eCite Digital Repository
Coaching results in improved pasture management practices
Citation
Flight, S and Turner, L and Jones, S and Irvine, L, Coaching results in improved pasture management practices, IFMA 22 Congress Proceedings, 03-08 March 2019, Launceston, Tasmania, pp. 1-13. (2019) [Non Refereed Conference Paper]
 | Open XML Document (Paper as submitted) Not available 47Kb |
Official URL: http://www.ifma22.org/home/congress-proceedings
Abstract
The Tasmanian dairy industry is predominantly pasture-based and pasture consumption is a key driver of dairy farm profitability. Due to this, Tasmanian dairy research, development and extension has a focus on increasing the amount of pasture grown and consumed by dairy cows. At an industry level, average pasture consumption has increased from 8.5 t DM/ha to 10.6 t DM/ha over the past 10 years. Coaching is one of the extension methods used in the Tasmanian dairy industry to develop farmer skills in grazing management. Pasture coaching involves the formation of groups of 4-6 farmers by an extension officer who takes on the role of coach for the group. A pasture coaching group meets 8-10 times over a 12 month period. An assessment of the impact of pasture coaching on grazing management skills was undertaken in 2016-17 through pre-coaching and post-coaching surveys along with one-on-one farmer interviews. Pasture coaching resulted in practice change with more people undertaking best management practices including calculating average pasture cover and cow requirements and determining leaf stage. Not only did more people implement some of these best management practices but there was also an increased frequency that these practices were undertaken throughout the course of the pasture coaching program.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Non Refereed Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | coaching, extension, farmer learning, pasture management, practice change |
| Research Division: | Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences |
| Research Group: | Agriculture, land and farm management |
| Research Field: | Farm management, rural management and agribusiness |
| Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
| Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
| Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences |
| UTAS Author: | Flight, S (Ms Samantha Flight) |
| UTAS Author: | Turner, L (Dr Lydia Turner) |
| UTAS Author: | Jones, S (Mr Symon Jones) |
| UTAS Author: | Irvine, L (Ms Lesley Irvine) |
| ID Code: | 132761 |
| Year Published: | 2019 |
| Deposited By: | TIA - Research Institute |
| Deposited On: | 2019-05-20 |
| Last Modified: | 2019-05-22 |
| Downloads: | 4 View Download Statistics |
Repository Staff Only: item control page