Pastures are responding now while the soil temperature and moisture are favourable after the timely seasonal break.

With careful grazing management, these valuable pastures can be nurtured back to full potential. Many were in the worst condition at the end of summer that many farmers had ever seen; ground cover had declined in many cases, leaving bare soil prone to erosion and weed invasion.

In conjunction with many cereal crops that are getting to the stage of being grazed, rotational grazing of pastures through winter can be used to manipulate species composition and to keep them in a vegetative stage where they are most productive. Paddock rotations should include grazing for two weeks followed by a rest period of six to eight weeks.

This time should be tied to maintaining the pasture to a specific residual herbage mass, such as a minimum of 1000 kilograms per hectare dry matter, so ground cover can be maintained at all times. Different pasture species vary greatly in their response to grazing, so knowledge of individual species is essential.

Management that assists the growth of pasture generally benefits the grazing animal as well and contributes to a sustainable farming system. Pasture production is directly influenced by the intensity and frequency of the immediate past grazing. This will affect how quickly and how much it can re-grow.

In every pasture there is a continual competition between plants, whether they are other pasture species or weeds, for nutrients, moisture or sunlight. When one species is disadvantaged by some aspect of its growth habit, such as selective grazing or shading by weeds, another species may be advantaged.

Management must balance this by allowing each species to contribute to its potential. It is always beneficial to do a fodder budget where assessment of how much feed is available, and how many stock should be allocated to the paddock.

Contact your local DPI office or www.dpi.nsw.gov.au