Pasture

Providing Advice on Pasture

One major factor that determines stocking rate is profitability. To make more efficient profits, the aim is to make the most out of livestock over the smallest cost per unit of livestock. 

This can be carried out by; either planting more pasture during the autumn or early winter and carrying out livestock grazing and management at the same degree of effectiveness. It can also be by planting or growing a similar amount of grass and putting it to better use by running more livestock effectively. It could also be an integration of the two options.

Pasture Growing

Pasture growth, especially in Australia, can be somewhat limiting and restrictive because of certain issues such as temperature. However, the soil fertility and the species of pasture being grown can also have a major impact on the growth rate of the pasture to a very large extent such that temperature issues are no longer relevant.

Regardless, all the factors combined have a major impact on the growth rate of the pasture. They all tell the time frame of the growing season and the speed with which the pasture grows after the dry season or autumn period. These factors all have an impact on pasture quality growth.

Fertiliser

Fertilisers are one of the most important ingredients needed to maintain and improve the pastures’ growth rate and quality. In fact, the growth response of pasture is largely dependent on soil fertility. And we all know that soil fertility is largely determined by how well fertiliser is applied.

In pasture management, fertilisers can take up a huge chunk of the annual cost. As such, economic decisions have to be made when it comes to fertilisers.

In fertiliser, the most popular nutrients that should be present are sulphur, phosphorus, and potassium. Before you embark on pasture growing on a particular land, a soil test must be performed. This is to determine which of the nutrients is sufficient and which is lacking. This will help us know the right amount of fertiliser to apply to the soil.

Grazing Method

The mode of pasture grazing has a huge impact on the growth rate of the pasture. It also determines its composition and persistence of grasses. This is why it’s necessary to have a rotation management technique. The mode of rotation management helps to give out different outputs.

Pasture Species

The sowing of better species of grasses would help to increase the growth of the total pasture. The option of sowing better species stands to represent a huge capital cost, which is largely dependent on the required inputs.

Indeed, pasture sewing can be quite lucrative, but certain requirements have to be satisfied to guarantee profitability. Some of the requirements include.

  • They must be established with an extensive capital cost. In this capital cost, so many things go down, such as the proper planning. 
  • They must make sure that the pasture persists. As the longer the pastor’s life, the longer time you have to make your money back.