Grazing sheep at the break of season
With the break of season almost upon us it is important to remember not to graze newly germinated seedlings too early.
Overgrazing of annual pastures in autumn can lead to a significant reduction in pasture seedling density, especially within the first 12 days after the break of season.
As a result, the productivity of pastures during winter will be lower because there are fewer plants.
The department recommends deferring pasture paddocks at the break of season until feed on offer is at least 500-800 kilograms dry matter per hectare (kg DM/ha).
In general terms, management for the long term viability of annual pastures should take into account three distinct periods of growth; establishment, vegetative and reproductive.
Grazing management decisions should be based on feed on offer (FOO) and be matched to objectives for the pastures which:
- allow pastures to establish in autumn (by deferring grazing until FOO reaches 500-800kg DM/ha)
- maximise pasture growth through the vegetative ‘winter’ phase (by maintaining FOO above 1000kg DM/ha)
- manage grazing pressure during the reproductive ‘flowering’ period in spring to meet seed production and composition objectives.
The establishment phase of annual pastures is the period from germination and seedling emergence, to a point where the seedling has developed a root and leaf system that can be grazed without impacting its persistence.
Grazing pasture too early after seedling emergence can dramatically affect establishment due to uprooting of small seedlings giving reduced plant density and removal of leaf area which results in reduced growth of seedlings.
Decreasing the grazing pressure, applying fertilizer (particularly nitrogen), or sowing pasture seed can improve plant density and effective pasture establishment.
An efficient grazing system should aim to maintain FOO between 800-1400kg DM/ha in autumn and winter.
Establishing annual pastures can be managed through grazing tactics to reduce the negative impact of grazing.
Supplementary feeding or deferred grazing can help maximise pasture establishment.
The following pages provide additional information that you may find useful for this time of year:
- Grazing sheep at the break of season
- Deferred grazing calculator
- Tools and calculators for sheep and grazing management
- Annual pasture quality and quantity
For more information contact Mandy Curnow, Senior Development Officer, Albany on +61 (0)8 9892 8422.