Macalister Demonstration Farm

Dairy Research Farm demonstrating best management practice

 

Macalister Demonstration Farm

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Effluent Nutrient Management & Profitability

Best practice management of dairy effluent ponds and their nutrients and impact on profitability

Reports by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) that 72% of dairy effluent systems audited on Gippsland farms did not meet auditing standards indicated farmers were not undertaking “best practice” management of their dairy effluent.

Poorly managed effluent ponds have the potential for environmental damage. Publicity created from such damage could harm the image of the dairy industry and its products, on both the domestic and international markets. In addition, by not using the effluent sludge, farmers are not taking advantage of an important farm resource they had already paid for in the form of bought feed and fertilizer to reduce input costs.

Objectives for the project were to demonstrate that natural resource management and profitable farming need not be mutually exclusive through:

  1. Application of nutrients in effluent to pastures means less off-farm fertilisers need to be purchased
  2. Clever use of existing infrastructure, such as small effluent dams, can negate the need for building larger effluent ponds
  3. Assessment of the impact of these to be incorporated into a cost/benefit analysis of “best practice” management of dairy effluent ponds
  4. Assistance to farmers wanting to improve their own operations by providing the demonstration site as well as information via the proposed communications.

Managing Dairy Effluent Ponds Profitably Oct 08

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Macalister Demonstration Farm

285 Boggy Creek Road
Riverslea, Victoria
Postal Address:
PO Box 87
Maffra VIC 3860

Phone: 0488 175 366

MDF Fortnightly Update 508

December 9, 2019 By MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 507

December 9, 2019 By MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 506

November 12, 2019 By MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 505

October 25, 2019 By MDF

MDF Fortnightly Update 503

September 30, 2019 By MDF

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About the MDF

The Macalister Research Farm, known as the Macalister Demonstration Farm since 2008, is a farmer-owned co-operative that was established on April 13th 1960. The brief was to acquire a commercial dairy farm on which systems of farming that had the … Read More

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