Waterlogging woes in the MID
Macalister Demonstration Farm Update 535 (5th February 2021)
Waterlogging is the curse of the Macalister Irrigation District. Current grass consumption could be 60 kg DM per ha per day, but too commonly it is 30, often due to water logging. This is a massive loss.
Waterlogging occurs when water flows onto bays for too long, when outlet doors leak after they are shut, when blocked channels cause water to overtop banks onto bays already watered, and sometimes when troughs leak. Flat bay slopes, and spinner cuts that are absent or do not function, don’t help. Rain at the wrong time doesn’t help.
The results are poor growth, waste of water, loss of applied nitrogen (leached into the ground water or lost to the atmosphere as nitrogen dioxide), and the invasion of poor quality grasses. These grasses are low in energy and high in fibre, cows do not like them, and cannot produce as much milk from them. Waterlogging creates problems with getting cows onto paddocks without pugging. Weeds flourish, especially in pugged paddocks. Dock seems bad in the MID at the moment.
Spray irrigation is less prone to waterlogging, but it is by no means rare.
| FEED MARGIN PERFORMANCE | MDF TEN DAYS AGO | MDF THIS TEN DAYS | Units |
| Ten days to date: | 20-Jan-21 | 31-Jan-21 | |
| Milker graze area | 63 | 63 | Ha |
| Milkers | 288 | 288 | Head |
| Stocking rate | 4.6 | 4.6 | cows/ha |
| Average graze rest time | 30 | 30 | Days |
| Estm’d pasture consmp’n | 40 | 35 | kg DM/ha/day |
| Pasture consum’d per cow | 8.8 | 7.7 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Pasture growing spend | $5.74 | $5.74 | $/ha/day |
| Estm’d pasture price | $142 | $162 | $/T DM |
| Conc (incl additives)supp fed/cow | 6.5 | 6.5 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Conc (incl additives)supp avg price | $381 | $381 | $/T DM |
| Hay/silage supp fed/cow | 1.4 | 3.1 | kg DM/cow/day |
| Hay/silage supp price | $267 | $267 | $/T DM |
| Feed Conversion Efficiency | 102 | 101 | kg MS/tonne DM |
| Total feed intake/cow | 16.3 | 16.7 | kg DM/cow/day |
| NDF Fibre in diet | 32.0% | 32.3% | % NDF |
| Litres/cow | 22.5 | 22.6 | l/cow/day |
| Fat test | 4.21% | 4.31% | % |
| Protein test | 3.32% | 3.43% | % |
| Milk Solids per cow | 1.70 | 1.75 | kg/cow/day |
| Milk price (less levies)/kg MS | $6.23 | $6.23 | $/kg MS |
| Milk price (less levies)/litre | $0.47 | $0.48 | $ per litre |
| Milk income/cow | $10.58 | $10.91 | $/cow/day |
| All feed cost/cow | $4.09 | $4.56 | $/cow/day |
| Margin over all Feed/cow | $6.49 | $6.35 | $/cow/day |
| MOAF /ha /day | $29.68 | $29.02 | $/ha/day |
| Farm MOAF per DAY | $1,870 | $1,828 | $/day |