Target 10 - Fertilizing Dairy Pastures 

The aim of the Fertilizing Dairy Pastures Program is to enable farmers to make more informed, cost-effective fertiliser management decisions. Pasture production depends on sound use of fertilisers, and it is important to understand soil conditions if best results are to be achieved from fertiliser use. Regular soil testing is necessary to make informed decisions on fertiliser use, and the ability to interpret these results is the key to making the most cost-effective fertiliser choice. It is also important to understand the balance of nutrients in our farming systems.

The environmental impact of nutrients lost from our farming systems can be severe. An improved understanding of nutrient management will assist in the well-being of our waterways and in maintaining a healthy environment well into the future.

The Fertilizing Dairy Pastures Manual is available here.

Nutrient Management

A good internet resource is the Australian Soil Research Information web page on Nutrient Management and Better Fertiliser Decisions:

• Better Fertiliser Decisions (BFD) overview
• Soil test – pasture response relationships
• Farm Nutrient Loss Index (FNLI)
• National Database
• Conditions of access to the database
• Nutrient Management Downloads