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Making the most of tree change

The West Australian
Wes Graham.
Camera IconWes Graham. Credit: The West Australian

Slow and steady could be an apt description for Dalyup producer Wes Grahams' approach to the re-introduction of cleared tree land back into a production rotation.

Using a mix of old machinery and past knowledge, together with an out-of-the-box approach, he's tackling a new-age problem quite unlike anyone else.

Cropping to graze, rather than harvest, and keeping the process of clearing as low-cost as possible has produced some unusual responses.

Left with trees halfway through their growth phase after Elders' market exit resulted in Integrated Tree Cropping breaking its lease late last year on 300ha of his land, Mr Grahams needed to decide the future of the trees quickly to maximise opportunity.

With 5000ha split between prime lamb and Black Angus production and 750ha of cropping, his varying rotation meant he was not tied to a cropping format.

"I run about 2000 Poll Dorset breeders and 1800 Angus breeders," Mr Grahams said.

"We crop canola, wheat, barley and oats for stock. It's a full mixed rotation with the option to use some of the crop for grazing, giving us more flexibility.

"We do what's most suitable for the country. It can be a fickle environment here, closer to the coast."

After a dry summer and no subsoil moisture limited perennial potential, the stock has been hungry.

The opportunity to increase grazing hectares was a blessing in disguise, but Mr Grahams needed to do it at minimal cost and with what little unspecialised machinery he could find.

Contractors cleared trees through January and February, pushing into the obligatory rows, but Mr Grahams opted against burning them.

"It's very expensive to get areas chained, windrowed and cleaned up to prepare for full cropping, and with the sandier soil type it needed cover quite quickly," he said.

"So we opted to use the rows as protection, lessen topsoil loss from any wind events and save the extra cost."

Added to the fact harvesters would not need to access areas, the rows stayed. Mr Grahams undertook raking in April and May, but with no machinery to handle root matter he made do.

"Blue gums are like the Kikuyu of trees," he said.

"They have extensive root matter, which is difficult to remove.

"I used old machinery, including a Pedric rotary harrow and root rakes."

Mr Grahams left much of the sub-surface matter and stumps behind.

"My approach is about being patient and waiting for the natural rot to occur," he said.

Admitting that stump regrowth would have to be sprayed over coming months and ground would not possibly allow for traditional seeding, the move still made sense.

But to maximise potential and minimise cost, the land needed to be sown at the most opportune time.

"There was a forecast of 40 to 80mm of rain in May, and we realised it would take several weeks to get the paddocks clean enough to get machinery on," Mr Grahams said.

"If we did get rain, we had to work out how to access the land and seed it as quickly as possible."

Mr Grahams found the answer in the sky itself.

Engaging aerial spray contractors South East Air Ag, he aerial-seeded the lot in three hours on May 30, after 10mm of rain in late April. Far from a modern approach, aerial seeding has been in practice since the 1960s.

"Aerial seeding is the same as aerial fertilising," Mr Grahams said.

"It was used to get over new ground when it was cleared in the early days."

It was the first time South East Air Ag operators had aerial seeded in 25 years.

For Mr Grahams, it also compared favourably economically.

"It's slightly more expensive than getting a contractor in to terrestrial sow," he said.

The area was split between 120ha canola, 130ha barley and 50ha wheat, purely to make use of what available seed was on farm.

Mr Grahams maximised germination chances with rates at 100kg seed/ha.

"That way even if there's only 70 per cent germination, it's still good," he said.

Canola was left to germinate by contact, while cereals were cultivated into the soil profile using rakes and harrows over the week after seeding.

Fertiliser has not been applied and Mr Grahams is adopting a wait-and-see-approach as the season pans out.

Although unable to put a figure on costs so far, he is happy with the results. Most seed has germinated with the 24mm rain received before and after seeding.

With further falls just tallied, the cereals, in particular, look impressive.

Plants show no signs of deficiency and have good root growth.

Weed knockdown has been unnecessary and a chemical break has lowered resistance levels.

Next year will see a similar program for the cleared land.

Aerial seeding will be on the agenda as Mr Graham allows nature to do its work.

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