Land management
We constructed 45km of fence to exclude stock from the Mitchell River in 1992 and constructed 15 stock dams to compensate for the loss of stock access to the river.
Paddocks have been constructed to allow for year on year off spelling of native pasture and introduced stylos. Other local paddocks that have been aerial seeded are used to carry weaners through to the storm season and finish off steers for processing.
Wild dog baiting is carried out on an “as required” basis which usually consists of two programs annually. The wet season program is targeted at problem areas using strychnine as it holds up better in the wet conditions. The second program is usually carried out in the latter part of the year and covers a much larger area using 1080. This routine management of wild dogs has seen a marked decrease in dog bitten calves and a huge increase in kangaroos and wallaroos which don’t pose a problem in this country.
Weeds we target in this country are Rubber Vine, Giant rats tail (one or two plants annually in a known area) Wynn Cassia, Devils Claw and Calatrope. Small infestations are hand pulled while larger areas are poisoned.
Fire management is probably one of the most critical areas in land management. Most of our country is burnt on a 3-4 year cycle, depending on the seasons and external interference. We use fire to clean up the country or get rid of excessive fuel loads which has been part of land management in this country for thousands of years. We also use fire to control some weeds and introduced stylos when they become too dominant in the pasture make up.
Paddocks have been constructed to allow for year on year off spelling of native pasture and introduced stylos. Other local paddocks that have been aerial seeded are used to carry weaners through to the storm season and finish off steers for processing.
Wild dog baiting is carried out on an “as required” basis which usually consists of two programs annually. The wet season program is targeted at problem areas using strychnine as it holds up better in the wet conditions. The second program is usually carried out in the latter part of the year and covers a much larger area using 1080. This routine management of wild dogs has seen a marked decrease in dog bitten calves and a huge increase in kangaroos and wallaroos which don’t pose a problem in this country.
Weeds we target in this country are Rubber Vine, Giant rats tail (one or two plants annually in a known area) Wynn Cassia, Devils Claw and Calatrope. Small infestations are hand pulled while larger areas are poisoned.
Fire management is probably one of the most critical areas in land management. Most of our country is burnt on a 3-4 year cycle, depending on the seasons and external interference. We use fire to clean up the country or get rid of excessive fuel loads which has been part of land management in this country for thousands of years. We also use fire to control some weeds and introduced stylos when they become too dominant in the pasture make up.
Studies conducted on Karma Waters
Since 2005 we have been taking photo points twice year; end of year at break of season and post wet season to monitor the ground cover and species of the area in three paddocks where stock being rotated in the spelled paddocks. Also the monitoring of break of season ground cover and dry matter assessments is being conducted by Northern Gulf Resource Management Group.
We have conducted a field trail with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on carbon emissions. The project trailed and demonstrate practices than can reduce methane emissions from cattle and increase sequestration of soil carbon in three northern grazing regions through improved pasture and dietary management for livestock, increasing herd productivity and lower whole-of-life methane emissions.
We have conducted a field trail with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on carbon emissions. The project trailed and demonstrate practices than can reduce methane emissions from cattle and increase sequestration of soil carbon in three northern grazing regions through improved pasture and dietary management for livestock, increasing herd productivity and lower whole-of-life methane emissions.
