A $9.87m project tests clover in dairy pastures
The initiative, called “Closing the Clover Gap”, is supported by the Gardiner Foundation and will operate across Tasmania and Victoria. Researchers will compare pastures containing higher proportions of clover with conventional perennial ryegrass monocultures under controlled and commercial conditions.
The project follows results from Dairy Australia’s HIGH2 farmlet trial. That work reported that commercial dairy systems could cut synthetic nitrogen applications by half while maintaining high dry-matter pasture biomass and fluid-milk output. The new programme is intended to test whether those findings can be reproduced across different soils and seasonal conditions.
Researchers are examining clover’s potential to provide nitrogen through biological fixation rather than recurring applications of synthetic fertiliser. The project’s stated objectives include reducing exposure to fluctuations in international fertiliser prices, lowering reliance on chemical inputs and assessing enteric methane intensity.
The programme also focuses on pasture intake and milk-solids production. According to the project description, clover has higher digestibility, faster rumen clearance and a more balanced crude-protein profile than ryegrass. Researchers will assess whether these characteristics allow cows to consume more dry matter per day and increase individual milk-solids yields without expanding herds or increasing concentrate purchases.
Initial field trials will be conducted at TIA’s Dairy Research Facility in Elliott, in north-west Tasmania, using dedicated farmlet paddocks. The research will then extend to a network of commercial focus farms in Tasmania and Victoria, where establishment methods, weed control and grazing rotations can be tested under normal operating conditions.
The initiative is aligned with Australia’s National Dairy Forages R&D Strategy. Dairy Australia and TIA said the work is aimed at developing practical pasture-management methods for dairy producers while addressing the sector’s use of synthetic nitrogen and its environmental impacts.
