Fixing compaction so cattle can be run sustainably on a Queensland property raises more questions than answers but it was a natural progression for the Taylor family.

Converting a cropping property to cattle and addressing compaction at the same time seems counter-intuitive given hooved animals are often blamed for their negative impacts on soil health and structure. But fixing compaction was essential in converting a cropping enterprise to beef.

When the family bought a property at Chinchilla they discovered that major restoration work was in order.

On the Taylors' established properties near Augathella, cattle production was a well-oiled machine; however, when the family bought a property at Chinchilla they discovered that major restoration work was in order.

The plan was to use their new Chinchilla property, located 500 km closer to abattoirs, to finish steers. While the location of their new property made plenty of business sense, they soon discovered that compaction from decades of cropping had destroyed soil health and structure and left it far from its natural state.

Snapshot

Farm/Enterprise Name: Moriah

Farm/Enterprise Location: Chinchilla, Queensland, Australia

Type of Enterprise: Commercial Beef Production and Genetics

Primary Markets Served: Feeder steer market, genetics

Staffing: Two

Property Size: 1,000ha

Property Elevation: 322m

Average Annual Rainfall: 650mm

Climate: Sub-tropical, Summer rainfall

Soil Types: Self mulching clays

Website: www.rangelandbulls.com

Challenge: Severe compaction

Steve Taylor at Moriah

Five decades of conventional cropping on Moriah had paid dividends for previous owners, but when the Taylors bought the farm in 2003 their intent was to run cattle.

Steve openly admits his skill base was not in cropping. Instead he wanted to use the new piece of land as a finishing block for steers bred on the family's western Queensland country. And while the Chinchilla country was not denuded or degraded, the end result of years of farming practices was a compacted topsoil layer and poor soil health. 'It was always going to be a challenge to get pastures established on this cropping country,' Steve says. He was also concerned about the impact of continuous cropping on levels of trace elements, some which could be in the smallest quantities naturally but which had been mined by crops year after year, again impacting soil health.

Here were soils that were gradually moving further and further from their natural state with every crop that was grown

Here were soils that were gradually moving further and further from their natural state with every crop that was grown, requiring ever-increasing amounts of inputs to make those crops a success. What Steve wanted was as natural a system as possible, one which mimicked natural processes and responded positively to rainfall events. He wanted that rainfall to be absorbed into the ground, to be stored for later, rather than running off. Steve is quick to point out he is 'not a green enthusiast', but at the same time, he's a keen observer of soil health and of natural systems. However, this must run parallel to operating a farming business that is profitable.

Solution: Bulldozer approach to change

To convert Moriah from cropping to grazing was not as easy as sowing different species. Nor was it a process that was as simple as the pasture renovation programs at the Taylors' western Queensland properties, where seed was flown in, landing in natural depressions and germinating. The compaction and its impact on soil health at Chinchilla meant a different, more intensive, approach was needed, as well as plenty of horsepower. Steve says that the compaction was so bad that a combination of a D8 bulldozer with a cutter bar could not get penetration. Challenging problems call for open minds, and when the bulldozer contractor suggested altering the pitch of the cutter bar, Steve says it was 'hard to believe what happened'.

Compaction was so bad that a combination of a D8 bulldozer with a cutter bar could not get penetration

'He went from not being able to get penetration in the soil due to the compaction to being able to get along in second gear,' Steve says. What they found under the top 30cm of compacted profile were soils that were in a more natural state.

That was all well and good and the compaction was busted, but in the brutal process, the country was left rough. In Steve's words, 'it was rough enough to make a helicopter shudder as it flew over'.

It was rough enough to make a helicopter shudder as it flew over.

Some may have looked at the country and done their own amount of shuddering, but Steve could not have been more pleased with the outcome. By creating the natural depressions and rises across the property, there were opportunities for moisture to be retained and soil health to improve. This allowed for pasture seed to be applied via a rotating seeder mounted behind the cutter bar in the one operation.

Outcome: Going back for the future

Once the paddocks had returned to a more natural state in terms of 'on the ground' topography, it was time to turn to pastures. With the ability to hold moisture in the soil, and to greater depth thanks to breaking up the compacted layer, Steve has established a pasture mix to feed his cattle. A mix of tussocks and creepers were selected to try to mimic what would have grown naturally, albeit with introduced species. Some of the most successful have been the creeping blue grass varieties of Hatch and Bissett, several buffel varieties as well as Rhodes grass. The perennial varieties of Bambatsi, Green and Gatton panic have also had favourable results. They have also trialled burgundy bean, a legume which was not supposed to last long but is still persisting 18 years later.

They wanted to choose species that were relevant to the climate, rainfall and region.

Steve says they wanted to choose species that were relevant to the climate, rainfall and region, so two varieties of buffel grass, two different panic grasses and premier digit were also included in the mix.

It is always a work in progress, but that initial treatment to break up compaction, while brutal, sees the soils now absorb 'so much more moisture', Steve says, and the vegetation and soil are more natural than when they embarked on their program on Moriah 20 years ago. The Taylors have no official measures of soil health, but thriving pastures tell the story of success. And while those established pastures and ground cover tell one story, the ability to run a herd of 250 cows, replacement heifers and young bulls is another measure of how the rehabilitation program on 1000ha Moriah is paying dividends.

In a neat summary of what they do, Steve says he is making the most of moisture retention by a disciplined grazing rotation and pasture spelling on country that was previously compacted.

Steve says he is making the most of moisture retention by a disciplined grazing rotation and pasture spelling on country that was previously compacted.

'In our system, pasture is our crop and it's harvested by a four-legged header (cattle) which is not all that efficient, as you get only a 50 per cent yield from that animal,' Steve says. 'We need to be efficient in the things we can control like retaining soil moisture and by recreating the natural environment and improving soil health. We believe we are achieving that.'

Healthy soils are just part of the story

Innovative thinking is not limited to the way the Taylors run their country across Queensland. Genetics within their beef herd also play a key role in being able to maximise profitability. Here, the natural way of thinking is also applied, albeit with a clear commercial focus. The Taylors choose the top 5 per cent male progeny from their commercial herd and do not castrate them.

Left entire, these bull calves have weight and scrotal circumference measurements at weaning, at 12 months and again at two years with the goal of picking out the elite genetics where the cream always rises to the top. As they are run in the same conditions, nature plays its role in picking the best.

And underpinning it all has been the desire to not only be profitable but to observe natural systems

At two years, the bulls, which have also been vet assessed and had semen morphology testing, are used within the Taylor family's own commercial operation before they go through identical vet and morphology testing as three year olds and sold to clients. So successful has the process been with their 30:70 Bos indicus:Bos taurus mix that the bulls they initially bred for just their own use are then offered to other breeders.

And underpinning it all has been the desire to not only be profitable but to observe natural systems, whether that is in the way they run cattle or the way they run the country. Within the above objectives, six out of seven of the extended family properties within the Rangeland Bulls group are certified organic, another sign of their respect for the country they run.

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