Manage the grazing system to maintain optimum pasture levels

Not detecting a change in pasture quantity and quality or animal demand will increase the risk of missing pasture and animal production targets. Regular monitoring of pasture and animal condition is critical to success because:

• An increase in predicted pasture growth, leading to higher pasture mass and total pasture energy supply, may be wasted if additional pasture is not utilised.
• A decrease in predicted pasture growth, or unplanned events that decrease pasture availability, may lead to declining pasture mass, lowered intake by animals and eventually overgrazing.
• Repeated overgrazing without adequate rest can reduce ground cover, damage soil and reduce the ability of the pasture to “bounce back” with rain, rest or fertiliser.