustainability of the carrying capacity estimates for Kidman Springs.
Update: No data collected in 2021. Will assess again in June 2022.
Location: VRRS
Caz Pettit Ongoing - -
Shruburn: long-term fire experiment at Kidman Springs Long-term experiment assessing the best timing and frequency of prescribed burning to control woody vegetation thickening whilst maintaining optimal pasture condition.
Update: The latest results were presented at the ARS conference. They suggest burning is more important on black soils because dry years don’t knock back woody increases and pasture growth is more affected by woody cover on black soils than red soils.
Location: VRRS
Robyn Cowley Ongoing -

FutureBeef website

FutureBeef website

FutureBeef website

Quality Graze - Central Australia Demonstration of how sustainable stocking rates can improve land condition, animal performance and profitability in arid areas.
Update: 2011-2021 animal and pasture data collection and analysis has been completed. The final report is due for completion by the end of 2022. The 2022 data will be collected to gauge the land condition response following two consecutive La Nina events.
Location: OMP
Chris Materne Ongoing - Quality graze so much more than a rotational grazing project
Implementing a rotational grazing and prescribed burning program at Kidman Springs - practicing what we preach Demonstration of how to successfully integrate a rotational grazing and burning program at the property scale.
Update: Two paddocks were burnt in October 2021. The 2021/22 wet season at VRRS was very poor (8th percentile), and pasture monitoring is continuing.
Location: VRRS
Caz Pettit Ongoing - -
Managing gamba grass with rotational grazing at Douglas Daly Research Farm Investigating how to best use grazing to reduce the spread of gamba grass whilst achieving good animal production outcomes.
Update: Rotational grazing is giving good cattle growth rates and preventing gamba grass from seeding and spreading.
Location: DDRF
Tim Schatz 2018-24 - Top Paddock - 08/2019
Rain ready RangelandsAims to demonstrate research-derived grazing management strategies on commercial properties.
Involves a ‘Paddock Challenge’ in which learnings from the OMP Quality Graze project are implemented on commercial properties and cattle performance and land condition will be measured. Work is currently underway at Mt Denison and Mulga Park stations. Work on the Barkly will focus on providing demonstrations of how spelling can influence Mitchell grass recovery using multispectral drone imagery, vegetation assessments, individual plant monitoring and soil health assessments.
Update: Fieldwork is on schedule and the project is due to finish in June 2024. A final report will be submitted to MLA.
Caz Pettit2022-2024TNRMFutureBeef website

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
Repronomics II: accelerated genetic improvement of reproduction To increase the accuracy of fertility EBVs which will improve the rate of progress through genetic selection for Brahman and tropical composite cattle. Collaboration with AGBU and QDAF.
Update: Ovary scanning to determine age at puberty and post partum interval after first calving is continuing, and DNA samples are being submitted for genotyping.
Location: DDRF, VRRS, BHF
Tim Schatz and Gretel Bailey-Preston 2020-24 UNE, AGBU, QDAF, MLA FutureBeef website
Selection for fertility in a Brahman herd Long-term demonstration of how selection for fertile Brahman genetics can improve herd performance. Being conducted in conjunction with Repronomics II. Gretel Bailey-Preston Ongoing - FutureBeef website
Comparison of multibreed composite and Brahman breeder productivity Comparing the performance of purebred Brahman cattle to composite breeds to achieve good production outcomes and reduce market risk. Being conducted in conjunction with Repronomics II.
Location: VRRS, DDRF, KRS
Gretel Bailey-Preston Ongoing - -
Improving breeder herd efficiency in the arid region with performance recording and objective selection Demonstration of how to use objective selection data and practices to increase adaptation to Central Australian conditions.
Location: OMP
Jocelyn Coventry Ongoing - -

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
'Easy P' phosphorus supplementation project Determine if an easy to implement method of P supplementation is an effective method for producers in P deficient areas who find it difficult to supplement during the wet season.
Also conduct a producer demonstration site (PDS) demonstrating the method.
Update: Results so far show that the 'Easy P' treatment is providing similar results to traditional wet season supplementation.
Location: VRRS 
Tim Schatz 2020-25 QDAF, WA DPIRD, MLA, NB2 -
Crops for CattleThe project aims to foster intensification of the northern cattle industry by integrating northern cropping and cattle production systems to increase weight gains of cattle during the dry season. It will investigate the feasibility and profitability of supplementary feeding strategies (using feeds produced in northern Australia) to increase cattle weight gain over the post weaning dry season, resulting in a higher proportion of steers being turned off after one post weaning wet season and more efficient heifer performance from increased pre-mating weights. Work will be conducted on 8 commercial properties and 2 DITT Research stations in the Katherine and Top End regions.Tim Schatz2023-2026CRCNAFutureBeed website
Victoria River District Legume Establishment DemonstrationThe Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT), in collaboration with the University of New England (UNE), has developed legume establishment trials at three commercial pastoral properties and one research station in the Victoria River District. The project aims to investigate sowing times, seed bed preparation and species composition to optimise establishment in the 600-800mm annual rainfall zone of the Victoria River District.Caz Pettit

2023-2024

University of New EnglandFutureBeef website

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
Calf Alive The project aims to investigate the interaction between nutrition and environmental extremes on calf wastage and herd productivity. It involves supplying high protein supplements to cattle prior to calving and studying the effects on calf loss using various technologies. Tim Schatz/ Georgia Glasson 2022-25 UQ, QDAF FutureBeef website
Studies on the effectiveness and benefit of various insecticidal ear tags

Ongoing short term studies at BHF and DDRF investigating options to reduce the impact of biting insects on livestock, and collaborate with external companies in developing new tags.

Tim Schatz As required YTex The effect of insecticidal fly tags on cattle liveweight gain in the Douglas Daly region
Calf loss studiesA new project is being developed and work is continueing to identify calving from accelerometer data collected during the CalfWatch project and in subsequent years.Tim Schatz, Christie Pearson 

CQU

 

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
Buffalo crossbreeding / tenderbuff / live export development and supply Long-term ongoing project at BHF to improve the genetics of buffalo and ensure best practice transport and stunning practices and market development. Update: The buffalo research has been scaled back and the herd size reduced since the retirement of Barry Lemcke. Artificial insemination programs are continuing using top Italian Riverine dairy semen.
Location: BHF
paused - - Agrifutures website
Buffalo welfare project

The project has four main objectives:

  1. Analyse current evidence, practices, risk factors, and indicators of adverse animal mortality, health, and welfare outcomes.
  2. Evaluate the influence of animal-, management- and environmental-based factors on key animal welfare outcomes.
  3. Develop recommendations for policy and practice changes that will reduce the risk of animal mortalities and adverse health and welfare outcomes.

Identify the opportunities for economically feasible buffalo harvesting on traditional lands whilst achieving acceptable animal welfare outcomes and meeting the economic development, cultural, and ecological goals of indigenous communities.

Gretel Bailey-Preston/Grant Hamilton2023-2026CRCNA, AgriFutures

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
No current projects No current projects----

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
No current projectsNo current projects- - --

ProjectPurpose Project leaderTimeframeCollaborators More information
Central Australia Self Herding (CASH) producer demonstration site On-property demonstration of the applications of Rangelands self herding techniques in Central Australia. 5-year partnership with Bruce Maynard (external provider).Lakota Taber 2020-24MLA, Bruce Maynard FutureBeef website
Producer demonstration sites Small on-property demonstrations to increase local uptake of proven technologies / practices Stacey Holzapfel - - -
EDGE Network (Meat and Livestock Australia) training courses Provide MLA-accredited training on topics including grazing land management, grazing fundamentals, breeding, nutrition and business. Position currently vacant -MLAMLA website
Barkly Herd Management Forum Biennial workshops targeted to head stockmen, assistant managers and managers to present the latest information on managing a pastoral business. Stacey Holzapfel Ongoing - -
Next Generation Land Managers
Rangeland management courses
Introduction to grazing management, weed ID, animal welfare and biosecurity for stock camp staff. Run on request in the Katherine and Barkly districts. Stacey Holzapfel/Alison Kain2022-2024Northern Hub Future Drought Fund FutureBeef website
FutureBeef collaboration Coordinated delivery of extension and adoption programs and information across northern Australia, including the website as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information Stacey Holzapfel/Mary WilliamsOngoingMLA, QDAF, WA, DPIRDFutureBeef website
Field days and other public events Ad-hoc events to engage with industry. All staff Ongoing - -
Northern Australian Climate Program (NACP) - extension project USQ-led project to improve weather and climate tools and literacy for the northern beef industry. DITT are on the steering committee.
Update: The project was due to finish in April 2022 but has been extended.
Robyn Cowley 2018-2026 USQ, QDAF, WA DPIRD, MLA Northern Australia Climate Program website
Northern Breeding Business (NB2) pathways to practice - breeder herd efficiency and managing calf wastage for northern production systems This collaborative project across northern Australia aims to create a producer led, peer-to-peer, research, development and adoption model that will result in measurable practice change to improve breeder herd efficiency and reduce calf wastage.
Update: A pilot producer group is being established in the Katherine region.
Stacey Holzapfel 2020-24 NB2, MLA Meat and Livestock Australia website
Carrying capacity advisory serviceProvide carrying capacity assessments and property development advice on requestCaroline PettitOngoing 

ProjectPurpose Project leader More information
Paddock Power: unlocking the secrets to sustainable and profitable intensification

Measuring the impact of large under-watered paddocks on reproductive performance, providing recommendations for sustainable paddock development and a mapping tool and investment calculator for producers to make confident investment decisions.

Update: GPS collars have been removed from the first cohort of heifers and a second cohort of GPS units deployed. Analysis of data is ongoing. Location: Commercial Barkly Tableland properties

Christie Pearson / Caz PettitFutureBeef website
Inside Edge
Improve modelling of grazing systems. Provide producers with information to prepare for and manage the impacts of drought, improve the northern Australian grazing simulation module GRASP and link to BoM’s new generation seasonal forecasting system ACCESS-S and DNRM’s new land assessment tool (LCAT) as grazing decision support tools.Update: The project has finished and a final report has been submittedRobyn Cowley 
Central Australia improved feedInvestigating improved pastures and the use of irrigation in central Australia. The risk of oxalate poisoning of cows grazing irrigated buffel grass is also being investigated.
Update: Fieldwork has been completed and a final report is underway. A report for Territory Grape Farm is completed. Results extended through the NT Rural Review and FutureBeef.
Chris Materne 
Water medication PDSThis PDS aims to demonstrate practical aspects of implementing water medication systems to address nutritional deficiencies and accessibility issues at a commercial scale.
Update: There are 2 sites, located in the Katherine and Barkly regions where one treatment group is provided phosphorus supplement via water medication and the other through the property’s existing supplementation practice. Performance, GPS and management data of each treatment will be collected during the first round musters of 2022.
Stacey HolzapfelFutureBeef website
Calf watchDeveloping a system to remotely monitor calving using birth sensors and GPS tracking collars. Also to use the system to investigate the factors contributing to foetal and calf loss in northern Australia.
Update: The final report for the project has been submitted. Work is continuing to identify calving from accelerometer data collected during the project.
Location: Manbulloo
Tim Schatz

FutureBeef website

Methods for Central Australian producers to reliably meet MSA standardsResearch into factors affecting compliance rates for MSA grading of central Australian cattle.Jocelyn Coventry and Chris MaterneNorthern Beef Research Update Conference
Reducing calf loss from exposureInvestigating the effectiveness of providing shade in treeless rangelands of the Barkly to reduce calf mortality. A collaboration between DITT, CSIRO and CQU.
Update: Collars from 300 heifers recently removed, downloaded and data aggregated. Heifers were pregnancy tested and calves weaned. Analyses and reporting underway, but there was a 10% lower calf loss in the ‘shade’ group this year. During 2021/22, all heifers will be fitted with real-time GPS and have calf alerts inserted. A subcontract has been established to enable Kieren to finish this project while working for UQ.
Location: Commercial properties
Kieren McCosker (UQ) / Georgia Glasson

FutureBeef website

Rangelands self herding: Victoria River Research Station Demonstration of a behaviour-based approach to modifying grazing patterns to achieve more even pasture utilisation without the need for more fencing. Dionne Walsh FutureBeef website
Stocking rate and pasture spelling demonstration: Alexandria Station Demonstration of the impact of stocking rate management and wet season spelling on land condition trends around bores of different ages. Jane Douglas  
Senepol Crossbreeding Demonstration of how cross-breeding with tropically-adapted Bos taurus breeds can achieve good production outcomes and reduce market risk. Fieldwork for this project has been completed and a final report is underway. Tim Schatz

FutureBeef website

FutureBeef website

FutureBeef website

Controlling feathertop wiregrass An experiment at Newcastle Waters Station found that using fire to control feathertop is not a 'sure bet'. Project looked at NT producers carefully weighing up the risks and rewards. Dionne Walsh NBRUC Conference proceedings (page 117)
PhenoBankThe female reproduction Phenobank project was undertaken to collect datasets to build a reference population to facilitate genomic selection in northern Australian cattle. A large reference population is needed for more accurate genomic Estimated Breeding Values (gEBVs). The Phenobank project used existing datasets from research herds and commercial producers with stored DNA samples create the databaseDr. Marina Fortes/Gretel Bailey PrestonFutureBeef website
Assessing the production benefits from using pain-relief at the branding cradleInvestigating the welfare impact and production benefits from providing alternative methods of pain relief at the time of dehorning/castration. Update: A final report has been submitted to MLA. Location: DDRF, BHF and commercial properties.Melissa WoodersonFutureBeef website

Contacts

Location/Area of responsibilityContact person and positionContact numberContact email
Darwin
Tim Schatz

Regional Director & Principal Pastoral
Production research officer

08 8999 2332 tim.schatz@nt.gov.au
Darwin Caroline Pettit

Principal Rangeland Research Officer

08 8999 2014 caroline.pettit@nt.gov.au
Darwin Robyn Cowley

Senior Rangelands Officer

0419 829 493 robyn.cowley@nt.gov.au
Darwin Ben Wirf

Pastoral Geographical Information Systems Officer

08 8999 2026 ben.wirf@nt.gov.au
Katherine Leanne Vandersman

Executive Officer

08 8973 9728 leanne.vandersman@nt.gov.au
Katherine Christie Pearson

Livestock Research Officer & Katherine team leader

08 8973 8476 christie.pearson@nt.gov.au
Katherine Georgia Glasson

Livestock Technical Officer

08 8973 9740 georgia.glasson@nt.gov.au
Katherine Gretel Bailey-Preston

Livestock Research Officer

08 8973 9749 gretel.baileypreston@nt.gov.au
Katherine Stacey Holzapfel

Pastoral Extension Officer

08 8973 9730 stacey.holzapfel@nt.gov.au
Katherine Mary Williams

Pastoral Extension Officer

08 8973 9878 mary.williams1@nt.gov.au
Katherine Jaidyn Eastaughffe

Rangelands Research Officer

08 8973 9878
jaidyn.eastaughffe@nt.gov.au
Katherine Caitlin Kelly

Livestock Research Officer

08 8973 9731 caity.kelly@nt.gov.au
Katherine Kimberley Phelps

Livestock Technical Officer

08 8973 9721
kim.phelps@nt.gov.au
Tennant Creek Eleanor Fordyce

Pastoral Research Officer

08 8962 4488 eleanor.fordyce@nt.gov.au
Tennant Creek Cynita White

Pastoral Officer

08 8962 4488 cynita.white@nt.gov.au
Alice Springs Chris Materne

Pastoral Production Officer

08 8951 8135 chris.materne@nt.gov.au
Alice Springs Lakota Taber

Pastoral Technical officer

08 8951 8144 lakota.taber@nt.gov.au
Alice Springs Jocelyn Coventry

Pastoral Production Officer

08 8951 8142 jocelyn.coventry@nt.gov.au
Alice Springs Alison Kain

Pastoral Extension Officer

08 8951 8101 alison.kain@nt.gov.au
Alice Springs Georgia Anderson

Pastoral Extension officer

08 8351 8136 georgia.anderson@nt.gov.au

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