Optimising pasture variety selection helps productivity
A firm believer in evidence-based decision-making, Alex Good runs his New South Wales dairy farm with a focus on efficiency and long-term gains.
Based in Kangaroo Valley, Alex milks 250 cows year-round on a predominantly homegrown forage-based system. With a small milking platform relative to herd size, maximising silage production is crucial to ensuring consistent feed quality throughout the year.
“We grow a lot of our own silage,” Alex says.
“With hot, humid summers and mild winters, we need to be strategic about pasture variety selection to maintain productivity.”
Since taking over the farm in 2022, Alex has applied his background in agronomy to optimise his forage production. A key tool in his decision making on which variety to sow has been the Dairy Australia Forage Value Index (FVI).
The FVI tables are updated each year since 2017 in collaboration with DataGene, Meat & Livestock Australia and the Pasture Trials Network, to help dairy farmers like Alex to make more informed decisions when selecting profitable ryegrass varieties.
They provide an independent and reliable assessment on the potential economic value of Perennial, Italian and Annual ryegrass varieties.
The FVI compares seasonal dry matter productivity and pasture quality to increase the value delivered to farmers through their pasture selection.
“Independent data on pasture variety yields in Australia is hard to come by,” Alex explains.
“The FVI is one of the few independent resources we have to guide variety selection. It factors in not just yield but forage quality, a key driver of milk production, which makes it much more relevant to profitability.”
The FVI has helped Alex make strategic changes to his farm’s pasture management. Previously, the farm relied heavily on kikuyu, oversown with annual ryegrass each winter. By incorporating more Italian ryegrass and adjusting grazing strategies, he has improved pasture persistence and silage quality.
“We’ve removed a lot of kikuyu and now use Italian ryegrass from April to December. We grow surplus ryegrass in the cooler months, make silage and feed it through TMR over summer. That way, we avoid the drop in productivity that comes during the hotter months.”
The results have been significant. By optimising forage selection and feed strategies, Alex has lifted annual milk production by 50 per cent compared to the farm’s previous performance.
“Production used to suffer from climate variability. There are still seasonal dips, but they’re not as severe now,” he says.
“It’s about getting the details right – thinking like a cow, not just like a farmer.”
Looking ahead, Alex is integrating more perennial ryegrass into his silage system, relying on FVI rankings to select varieties suited to his region.
“Perennial ryegrass stays vegetative and high-quality for longer, which makes it well-suited to silage production,” he says.
“The FVI rankings are a great reference point because they’re based on trial data from different regions, not just one farm’s experience.”
For Alex, tools like the FVI are an essential part of modern dairy farming, particularly for young farmers.
“For young people coming into the industry, there’s a wealth of knowledge on the Dairy Australia website, in different workshops, and in talking to farm engagement leads and field officers.
“Success in farming isn’t about getting everything perfect, but rather getting most things right. Independent tools like the FVI have been tried and tested on lots of different farms by incredibly smart people.
“It’s more reliable than just falling back on the way things have always been done.”
The Forage Value Index is one of the many ways that Dairy Australia delivers outcomes from research to improve herd and feed genetics, as well as providing farmers with insights to support their decision making.
The 2025 Forage Value Index tables are available now.