Report Synopsis

Managing Pastures for Seasonal Variability

Jesse Moody

Droughts have increased in both severity and duration over the past 30 years. Alongside this, stocking rates have been slowly declining and the need to supplement or substitute feed stock has risen accordingly. Australia’s climate is not unique with similar environments around the world however, many of our grazing methodologies and pasture management theories are derived from Europe which does not share our climate traits.

Most primary producers believe they are doing right by their land as they want to leave it in a better shape than it was when they took over. It is this same inspiration the author uses to convey an out-the-box solution to managing our native environment, in a way that is more suitable to its varied climate. Humid environments are more forgiving in terms of under grazing or over grazing pastures and that is a luxury only a few parts of Australia get to enjoy. 

To allow livestock producers to return to stock production in a similar capacity to early colonial days, we need to understand the brittle environment in which we graze, observe the delicate combination in which the soil, plants and animals coexist and maximise the full potential of our free natural services; rainfall, and sunlight. 

Large areas of the landscape have been (unknowingly) mismanaged for generations, in turn lowering soil organic moisture and soil organic carbon levels and reducing water absorption rates. This in turn has seen a proliferation of woody weeds grow and a reduction in nutritious edible plants in the broader pastures. A large reduction in trees has seen an imbalance of shade and shelter throughout the paddock, impacting on stock comfort and their overall productivity. Then finally, a failure to understand the flow on effects from plant to animal have seen livestock under or overgraze paddocks to the detriment of the soil.

Animals are the most important tool in a grazier’s tool box for soil fertility and pasture management and with their help, all the above can be reversed. How they are grazing a paddock determines the Soil Organic Matter (SOM), the water absorption rates and plant exposure to the sun to name a few. Managing grazing intensity and time is up to us to get this balance right.

This report aims to give not just confidence to primary producers managing for excessive seasonal conditions. At a time where there is increasing scrutiny from consumers on how we manage our production, this report also, importantly, shines a light on the awareness farmers have on the environment that they rely so much on.

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