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Resource library · Subtropical Dairy

Crop agronomy

Getting establishment and crop management right

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Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Future Drought Fund Subtropical Dairy and Dairy Australia Delivering for Queensland, Queensland Government

Climate Smart Feedbase is led by Subtropical Dairy in partnership with Queensland Department of Primary Industries, with support through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund Scaling Success Program.

Resource overview

Getting establishment and crop management right

Crop agronomy shapes the cost, reliability and quality of forage grown for dairy cattle. These resources cover establishment, fall armyworm identification and risk, integrated pest management, winter forage disease and the timing of fungicide applications. Earlier Dairy Grains Mentoring farm resources provide further practical context.

The resources below include previously published material from Northern Horizons, the earlier Dairy Grains Mentoring project and related extension work. New Climate Smart Feedbase outputs will be added as they become available.

Articles and resources

Explore Crop agronomy

Browse the published articles below. PDFs open in a new tab; page counts and download sizes help you choose what to open.

Resource collection

Fall armyworm: identification and risk

Fall armyworm can damage maize, sorghum, oats, ryegrass and other forage crops. Correct identification and early detection help farmers assess risk before substantial crop losses occur. The field guide and risk articles explain the pest’s lifecycle, crop scouting, monitoring and the role of an integrated pest management approach.

Resource collection

Managing fall armyworm in forage systems

These extension articles describe management options and lessons shared with farmers in Queensland and northern New South Wales. Use them alongside current crop observations and local agronomic advice when deciding how to respond to fall armyworm pressure.

Resource collection

Winter forage disease and fungicide timing

C4Milk research on winter cereals has examined how timely fungicide application during stem elongation affects forage yield, quality and growing costs. The published results provide background for Climate Smart Feedbase’s planned farm-scale demonstrations. Crop monitoring, disease pressure and the timing of management remain central to interpreting the findings.

Resource collection

Planning and comparing farm practices

Paddock history, soil tests, crop variety, soil temperature, moisture and harvest plans influence establishment and crop performance. Earlier Dairy Grains Mentoring resources provide practical farm examples. Climate Smart Feedbase will revisit participating farms to understand adoption, benefits and barriers, with new results added as they are completed.