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4. Soil Management Considerations
Grazing systems
1.
Continuous – Grazing is considered continuous when livestock are left to graze one area
for a long period of time.
2.
Simple Rotational – A system with more than one pasture qualifies as rotational. A simple
system consists of a few pastures through which livestock are rotated to give the forage in
each some rest between grazing events.
3.
Intensive Rotational – Intensive grazing is a system in which livestock graze on small areas
of pasture, or in paddocks, for very short periods of time, rotating frequently from one to
another to maximize periods of forage regrowth.
Note: The most important difference in these systems is the amount of time per rotation that plants
are exposed to grazing animals.
Grazing management aligned with natural cycles
of forage can improve the plant root structure
(depth) and function. Plants with deep roots
are best prepared to survive drought. Proper
grazing management determines the harvest
of vegetation using grazing and/or browsing
animals in a manner that allows for sustained
forage production by keeping plants at a higher
quality and more productive vegetative state.
This can be accomplished many ways
— one size doesn’t fit all!
Increasing carbohydrates
in roots and rhizomes
Decreasing carbohydrates
in roots and rhizomes