Important principles of pasture management demonstrated within the Cicerone Project's grazed farmlet experiment: some personal reflections

Abstract

The Cicerone Project conducted a grazed farmlet experiment at a moderate scale (53 ha per farmlet) from July 2000 to December 2006 on the Northern Tablelands of NSW to investigate the influence of increased pasture inputs and intensive rotational grazing compared to a typical management system with moderate inputs and a flexible rotational grazing regime. This paper is a personal reflection on the evidence gathered about pastures and their effects on animal and farmlet performance over the experimental period. The most influential management factor which affected farmlet productivity was the sowing of pastures while increasing soil phosphorus and sulfur levels. This allowed the maintenance of higher levels of sown perennial grasses and a significant increase in legume content which together, lifted stocking rate by more than 40%. Although intensive rotational grazing resulted in significant improvements in the control of intestinal worms in sheep and maintained sown perennial grasses quite well, it showed an increase in warm season grasses and had similar low levels of legume and stocking rate compared to the typical farmlet. Some of the important principles discussed include: how to maintain adequate desirable species, the importance of pasture renovation and soil fertility, the need for perennial pastures to persist over decades, the critical levels of green herbage necessary for both animals and pastures, allowing grazing animals sufficient choice in their diet and the need for better management at the individual paddock level.