MCU14/0028 Appendix 1Techno-grazing

TechnoGrazing™ – a new grazing concept (J.F.L. Charlton & J.H. Wier)                                                    33



TechnoGrazing™ – a new grazing concept
                                                                             J.F.L. CHARLTON1 and J.H. WIER2
                                            1
                                                Greenfields Communications, 17 Cremorne Avenue, Palmerston North
                                                                        2
                                                                          Kiwitech International Ltd, Burleigh, Bulls
                                                                                               1
                                                                                                 [email protected]


Abstract                                                        •   Treading damage and animal exertion are reduced
                                                                    (water and forage are more accessible).
The Technosystem intensive grazing system, now
called TechnoGrazing™, was developed by                             With TechnoGrazing, the farm is divided into a
Rangitikei farmer, Harry Wier, during the past                  grid of grazing cells, each usually less than 0.1 ha, by
25 years and is being adopted successfully on                   permanent and temporary fences with fibreglass posts.
New Zealand pastoral farms. The TechnoGrazing                   Permanent fences are used to form long narrow lanes,
concept is a most effective advance in subdivision              and temporary fences are placed across these lanes to
and grazing management, achieving very intensive                form the cells. The cross fences can be erected or
and efficient pasture utilisation, with a quantum               dismantled easily and quickly, either manually or from
leap in animal production. It requires only a                   a “quad” farm bike at speeds approaching 10 kmph.
minimum investment in plant and equipment, a                    Such vehicles are modified with simple bars that enable
low labour input, and is a sustainable grazing                  driving over the fences, which spring back into place.
system when practised properly. Pastoral farmers                Mr Wier also developed a new watering system based
using TechnoGrazing systems in different regions                on portable troughs or, more latterly, permanent “micro-
are now achieving greater profits and impressive                troughs”.
results, especially for dairy beef and sheep                        Precision rotational grazing allows an increase in
finishing, and several examples are described.                  stocking rate without sacrificing average winter pasture
                                                                cover. Intake is restricted and post-grazing residuals
Keywords: controlled grazing, intensification,                  are very low, but a long recovery ensures good cover is
liveweight gains, pasture utilisation, Techno-                  maintained on most of the area. In addition, small
Grazing                                                         subdivisions:
                                                                • Allow finer control of important variables in grazing
Introduction                                                        management (grazing and recovery periods, and
                                                                    pasture residual).
Farmlet-based research led by Brougham (1970) showed            • Enable secondary forages to be used that need
that grazing management could significantly raise                   special management (lucerne, forage crops, shrub
production levels in dairy bull-beef production                     and tree forages).
(Brougham et al. 1975; Brougham & Cosgrove, 1985).              • Allow more intensive animal health and perform-
Brougham’s research encouraged Harry Wier, a                        ance surveillance.
Rangitikei farmer, to develop a new system for bull-
beef production based on Brougham’s findings, and               On-farm application
commercialised this concept as TechnoGrazing™ in
1992.                                                           Mr Wier’s company, Kiwitech International Ltd, has
    TechnoGrazing boosts animal/pasture productivity,           trained many farmers from a very wide geographical
because:                                                        spread in an intensive three-day course to apply
• Small animal groups are less stress-prone than                TechnoGrazing effectively on their own properties. A
    larger groups.                                              cost-benefit analysis of traditional and TechnoGrazing
• More frequent fresh pasture stimulates animal                 systems for beef finishing (Ogle & Tither 2000) has
    appetite and provides a more consistent diet.               shown that the new system significantly lifted return
• Pasture-related animal disorders, such as facial              on total capital invested. In addition to dairy bull beef,
    eczema, bloat, and internal parasites, are reduced.         TechnoGrazing has been applied to heifer grazing,
• Concentrated animal impact and closer grazing                 winter and summer lamb finishing, breeding ewes,
    reduce pasture pest and diseases effects.                   and Merino wethers under low rainfall. Various types
• Nutrient recycling efficiency improves through more           of irrigation (border-dyke, guns, K-line, centre pivots)
    even droppings spread.                                      have been integrated with the system. Applications