AUSTRALIA | Thousands of Australian farmers showed adaptability and sustainability this National Agriculture Day by participating in programs under the Future Drought Fund (FDF) that helped stock, pasture, and native wildlife.
The National Agriculture Day provided an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of farmers like Cindy and Steven Scott from the NSW Riverina. Through the FDF’s Drought Resilience Soils and Landscapes program, they have been looking at new ways to manage drought. They invested in shelterbelts and vegetation corridors on their Henty property, Glen Elgin.
The Scotts were among 15 producers across the Riverina who adopted different, well-established management practices to improve productivity and protect natural resources. The project was led by Riverina Local Land Services, in conjunction with Sustainable Farms ANU and Soils for Life, and funded by the FDF.
Cindy and Steven Scott have been trialling shelterbelts at Glen Elgin, and with the assistance of the FDF, they expanded their efforts.
“In the early days, trees were planted in one or two tree rows, usually over a space of five to eight metres,” said Steven Scott.
“Through this project, we now use 30-metre-wide corridors, and we’re trying to create links through the farm. Ours are probably 70 per cent of shrubs, 30 per cent of trees, and local grasses. The grand plan is to connect one side of the farm to another.”
The main benefit of the shelterbelts has been their function as a windbreak.
“We should be trying to reduce wind speed. This occurs when you’ve got thickness and depth in the windbreaks. That protects your ground cover and reduces erosion, so we hope to see how many extra kilos of beef we’ll turn off.”
The shelterbelts also provide shade and cooler temperatures for stock, particularly in drier conditions.
When shelterbelts are adjacent to water reserves, the shade and cooler temperatures reduce evaporation. Scott said they had shelterbelts around the main water storage dams for that purpose.
Another outcome of the shelterbelts has been restoring native wildlife, particularly birdlife. He mentioned that they had seen many small bird species come back.
“We’d lost a lot of local birds around here. The width of the corridors provides safety for them. Little birds eat insects, and I’ll be interested to see if that impacts spraying.”
The Scotts have also participated in studies with Sustainable Farms to examine the productivity benefits of using shelterbelts and other environmental practices.
Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Policy Matt Lowe said there is no one way to prepare for drought, and the Scotts' work demonstrated this.
“The benefits of the projects under the FDF go beyond financial. Knowing a business is ready for drought stresses can be a huge relief for farmers.”
Lowe hoped more farmers would consider how land management could benefit their bottom line while making their businesses more drought-resistant.
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