Climate Clever Beef publications

On this page are links to Climate Clever Beef project publications including:

• Scientific journal papers and reports
• Case studies
• Fact sheets
• YouTube videos
• Field day handouts
• Newsletter articles
• Conference proceedings
• Final reports

Publications

The following publications include those produced by the project team as well as other relevant resources.

Scientific journal papers and reports

Journal papers can be accessed from the journal website or by contacting the corresponding author.

Climate Clever Beef overview

• Bray, S., Walsh, D., Phelps, D., Rolfe, J., Broad, K., Whish, G., and Quirk, M. (2016) Climate Clever Beef: options to improve business performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in northern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 38, 207-218.

Regrowth and vegetation carbon

• Gowen, R., and Bray, S. G. (2016). Bioeconomic modelling of woody regrowth carbon offset options in productive grazing systems. The Rangeland Journal 38, 307–317.
• Whish, G., Pahl, L., and Bray, S. (2016). Implications of retaining woody regrowth for carbon sequestration for an extensive grazing beef business: a bio-economic modelling case study. The Rangeland Journal 38, 319–330.
• Bray, S. G., and Golden, R. (2009). Scenario analysis of alternative vegetation management options on the greenhouse gas budget of two grazing businesses in north eastern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 31, 137–142.
• Donaghy, P., Bray, S., Gowen, R., Rolfe, J., Stephens, M., Hoffmann, M., and Stunzer, A. (2010). The bioeconomic potential for agroforestry in Australia’s northern grazing systems. Small-scale Forestry 9, 463–484.
• Peeters P.J. and Butler D.W. (2014) Brigalow: regrowth benefits management guideline. Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane.
• Peeters P.J. and Butler D.W. (2014) Eucalypt woodlands: regrowth benefits management guideline. Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane.

Livestock methane

• Cullen, B. R., Eckard, R. J., Timms, M., and Phelps, D. G. (2016). The effect of earlier mating and improving fertility on greenhouse gas emissions intensity of beef production in northern Australian herds. The Rangeland Journal 38, 283–290.
• Walsh, D., and Cowley, R. (2016). Optimising beef business performance in northern Australia: what can 30 years of commercial innovation teach us? The Rangeland Journal 38, 291–305. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/RJ15064.htm
• Eady, S. J., Havard, G., Bray, S. G., Holmes, W., and Navarro, J. (2016). Down scaling to regional assessment of greenhouse gas emissions to enable consistency in accounting for emissions reduction projects and national inventory accounts for northern beef production in Australia. The Rangeland Journal 38, 219–228.
• Herd, R. M., Oddy, V. H., and Bray, S. (2015). Baseline and greenhouse-gas emissions in extensive livestock enterprises, with a case study of feeding lipid to beef cattle. Animal Production Science 55, 159–165.
• Cottle, D., Eckard, R., Bray, S., and Sullivan, M. (2016). An evaluation of carbon offset supplementation options for beef production systems on coastal speargrass in central Queensland, Australia. Animal Production Science 56, 385–392.
• Callaghan, M. J., Tomkins, N. W., Benu, I., and Parker, A. J. (2014). How feasible is it to replace urea with nitrates to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from extensively managed beef cattle? Animal Production Science 54, 1300–1304.
• Charmley, E., Stephens, M. L., and Kennedy, P. M. (2008). Predicting livestock productivity and methane emissions in northern Australia: development of a bio-economic modelling approach. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 109–113.
• Charmley, E., Williams, S. R. O., Moate, P. J., Hegarty, R. S., Herd, R. M., Oddy, V. H., Reyenga, P., Staunton, K. M., Anderson, A., and Hannah, M. C. (2016). A universal equation to predict methane production of forage-fed cattle in Australia. Animal Production Science 56, 169–180.
• Cottle, D. J., Nolan, J. V., and Wiedemann, S. G. (2011). Ruminant enteric methane mitigation: a review. Animal Production Science 51, 491–514.
• Harrison, M. T., McSweeney, C., Tomkins, N. W., and Eckard, R. J. (2015). Improving greenhouse gas emissions intensities of subtropical and tropical beef farming systems using Leucaena leucocephala. Agricultural Systems 136, 138–146.
• Rolfe, J. (2010). Economics of reducing methane emissions from beef cattle in extensive grazing systems in Queensland. The Rangeland Journal 32, 197–204.

Soil carbon

• Bray, S. G., Allen, D. E., Harms, B. P., Reid, D. J., Fraser, G. W., Dalal, R. C., Walsh, D., Phelps, D. G., and Gunther, R. (2016). Is land condition a useful indicator of soil organic carbon stock in Australia’s northern grazing land? The Rangeland Journal 38, 229–243.
• Fraser, G. W., and Stone, G. S. (2016). The effect of soil and pasture attributes on rangeland infiltration rates in northern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 38, 245–259.
• Allen, D. E., Pringle, M. J., Bray, S., Hall, T. J., O’Reagain, P. O., Phelps, D., Cobon, D. H., Bloesch, P. M., and Dalal, R. C. (2013). What determines soil organic carbon stocks in the grazing lands of north-eastern Australia? Soil Research 51, 695–706.
• Allen, D. E., Bloesch, P. M., Cowley, R. A., Orton, T. G., Payne, J. E., and Dalal, R. C. (2014). Impacts of fire on soil organic carbon stocks in a grazed semi-arid tropical Australian savanna: accounting for landscape variability. The Rangeland Journal 36, 359–369.
• Bray, S., Harms, B., Fraser, G., and Rutherford, M. (2010). Assessment of soil carbon stocks in response to land condition in Queensland’s northern grazing land: Appendix A. In: ‘Keys to Healthy Savanna Lands Final Report’. (Ed. K. Broad.) pp. 21–47. (DEEDI: Kairi, Qld.) (coming soon)
• Pringle, M.J., Allen, D. E., Dalal, R. C., Payne, J. E., Mayer, D. G., O’Reagain, P., and Marchant, B. P. (2011). Soil carbon stock in the tropical rangelands of Australia: Effects of soil type and grazing pressure, and determination of sampling requirement. Geoderma 167–168, 261–273.
• Pringle, M. J., Allen, D. E., Phelps, D. G., Bray, S. G., Orton, T. G., and Dalal, R. C. (2014). The effect of pasture utilization rate on stocks of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in a semi-arid tropical grassland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 195, 83–90.

Savanna burning

• Walsh, D., Russell-Smith, J., and Cowley, R. (2014). Fire and carbon management in a diversified rangelands economy: research, policy and implementation challenges for northern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 36, 313–322.
• Cowley, R. A., Hearnden, M. H., Joyce, K. E., Tovar-Valencia, M., Cowley, T. M., Pettit, C. L., and Dyer, R. M. (2014). How hot? How often? Getting the fire frequency and timing right for optimal management of woody cover and pasture composition in northern Australian grazed tropical savannas. Kidman Springs Fire Experiment 1993–2013. The Rangeland Journal 36, 323–345.
• Walton, N., Smith, H.,Bowen, L., Mitchell, P., Pethybridge, E., Hayes, T., and O’Ryan, M. (2014). Opportunities for fire and carbon on pastoral properties in the savanna rangelands: perspectives from the Indigenous Land Corporation and the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association. The Rangeland Journal 36, 403–409.

Net carbon position

• Bray, S., Doran-Browne, N., and O’Reagain, P. (2014a). Northern Australian pasture and beef systems. 1. Net carbon position. Animal Production Science 54, 1988–1994.
• Bray, S., and Willcocks, J. (2009). ‘Net Carbon Position of the Queensland Beef Industry.’ (Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation: Queensland.)
• Eady, S., Viner, J., and MacDonnell, J. (2011) On-farm greenhouse gas emissions and water use: case studies in the Queensland beef industry. Animal Production Science 51, 667-681.
• Henry, B.K., Butler, D., and Wiedemann, S.G. (2015) A life cycle assessment approach to quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change for beef production in eastern Australia. The Rangeland Journal 37, 273-283.
• Wiedemann, S. G., Henry, B. K., McGahan, E. J., Grant, T., Murphy, C. M., and Niethe, G. (2015). Resource use and greenhouse gas intensity of Australian beef production: 1981–2010. Agricultural Systems 133, 109–118.

Business analysis and grazing land management

• Broad, K. C., Sneath, R. J., and Emery, T. M. J. (2016). Use of business analysis in beef businesses to direct management practice change for climate adaptation outcomes. The Rangeland Journal 38, 73–282.
• Rolfe, J. W., Larard, A. E., English, B. H., Hegarty, E. S., McGrath, T. B., Gobius, N. R., De Faveri, J., Srhoj, J. R., Digby, M. J., and Musgrove, R. J. (2016). Rangeland profitability in the northern Gulf region of Queensland: understanding beef business complexity and the subsequent impact on land resource management and environmental outcomes. The Rangeland Journal 38, 261–272.
• Doran-Browne, N.A., Bray, S.G., Johnson, I.R., O’Reagain, P.J., and Eckard, R.J. (2014) Northern Australian pasture and beef systems. 2. Validation and use of the Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) whole-farm biophysical model. Animal Production Science 54, 1995-2002.
• Hunt, L. P., McIvor, J. G., Grice, A. C., and Bray, S. G. (2014). Principles and guidelines for managing cattle grazing in the grazing lands of northern Australia: stocking rates, pasture resting, prescribed fire, paddock size and water points – a review. The Rangeland Journal 36, 105–119.
• O’Reagain, P., Scanlan, J., Hunt, L., Cowley, R., and Walsh, D. (2014) Sustainable grazing management for temporal and spatial variability in north Australian rangelands – a synthesis of the latest evidence and recommendations. The Rangeland Journal 36, 223-232.
• Scanlan, J. C., McIvor, J. G., Bray, S. G., Cowley, R. A., Hunt, L. P., Pahl, L. I., MacLeod, N. D., and Whish, G. L. (2014). Resting pastures to improve land condition in northern Australia: guidelines based on the literature and simulation modelling. The Rangeland Journal 36, 429–443.
• Walsh, D., and Cowley, R.A. (2011) Looking back in time: can safe pasture utilisation rates be determined using commercial paddock data in the Northern Territory? The Rangeland Journal 33, 131-142.

Case studies

• Alexandria, Gallipoli and Soudan Stations – Optimising sustainable cattle production and profitability in the Barkly (PDF 3.17 MB)
• Alexandria Station – Wet season spelling and stocking rate management for healthy pastures and business performance in the Barkly (PDF 925 kB)
• Blanncourt Station – Productivity and profitability gains through efficient herd management (PDF 344 kB)
• Delamere – Burning and wet season spelling for better pastures and business performance in the Victoria River District (PDF 1.6 MB)
• Escombe Downs – Infrastructure for improved livestock and land management (PDF 167 kB)
• Glenlinden – Driving sustainability through use of legumes, spelling and documented herd management (PDF 649 kB)
• Goodwood – Pasture spelling within a highly variable climate (PDF 334 kB)
• Greenhills Station – Improving grazing management and productivity through infrastructure development (PDF 477 kB)
• A Julia Creek beef trading enterprise (PDF 1 MB)
• Karma waters, Mt Carbine – herd productivity and greenhouse gas emissions (PDF 2 MB)
• Maranoa Balonne – Improving greenhouse gas outcomes in a beef business (PDF 580 kB)
• Oakleigh, Kidston – Grazing management, herd productivity and greenhouse gas emissions (PDF 3 MB)
• Rainsby – Maintaining pasture supply through wet season spelling (PDF 140 kB)
• Ruby Downs Station – Understanding land-use effects on carbon stored in the soil (PDF 503 kB)
• Spoilbank – Grazing management for drought recovery (PDF 281 kB)
• Trafalgar Station – Carbon offset project assessment (PDF 336 kB)
• Victoria River District – Improving weaning rates (PDF 2.18 MB)
• Wongan – Sixty days spelling improves grass growth for better livestock production (PDF 859 kB)

Fact sheets

• Business analysis from the Maranoa-Balonne region (PDF 945 kB)
• Estimating dry matter yield in Mitchell grass country (PDF 70 kB)
• Estimating greenhouse gas emissions from Gulf breeding enterprises (466 kB)
• Evaluation of wet season phosphorus supplementation to improve production and greenhouse gas emissions in northern Australia (PDF 280 kB)
• Fire – Management of native and invasive woody weeds in the Northern and Southern Gulf (PDF 312 kB)
• Improving grazing management through infrastructure development (PDF 232 kB)
• Land condition in the Mitchell grasslands, Open Downs land type (PDF 87 kB)
• Lighter stocking maintains 3P grasses – the backbone of profitable grazing systems (PDF 432 kB)
• Mitchell grass pasture phases of growth (PDF 101 kB)
• Mitchell grass seedling development (PDF 562 kB)
• Monitoring pasture productivity on Karma Waters (PDF 916 kB)
• Native pastures respond to wet season spelling (PDF 1 MB)
• Soil carbon in the Maranoa Balonne (PDF 235 kB)
• Soil carbon response to management in the Clarke Creek district (PDF 314 kB)
• Soil carbon results from a Mitchell grass paddock on the Barkly (PDF 730 kB)
• Soil carbon storage in the Rangelands (PDF 1 MB)
• Soil organic matter and carbon in agriculture (PDF 213 kB)
• Stylos increase liveweight gains on Karma Waters (PDF 566 kB)Fact sheet-Soil carbon storage in the Rangelands
• Wet season spelling in the Gulf (PDF 452 kB)
• Wet season spelling for improving land condition in the Victoria River District (PDF 801 kB)

YouTube videos

Mitchell grass paddock walk

This video shows a series of paddock walk field days about wet season spelling in western Queensland.
4:06 minutes published 10 September 2011 by DesertChannels

Grazing in good times – the Dunblane experiments

A record of the Dunblane field day demonstrating how to make the best of a big season.
14:27 minutes published 21 February 2012 by DesertChannels

Managing Mitchell grass – the Wongan experience

This clip demonstrates increasing productivity through improving the quality and quantity of native pastures.
11.15 minutes published 5 June 2012 by DesertChannels

Managing Mitchell grass on Goodwood

Hear how Rick and Anne Britton have developed a wet season spelling strategy to suit their beef breeding enterprise within the Boulia Shire.
7:38 minutes published 11 Sep 2012 by DesertChannels

Field day handouts

• Breeder management booklet (PDF 613 kB) Oaklands field day, July 2013
• Carbon and grazing – finding the balance (PDF 569 kB) Jericho BeefUp forum, March 2012
• Cattle versus carbon: Finding the win-win. Young Carbon Farmers tour March 2014
• Making money in good seasons (PDF 1.03 MB) Dunblane field day, October 2011
• Northern Grazing Carbon Farming – Integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes, FBA Muster October 2012 (PDF 978 kB)
• Perspective on Pastures Productivity and Emissions (PDF 834 kB) Clarke Creek Field Day, Nov 2011
• Stocking rate and pasture spelling demonstration site (PDF 342 kB) Barkly field day, August 2011

Newsletter articles

• Winning on every front (PDF 3.5 MB) pages 24-25 Feedback magazine August/September 2016
• Oaklands case study (PDF 4.79 MB) pages 35-36 CQ BEEF Issue 18, September 2013
• Carbon Farming Initiative workshop (PDF 3.25 MB) pages 9-10 Barkly Beef September 2012
• Climate Clever Beef Alan and Penny Wallace (PDF 253 kB) pages 21-23 MLA Feedback April 2012
• Considering pasture spelling this wet season? (PDF 5.2 MB) Alexandria trial page 6 in Barkly Beef December 2010
• Lessons learnt from soil testing (PDF 639 kB) pages 1-2 CQ BEEF Issue 13
• Northern Grazing Systems project in the Fitzroy Basin (PDF 331 kB) pages 8-9 CQ BEEF Issue 10
• Producer Profile-Robert and Jane Sherry (PDF 483 kB) page 12 CQ BEEF Issue 12
• Show me the money! (PDF 6.6 MB) Alexandria trial pages 1-3 in Barkly Beef July 2011

Conference proceedings

Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference, Alice Springs, 2015 proceedings (PDF 3.25 MB)

• Ahead of the pack: what 30 years of commercial pastoral innovation can teach us (page 23)
• Using business analysis to inform management decisions in beef businesses (page 35)
• Wet season spelling: a producer demonstration site. (page 42)
• Spelling strategies for recovery of pasture condition. (page 46)
• How well does NDVI correlate with green biomass, cover and diet quality? (page 54)
• Cattle grazing found to have had no negative effect on soil carbon stocks at a site in the Northern Territory. (page 61)
• Impacts of pasture spelling on the performance of a beef grazing property in northern Australia (page 65)
• Is more or less fire needed in northern savannas? Fire history (and optimal management) varies with land use and land type. (page 105)

Northern Beef Research Update Conference, Cairns, 2013 NBRUC proceedings

• ‘Better farming’ or ‘carbon farming’? Show me the money! (poster PDF 392 kB)
• Cattle versus carbon: 1. The tug of war begins (poster PDF 225 kB)
• Cattle versus carbon: 2. Some battle plans (poster PDF 353 kB)
• Early joining improves turnoff, financial margins and emission intensity in western Queensland (poster PDF 147 kB)
• Infrastructure to improve beef business outcomes in the Gulf (poster PDF 294 kB)

Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference, Kununurra, 2012 proceedings (PDF 3.34 MB)

• Fire management in a carbon economy (page 76)
• Producing climate clever beef in Northern Australia (page 17)

Northern Beef Research Update Conference, Darwin, 2011 NBRUC proceedings

1. Improving beef business resilience (poster PDF 260 kB)
2. A pasture spelling and stocking rate demonstration at Alexandria Station (poster PDF 136 kB)
3. Soil health comparisons between remnant forest and cleared pasture in the Fitzroy catchment (poster PDF 900 kB)
4. Adapting to beef business pressures in the Gulf (poster PDF 209 kB)

Other conference proceedings papers

Cullen, B. R., Timms, M., Eckard, R., Mitchell, R. A., Whip, P., and Phelps, D. (2013). The effect of earlier mating and improving fertility on emissions intensity of beef production in a northern Australian herd. In: ‘Proceedings of the 5th International Greenhouse Gas and Animal Agriculture Conference (GGAA 2013)’. Vol. 4, pp. 403. (Advances in Animal Biosciences, Cambridge University Press: Dublin, Ireland.)

Broad, K., Sneath, R., Emery, T. and Bray, S. (2016) Climate Clever Beef: extension strategies  to support beef business profitability in a changing climate. In: ‘Proceedings of the 10th International Rangeland Congress, Canada pp 218-220.

Final Reports

• Rehabilitation of degraded land to increase soil carbon storage on Northwest Queensland (PDF 2 MB)
• Climate Clever Beef: On-farm demonstration of adaptation and mitigation options for climate change in northern Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia
• Northern grazing carbon farming – integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes 1. (PDF 1.53 MB)
• Northern grazing carbon farming – integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes 2. (PDF 980 kB)
• Desktop research project to provide data on liveweight and liveweight gain in the beef cattle sector in Queensland and the Northern Territory (PDF 3.67 MB)