Research over the past 20 years has identified a range of forages that are well adapted to mixed crop-livestock farming systems in the tropics. Generally however, adoption of these forages by farmers has been limited, even when farmer participatory research has ensured that the forages being selected fitted their needs. Either farmers do not believe that the benefits of introducing new forages into their farming systems outweigh the costs of such an activity or they consider there are more attractive options for resource investment.
This project targeted two of the major mixed farming systems of South and Southeast Sulawesi, incorporating livestock production with estate and field crops. In this region, beef cattle production relies upon feed from a variety of sources - mainly communal grazing, forages grown on-farm and crop residues. The two regions differ in their stage of development.
This project used a farming systems research approach to investigate the benefits of new forages being used to improve livestock production in mixed crop-livestock systems, and to quantify these benefits bio-physically and economically. These studies were designed to inform researchers, advisers and eventually farmers of the likely benefits to whole-of-farm production and income, including the sensitivity of these benefits to climatic variability, alternative farming options and commodity prices.
The project team benchmarked the two farming systems and, working with farmers, identified the opportunities for increasing forage production in association with estate cropping - as relay crops in upland and lowland grain cropping areas and as shrub or tree legumes in association with other farming activities. The team developed a Farming Systems Research framework to analyse crop-forage-livestock interactions, and developed forage modules for the most important forages for use within the APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator) systems model. The team members analysed the bio-physical outputs from simulation of crop-forage-livestock interactions within a whole-farm economic analysis framework, and initiated on-farm trials to test preferred options.
As a minor activity, the project tested some forages adapted to the humid and sub-humid tropics that had not yet been evaluated in on-farm trials in the region.
In benchmarking the most relevant farming systems in South and Southeast Sulawesi the researchers built a database of the existing conditions in four villages representing lowland and upland fields. A second database of existing livestock and forage conditions placed emphasis on inappropriate cattle reproduction cycles practiced by farmers and their relationship to feeding problems and the use of cows as draught animals. The researchers also made key findings from climate monitoring and soil characterization. They also developed an economic model, a livestock model and an integrated analysis tool (IAT).
In the development of a systems analysis framework to enable the evaluation of alternative crop-forage-livestock systems, new modules were developed by taking existing crop models (developed with APSIM) for 'like' species and adapting them to represent the desired species, i.e. wheat for rice and sugarcane for Napier grass. The development of an APSIM module for Napier grass produced the greatest enhancement effect.
The researchers found that inclusion of mucuna as a dry season crop in lowland fields and inclusion of Napier grass as a backyard species were most favourable in terms of assured feed supply, animal growth rate and income.
Eleven grass and 18 legume cultivars were evaluated by trials conducted at Gowa Research Station to determine yield, vigour, persistence, quality and seed production, but no other potentially suitable legumes and grasses were introduced and integrated into existing cropping systems during the project.
There were substantial increases in capacity in the modeling of crop-livestock systems (in this project as well as 2000/125) in both Australia and Indonesia and significant progress towards a functional model based on data collected at the sites in both Sumbawa (2000/125) and South Sulawesi. This is the first time that such an integrated model has been developed. Reviewers commented that sustaining the research effort and its application as an extension training tool would require commitment within Indonesia to retain capacity in the use, development and general support of the systems model. They recommended that a pathway be identified towards a formal agreement between Indonesian counterpart organizations and the providers of software support for the APSIM and related programs.
The integrated model of crop-livestock systems in the tropics has multiple applications for research, training and extension. Reviewers highlighted the urgent need to clarify which of these roles is the primary objective of the project and to engage end-users at the earliest opportunity. This process was being followed up. Feedback from possible Indonesian users during the review indicated that stand-alone components of the full model could have value in themselves and may be more appropriate as training tools.
Links:
[1] http://www.aciar.gov.au/country/Indonesia
[2] http://www.aciar.gov.au/programarea/Livestock Production Systems