Pastures and grazing
Good livestock management can improve the profitability of livestock enterprises while maintaining and protecting the soil and pasture resources they rely on.
Pasture management & grazing
Effective grazing management can help improve feed utilisation, maintain soil cover and reduce pressure on erosion-prone areas.
Local case studies have shown that changes such as paddock subdivision, rotational grazing, temporary fencing and adjusting watering points can improve grazing efficiency and help achieve more even use of available feed.
Electric fencing
Temporary electric fencing can be a useful grazing management tool, particularly for protecting fragile or erosion-prone areas.
Four RAPPA electric fencing units are available for loan from the Cleve, Wudinna and Port Lincoln offices. The temporary fencing systems contain the basic equipment required to fence stock away from vulnerable areas and can be used with the assistance of a quadbike or ATV.
Resources include:
- Loan of electric fencing flyer - information about borrowing our RAPPA electric fencing units.
- Temporary electric fencing tips - SARDI fact sheet with practical information on temporary electric fencing.
- Feedbase planning & budgeting tool — compares the costs of feeding, agistment or selling livestock during dry periods.
Eyre Peninsula case studies
- Taking the pressure off cropping (Poochera)
- Increasing stocking pressure for even grazing (Poochera)
- Doubling stock rate through better grazing management
- Managing land classes for better feed utilisation (Cowell)
- Changing paddock management to increase stocking rates (Ceduna)
- Temporary electric fencing for cell grazing (Port Kenny - video)
- Improving Feed Utilisation booklet
- Improving legume nodulation - Upper Eyre Peninsula case study on monitoring medics and pulses to support better nitrogen fixation.
- Chaff lining for weed control at harvest - Eastern Eyre Peninsula case study on using a chaff deck to improve weed management efficiency.
- Positive experience in sowing a summer crop
Other resources
- This Common Pasture Weeds guide from Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board can help to identify weeds that infest pastures and the soil characteristics these weeds can indicate.