Climate Smart Feedbase › Forage varieties

Resource library · Subtropical Dairy

Forage varieties

Choosing crops for yield, feed quality and resilience

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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

Choosing crops for yield, feed quality and resilience

Summer and winter forage choices influence both feed availability and ration quality. Research and demonstrations across subtropical regions are building the case for selecting varieties according to water availability, growing costs, dry matter yield, starch content and planned end use.

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 Forage varieties

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

Resource collection

Grain and forage sorghum

Grain sorghums can contribute starch and feed quality, while forage sorghums can provide bulk dry matter. The published trials compare varieties under irrigation and dryland conditions, demonstrate differences in yield and starch concentration, and explore second-harvest opportunities. New white-grain hybrids such as Sile-King should be assessed against each farm’s water availability, growing costs and feeding objectives.

Resource collection

Maize and BMR corn

Maize remains an important forage where growing conditions and water supply suit the crop. Dairy UP research is examining ways to predict maize yield and quality, while Gatton trials are evaluating Brown Midrib (BMR) corn developed for Australian conditions. Read the trial results for the comparisons of crop yield, lignin, fibre digestibility and feeding value.

Resource collection

Summer forage combinations and seasonal decisions

C4Milk demonstrations examine cereal–legume combinations, summer crop choices and the effects of difficult seasons. Matching crop maturity, establishing an adequate plant population, managing weeds and conserving the crop well all influence the result. These articles connect crop performance with feeding value, production cost and seasonal risk.

Resource collection

Alternative forages and grazing

Lupin silage demonstrations in Far North Queensland examine a winter-grown alternative that may fit a rotation, with harvest timing important to retaining quality. The lucerne grazing research adds another perspective on forage choice, milk production and margin over feed cost.

Resource collection

Winter forage options and combinations

The winter forage work includes wheat, triticale, cereal rye, barley, oats, canola, faba beans, ryegrass and combinations. Crop choice depends on whether the priority is bulk forage, protein, energy or multiple harvests. The resources compare yield, quality, harvest flexibility and the economics of autumn and winter feed options.

Resource collection

Winter forage demonstrations and results

C4Milk winter demonstrations across South East and Far North Queensland have compared traditional and alternative forages since 2019. These reports follow the demonstration program through on-farm evaluations and seasonal updates, including the 2022 Far North Queensland results. Use the findings in the context of local conditions, crop management and planned end use.