A practical conversation on pasture dieback with Advancing Beef Leaders

The Advancing Beef Leaders (ABL) program is a tailored leadership and professional development program for emerging beef producers and rural community leaders.  Participants of the ABL program are required to undertake a group project, and the current team of 2025 ABL participants chose to deliver a webinar on pasture dieback as their project to support producers impacted by the condition.

Pasture dieback is a condition the causes unthrifty growth and premature death of otherwise productive tropical and sub-tropical grass pastures.

In this BeefConnect webinar recording, join the team of ABL participants who hosted an hour of conversation and discussion on the topic of pasture dieback. Joining them was the DPI’s pasture dieback team (from across Queensland) to help answer the practical ‘on-farm’ questions that usually arise within dieback conversations.

Watch this recording and learn more about:

1. The background on pasture dieback (its predisposing causes, its spread, the pasture symptoms, susceptible vs tolerant grasses and the latest research)
2. The practical management questions and conversations surrounding pasture dieback:

• How do I know if I have pasture dieback and who can I talk to about identifying it?
• What are the most effective management strategies for pasture dieback?
• Where can I find information on pasture dieback?
• Where can people find more information on establishing pasture legumes and which legumes might suit their country type?
• and many more…

You can watch the full recording or use the playlist below to jump to the start of a particular section within the presentation. (53:02; published 26 March 2025 by FutureBeefAu).

Download a copy of the presentation – A practical conversation on pasture dieback – ABL (PDF; 2.76 MB)

Additional resources:

• Pasture dieback: one-stop-shop (FutureBeef)

Full recording

Playlist

1. ABL introduction and what is the Advancing Beef Leaders program (ABL) – Isabel Golden
2. A practical conversation on pasture dieback with Advancing Beef Leaders – Stu Buck (DPI – Rockhampton)
3. Pasture dieback presentation outline
4. Where is dieback?
5. Four symptom stages of dieback
6. What grass species are affected?
7. What is causing pasture dieback?
8. What factors are needed for pasture dieback to occur?
9. What can be done about pasture dieback?
10. What management options are effective?
11. Where can I find more information?
12. ABL questions and conversation
13. How do I know I have dieback and who can I talk to about identifying it? – Locksley Bishop
14. What are the most effective management options in more detail? – Will Hudson
15. Do you have an indication or any comment when a pesticide might become available to combat the mealy bug? – Will Hudson
16. Is there any foreign knowledge we can take from overseas experience to deal with dieback? – Jules Abra
17. Is there anymore advancement on management and treatment for pasture dieback? – Louise Moore
18. Where can people find more information on establishing pasture legume and which legumes might suit their country type? – Louise Moore
19. Do you have any further comments in relation to producers that have been affected by dieback who have planted legumes and how that legume establishment is progressing? – Louise Moore
20. What research projects are being conducted throughout Queensland on pasture dieback and what outcomes do they hope to achieve? – Louise Moore
21. Is there any particular research in terms of legumes and legume establishment and are any new varieties on the horizon? – Louise Moore
22. Is there a biosecurity risk of transmitting pasture dieback between properties and what biosecurity measures should be in place? – Louise Moore
23. You have mentioned that dieback has been seen in Queensland in the early 1900s, why do you think we’re now seeing this quick expansion of the problem that has probably been around for a while? – Louise Moore
24. Thank you and closing comments – Tom Copley