IT’S the question in the back of every farmer's mind: 'How do I boost productivity and yield?’
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Bunya Creek Angus stud producer Donald Patch hopes he has found an answer to the question for the coming winter months, by planting a new variety of oats.
He planted 48 hectares of oats in mid-April and decided to try Outback, a new variety from Seed Distributers, which are expected to produce a higher yield.
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“We decided to change because they are supposed to be a lot higher yielding oats,” Mr Patch said.
“We’ve been growing outs for as long as I can remember just to put the bulls on them to feed and forage it off.
“That’s to prepare the bulls for sales.”
Mr Patch produces about 200-220 females and 70 bulls each year on his 12,000ha property Bunya View, at the Bunya Mountains.
There’s a big body of grass and feed on the property after receiving close to 400ml of rain in the first three months of 2013.
“We usually put in more oats but due to the big wet we had we weren’t as organised as what we could have been,” he said.
The season so far indicates supplementary feeding won’t be necessary, something Mr Patch is grateful for.
“We try to avoid supplementation and we prefer to get around it some other way,” he said.
“Our country is pretty much pasture prepared and we’ve got improved pasture as well.
“While in the summer plan we will put in forage and millet.”
