The Management of Pastures for Grazing

Abstract

This article examines pasture management in moist temperate climates, and looks at the reasons why putting the findings into practice has been so difficult. Many factors affect the behaviour of the animal-pasture system, including whether continuous or rotational grazing is practised, the intensity of grazing, and seasonal differences in climate and grass reproduction. Pasture quality is defined in terms of green leaf and dead material: the amount of green leaf present in a pasture is of prime importance in determining the productivity of the canopy and its value for animal feeding, while the presence of dead material can interfere with herbage productivity and also reduce the quality of the sward for animals. Pastures and grazing animals interact strongly with each other, and maximum productivity depends on achieving a balance.