Accurate assessment of the nutritional value of high salt content rangeland plants is crucial to determining the most cost effective supplementary feeding strategies. AWI is currently investigating new methods to evaluate the quality of feed supplied by pastoral zone vegetation.

Many pastoral zone wool producers are considering feeding and supplementation strategies to increase the productivity and profitability of their enterprises.

In order to develop cost effective feed rations pastoralists need accurate feed quality data for rangeland feed sources.

Researchers and and woolgrowers involved with the Land Water & Wool SGSL Subprogram identified inaccuracies in feed quality estimates for saltbush and other fodder shrubs using common feed quality analysis tools such as NIR (near infrared red spectroscopy) analysis. These tools overestimate both the protein and metabolisable energy levels in high “ash (salt)” content species.

More accurate and cost effective estimates of feed quality are required in order to determine the most cost-effective supplementary feeding strategies available under pastoral conditions.

AWI funded a review of available information on the nutritive value of rangeland plants to: 

• Determine the accuracy and adequacy of NIR estimates of feed quality based on wet chemistry data for high ash content rangelands feeds
• Compare feed quality data determined by wet chemistry with actual animal performance from high ash content pastoral zone feeds 
• Document pastoral woolgrowers’ current and potential use of cost-effective, environmentally sustainable supplementation strategies.

Download the report "Nutritive Value of Rangeland Plants"