This week, our Sustainable Agriculture Project Officer Anna has begun visiting Growing Great Ground’s established revegetation sites in the region.
Growing Great Ground is an RLP-funded project that aims to reduce wind erosion, increase soil carbon and improve native vegetation on agricultural properties in the Northern Agriculture Region.
Two Dandaragan landholders had amazing results from their native revegetation works. One landholder revegetated a 12 ha area with a mixture of Acacia, Callistemon, Eucalyptus, Rhagodia and Kangaroo Grass. Perennial grasses, wild oats and other grasses self-sowed in between the seedling rows due to the soil disturbance from tree planting and a good rainfall year. This has created an amazing ground cover for the sandy site! The fenced-off revegetation area will be grazed by backgrounding cattle once fully established. The seedlings for this site were provided by Noongar Land Enterprise Group’s Boola Boornap Tree Nursery.
Before and after photos of Yallalie Downs.
The works at the second site will form a nature corridor connecting two areas of remnant vegetation; one area high in the landscape and one area along a creek line. The native revegetation corridor totals 10 ha and was planted with Shrubby she-oak, Rock She-oak, Saltbush, Banksia, Netbush, Wandoo Gum, Hakea, Tea Tree, Melaleuca, and Acacia. This site also had previous water erosion issues (pictured) which will be reduced by the new native vegetation.
Before and after of the secondproperty.
Saltbush varieties are commonly used in native vegetation plantings in the NAR as they are used for livestock grazing all year round, but especially come in handy to fill the ‘Autumn feed gap.’ They are nutritious and palatable for the livestock, help to reduce soil erosion and are tolerant to drought, frost, and saline soils. Rhagodia Preissii is another common shrub used in mixed biodiverse native revegetation. Although it is generally not as palatable as other shrubs for livestock, it is known for its anthelmintic properties and ability to help bind the soil and reduce erosion. This variety is drought and soil-salinity tolerant and usually grows between 1.2m and 3.6m. Other plants such as gums and she-oaks are used in the native revegetation mixes as they can grow to very tall heights providing shade for the livestock and a habitat for native animals.
The Sus Ag team will continue to visit established Growing Great Ground native vegetation and perennial pasture sites in the early New Year, before the project comes to a close in June 2023.
NACC NRM’s Growing Great Ground project is supported by the Australian Government’s Regional Landcare Partnerships initiative of the National Landcare Program.
