Regenerative Grazing - Graeme Hand

Regenerative Grazing to Increase Soil Health and Profitability

Handbrake turn?

Brazil

Underestimating Risk

•

“……..farm viability depends more on minimising losses than maximising production, and it is these accumulated losses which threaten farm business survival and growth".

Dr Tim Hutchings

Management as decision making:

• Decision Levels:

• Simple (eg how to sow a crop)

• Complicated (eg how to develop a crop rotation)

• Complex (eg profitability, lifestyle and land improvement)

• The processes we use for each are different

Nigel McGuckian RMCG

Successful adoption of planned grazing

Holistic Context

• We want stable families living peaceful lives in prosperity and physical security, while free to pursue our own spiritual or religious beliefs. Adequate nutritious food and clean water. Enjoying good education and health in balanced lives with time for family, friends and community and leisure for cultural and other pursuits. All to be ensured, for many generations to come, on a foundation of regenerating soils and biologically diverse communities on Earth’s land and in her rivers, lakes and oceans.

Source Allan Savory https://www.savory.global/managing-complexity/

Holistic Context

We (people) desire:

• Secure well-paid jobs.

• Safe neighbourhoods.

• A good standard of living.

• Happy, successful kids.

• Security and happiness

Holistic Context

Supported by:

• Regenerating soils and biological diversity

• 100% ground cover

• Increasing litter depth rapidly decomposing

• Increasing diverse perennial plants with large basal area

Checklist

CheckingQuestions

1.CauseandEffect Doesthisactionaddresstheroot causeoftheproblem?

2.WeakLink

a. Social.Couldthisaction,duetoprevailingattitudesor beliefs,createaweaklinkbetweenusandthosewhose supportweneed?

b. Biological.Doesthisactionaddresstheweakestlinkin thelifecycleofthisorganism?

c. Financial.Doesthisactionstrengthentheweakestlinkin thechainofproduction?

3.MarginalReaction Whichactionprovidesthegreatest return,inlinewithourcontext,foreachadditionalunitof timeormoneyinvested?

4.GrossProfitAnalysis Whichenterprisescontributethe mosttocoveringtheoverheadsofthebusiness?

5.Energy/MoneySourceandUse Istheenergyormoney tobeusedinthisactionderivedfromthemostappropriate sourceintermsofourholisticcontext? Willthewayin whichtheenergyormoneyisusedbeinlinewithour holisticcontext?

6.Sustainability Ifwetakethisaction,willitleadtowardor awayfromthefutureresourcebasedescribedinour holisticcontext?

7.GutFeel Howdowefeelaboutthisactionnow?Willit leadtothequalityoflifewedesire?Willitadverselyaffect thelivesofothers?

Four Key Insights

• Holism (production vs profit)

• Brittleness

• Role of predators

• Time

Brittleness

• Arbitrary Scale

• Depends on the distribution of atmospheric moisture

• 1 (non brittle) to 10 (brittle)

•

Brittle

Brittle

Brittle

https://www.trailblazerstravel.com.au/wildebeest-migrationtanzania/

Role of predators

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reintroduction-of-Gray-Wolves-Into-Yellowstone-National-Park-164877

Role of predators

Role of predators

Jaime Elizondo

Time

•Recovery time and paddock time governs overgrazing (and over trampling)

•Not big tight mobs and high utilization

Time

• High stock density promotes germination of perennial grass seed bank

•

One of a few severely grazed perennial grass plants among millions of plants after one horse had grazed for one hour in a paddock.

What is landscape function?

• Landscape function analysis (LFA) is a monitoring procedure that uses rapidly acquired field-assessed indicators to assess the biogeochemical functioning of landscapes…...

Landscape Function

Soil surface analysis

Simplified Indicator

1. Soil Cover

2. Basal Cover of perennial grass

3. Litter cover

4. Litter cover, origin and degree of decomposition

Soil surface indicators

5. Surface roughness STABILITY WATER INFILTRATION

NUTRIENT CYCLING

Landscape Function

Simplified

Soil surface analysis

Indicator

1. Soil Cover

2. Basal Cover of perennial grass

3. Litter cover

4. Litter cover, origin and degree of decomposition

Soil surface indicators

5. Surface roughness STABILITY

CYCLING

David Tongway http://members.iinet.net.au/~lfa_procedures/

David Tongway http://members.iinet.net.au/~lfa_procedures/

Same soil type – different management

Leaf emergence

To be safe, we assume that the grazing has been severe, because some plants are always grazed severely, and thus we focus on plant growth rate.

Definition of perennial grass recovery

• When it looks like an ungrazed plant & contains fresh yellow litter

• Depends on temperature and soil moisture & previous management which means we need to monitor

Savory, Allan. Holistic Management, Third Edition: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment (p. 334). Island Press. Kindle Edition.

Inverary Hill Paddock

Weed Control

Safe to fail practice areas

• Small

• Grazed for a couple of hours

• Locked up for range of recoveries

• At least one at 6 months and one at 12 months

Safe to fail practice areas

• Animals monitored closely

• Soil surface left covered

• Couple of practice areas with a range of recoveries

• Take photos and monitor

“Non selective or severe grazing has so many advantages over grazing selectively which demands coming back faster. On the left grazed selectively 2-3 times per year for over 12 years. On the right, after only one severe grazing followed by a full growing season rest. Same paddock, change of grazing type which leads to a much better succession and desirable plants recruitment. This type of grazing sequesters MUCH MORE carbon and benefits the WHOLE”. Source: Jaime Elizondo https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=jaime%20elizondo%20braun

Steps in Planned Grazing (#2)

1. Plan recovery and grazing time in each paddock

2. Schedule moves to make sure right paddock right time

3. Monitor to make sure plan is continually put back on track

Calculating Recovery Time: Key formulas

• Average paddock size = Total grazing area/number of paddocks

• Average grazing time = Recovery period/(number of paddocks – 1)

Example Cell

•11 paddocks

•180 days recovery

•110 ha

• Average Paddock size = 10 ha

• Average Grazing time = 180/11-1 = 18days

Scheduling moves

•What is happening during this time

•Develop list

•Plan backwards from most critical activity

•Use Grazing &/or Paddock Plan

Scheduling (#2)

Planned Grazing Monitoring

Not enough food. Or food moving too fast through the rumen.

Triangle should ideally be flat or bulging.

Animal Based Monitoring

Gut fill: We want the cows full of recovered perennial grass.

© Graeme Hand

Food moving too fast through the rumen. Health risk.

Good animal performance. Good animal health.

Pasture high in fibre, low in protein. Good animal health, lower animal performance.

Animal Based Monitoring

Dung Score: Is this perennial grass too young? (!)

© Graeme Hand

Animal Based Monitoring

https://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/lifestyle-file/livestock-a-pets/sheep/item/136-diarrhoea-in-sheep

Implementing Regenerative Grazing

Key Habit

WeeklyPlannedGrazingCorrectiveActionForm Date: 01/06/2019

Estimating stocking rate during no growth periods

• Estimate how many days/ months of feed available with current mob

• Estimate how many days/ months of non growth likely

• Divide number of months feed available by months non growth

• Adjust stock numbers by lack of months of feed available / months non growth

Estimating stocking rate during no growth periods - example

•Feed available current mob 4 months

•6 months estimated non growth

•Therefore need to reduce mob by

•2 months / 6 months = 1/3

.

Ground cover occasionally reached the district average but was generally poor. Paddocks set stocked. Low to no profit.

Figure 1: Pre-Holistic Management years

Evidence – FarmMap 4D

High groundcover

District average groundcover

Low groundcover

Ground

Evidence

High groundcover

District average groundcover

Low groundcover

FarmMap 4D

Ground cover at Neringla

Date (years)

Moderate stable profits

Figure 2: Holistic-management Yo-yo years Peter & his father undertook HM training, guided by several trainers over this decade. Training resulted in erratic ground cover. While the farm spent more time with above average groundcover, the wild highs and lows stressed Peter.

cover at Neringla

Figure 3: Holistic-management Lightbulb moment Peter and Graeme working together and using ‘safe to fail’ practice areas to guide farm management and planning. Ground cover is consistently very high. Recovery time is adjusted through stocking rate to avoid running out of feed.

Evidence – FarmMap 4D

Ground cover at Neringla

Pre Holistic Management training

Standard Holistic Management practice

Practical HM practice – PR/GH

Evidence – FarmMap 4D

Ground cover at Neringla - 1st November 2018

High groundcover

Declining ground cover triggered rule of thumb.

• Rule of Thumb – when in doubt

o Decrease stocking rate increasing recovery

o Decrease paddock size to increase animal impact/ stock density to promote germination of the perennial grass seed bank.

Evidence – FarmMap 4D

Ground cover at Neringla - 30th January 2019

Large turnaround over a wet summer

Inverary Groundcover Compared to District

Inverary purchased and managed from a distance (July 2002)

Inverary Groundcover Compared to District

Jar on left is water coming into property. Jar on right water leaving property. 15 months of planned grazing cleaned up runoff

Inverary Groundcover Compared to District

Inverary Groundcover Compared to District

Clear run off after drought breaking 100 mm rainfall. No feeding required

2006 – 2007 Drought

Inverary Groundcover Compared to District

Comparison - Best practice farm and research

2006 – 2007 Drought

Regenerative Grazing to Increase Soil Health and Profitability

Graeme Hand

graemehand9@gmail.com 0418532130

Perennial grass near Kojunup

Perennial grass near Kojunup

Graeme Hand 0418532130

graeme.hand@bigpond.com

•Resowing isn’t always profitable

•Pasture resowing isn’t “best practice”

•Resowing locks in high inputs

Graeme Hand 0418532130 graeme.hand@bigpond.com

Graeme Hand 0418532130 graeme.hand@bigpond.com

Graeme Hand 0418532130 graeme.hand@bigpond.com

Andrew & Megan Mosley Cobar NSW

Mean Rainfall 389mm Image and rainfall BOM

Research - dominant view

Andrew & Megan Mosley Cobar NSW

Mean Rainfall 389mm Image and rainfall BOM

Grass Productivity

Andre Voisin

“To what height should grass be grazed?” Page 56

.......The logical idea is therefore not to graze the sward too closely so that the plant will be left with sufficient green surface, the chlorophyll of which will be able, right from the start, to carry out its work of synthesis and immediately aid regrowth. In this way the duration of the initial period of slow regrowth is reduced. From the plant physiology point of view one might say that the low, level part of the S curve is reduced.

Unfortunately we see here again perfectly sound, theoretical and scientific considerations running foul of practical obstacles which could not be foreseen a priori.

Cows (or animals in general) have the habit of first grazing down the parts they prefer before going on to the herbage they like less.”

Selective Grazing

One of a few severely grazed perennial grass plants among millions of plants after one horse had grazed for one hour in a paddock.

Man, Cattle and Veld

Johann Ziestman

• Such information is as useless as........... the recommendation that grass should not be defoliated close to the ground as such grass takes longer to recover. The latter information may be of value one day when cattle have been taught to graze at an even height (Page 34).