Drought resilient pastures - the Farming Forecaster

The aim of this work was to explore drought resilient pasture species in Tasmania, Australia. Tall fescue and cocksfoot were identified as the top two pasture species with ability to survive drought and recover rapidly after drought. Phalaris is also hardier than these in some areas and should also be considered. This was identified through discussions with farmers. The Tasmanian climate is changing, with maximum daily temperatures increasing since 1960. Data shown here are from 20 typical properties in the sheep-production areas of Tasmania, primarily the Midlands. Annual rainfall has been variable but has decreased slightly. There has been a small increase in years with rainfall in the lowest 10% and an increase in the number of consecutive years of drought. Extreme heat in summer has become more frequent. Because temperatures have been rising, evaporation rates have increased. This means that for the same amount of rainfall, more is lost to the atmosphere, and less is available to the plant. Even in the absence of changes in rainfall, climate change is reducing plant available water.