Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority Landcare facilitator Richard Murphy presenters at a Basalt-to-Bay Landcare forum, explaining how to get more dollars from pastures through the use of multi-species forage crops

The Koroit forum was funded through the federal government's National Landcare Program.

"Rather than seeing the farm as a modified factory, farmers are starting to see it as a modified eco-system," Mr Murphy said.

"One of the differences is that if you are looking at a modified factory, you are looking at simplified systems, efficiency and control.

"In an ecological approach, it's looking for ways to introduce diversity into the system.

"The question then is how can you do that on farm, without have an impact on production and profit or even improving production and profit?"

He said improving the diversity of biological activity in the soil also increased biodiversity above the ground.

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Growing more feed on-farm, at a lower cost, reduced the need for inputs, particularly in dairy systems.

"In some instances, farmers are able to massively increase the amount of feed they have been able to grow and massively decrease the amount they need to bring in.

'If they have more feed in front of them, they can actually slow their rotations.

"That's going to be particularly good for soil as there is more time for plants to be pumping sugars and nutrients into the soil and building that biological activity."

He said he recently saw a dairy farm which had 10-15 different varieties of plants.

'Not only was their lush feed, ahead of the cows, but there were also plants at different stages of maturity, and I was really taken by the number of bees, other insects, butterflies and birds."

Such pastures helped maintain high levels of milk production.

He said multi-species forage crops include brassicas, tillage radish and cereals such as forage oats, buckwheat and sunflowers.

Dairy Australia was carrying out trials, to validate the value of multi-species forage crops.

"Most dairy farmers, who have put their toe in the water, are probably only doing two, three, four or five different seeds in a mix."

DA was trying to encourage farmers to include up to 15 different plants - 'so you always have something to eat, you always have something on the way."

There was also interest in increasing soil carbon, mainly due to the appreciation that increasing organic matter led to better soils.

"It increases water infiltration and water holding capacity and also retention of nutrients, reducing the risk of nitrates and phosphates leaching from the soil.

"That's the winning ticket; the benefits to soil health and a more resilient farming system, that is better able to benefit and adapt to changing climate conditions."

Dairy farmer Wayne Hansford, Yangery near Warrnambool, milks 220 cows, supplying Bega.

He says his 120-hectare farm is transitioning into greater use of forage crops.

"We usually run a three-year program, two years of corn, one year one year rape and chicory, and then one year into permanent pasture, the following summer," Mr Hansford said.

"We just go on a rotation with those."

He said he had experimented with lucerne, but the climate was a little too moist to support it.

"At the moment, with the chicory we are finding we are getting two tonne plus dry matter, summer feed, on top of the 10t pasture we are growing."

That was extra feed for the herd.

"It allows you to extend your rotations and look after your pasture, for the summer months."

Mr Hansford said it had also meant learning more about the soil on the farm.

"It's given us an idea as to where nutrients are, in the scheme of things, in the different soil profiles.

"We have tried to utilise plants that will dig and go and mine for those nutrients and also the moisture."

The corn, which was grazed, sourced its nutrients from 30 centimetres below the topsoil.

"That's where lost nutrients live, as well, so the corn will go and dig for that, until its pretty well mined it all.

Cows graze leave their effluent and leftover stalks they don't eat.

"That, in turn, supports a cereal or grass between the corn crops."

That resulted in minimal fertiliser inputs.

Before starting the rotations the farm was only producing 6t/ha of feed.

"There is the potential to get at least 10-15t/ha dry matter, a year."

"You can carry more stock, in a normal year you don't have to feed silage - they can feed off the corn, maybe support youngstock without having to have an outpaddock.

"Last year we averaged 15t/ha on our corn crops, which allowed us to cut the rest of the farm twice for silage - we had 20ha of corn, conserved 900t of silage, as well as ran 200 head of cows."

He said milk production was up, although the butterfat and protein components had stayed the same.

"We are still in the early stages where we are learning what the protein and energy levels in corn are at its various stages."

When the farm started the program, hay was around $350-400/tonne 'so we had to find an alternative'.

But there was also a morale boost, from the program.

"Once you see magnificent crops, you are on top of the world."