SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Media Release, 20 October 2021

A project is getting underway on Kangaroo Island to provide producers with the tools, skills, and management options to ensure ewe fertility and lamb survival is not compromised because of the bushfires impacting on pasture composition.

The KI Oestrogenic Clover Project will quantify the impacts of the 2019/20 bushfires on pasture composition and upskill producers with regard to potential issues associated with oestrogenic clover.

While annual clovers are a core base for many pasture paddocks, unfortunately, oestrogenic clovers have a long history on the island of impacting on lambing percentages.

Many pastures have been renovated in recent decades and newer non-oestrogenic clovers introduced, however there is evidence that high levels of oestrogenic clovers still exist in some island pastures.

These clovers are still contributing to high number of dry ewes and reduced lambing percentages on some properties.

In the wake of the 2019/2020 bushfires, which caused significant damage to pastures, this project will consider several key components.

With funding through the Local Economic Recovery Program (LER) experts will undertake:

• A sheep reproductive efficiency survey, to develop a benchmark for sheep reproductive efficiency on KI and identify potential opportunities for improvement,

• Upskilling of producers in clover identification and assessment of pastures, and development of pasture management plans, through two producer groups,
• Objective assessment of 100 paddocks in the fire scar area for levels of oestrogenic clovers and subsequent laboratory analysis of samples for oestrogenicity from those paddocks,
• Initial investigations into the development of a herbicide tolerant non-oestrogenic sub-clover.
  

Soils and Land Management consultant from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, David Woodard will be undertaking pasture assessment on the island over the next month.

Soils and Land Management consultant from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, David Woodard will be undertaking pasture assessment on the island over the next month.

He said that for property owners, reviewing this and previous years lamb marking percentages was a first step to determining if there was a problem on a property.

“A high number of dry ewes, extended lambing period and/or lambing difficulties may be the result of oestrogenic clovers,” he said.

“It is important to seek advice though, as there a number of other issues that can also impact on lambing percentages.

“Knowing the level of oestrogenic clovers in your pasture paddocks is the next step. Pastures with greater than 20% oestrogenic clovers may have an impact.”

To learn more about the project visit www.pir.sa.gov.au/ki-clover

This project is made possible as a result of funding from the Local Economic Recovery Program, a joint South Australian and Australian Government initiative of the National Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.