Regenerative agriculture and livestock management by RCS Australia

Healthy ecosystems drive productivity and profitability – the role of regenerative agriculture and livestock

A healthy ecosystem is a must for landowners and producers to achieve the best productivity and profitability from their agricultural land, and regenerative agriculture and livestock management play a crucial role. But what are some of the key factors that drive successful outcomes?

David McLean, chief of delivery at RCS, shared his views in our recent webcast and are summarised below.

Goal of regenerative agriculture

The RCS Australia goal for regenerative agriculture is to leave land in a better condition through profitable regeneration of the landscape. Effective regenerative agriculture practice improves soil and plant health, which in turn increase production levels. Better business health and profitability result in greater wellbeing for thriving communities. While supporting the path to net zero for future generations, ultimately good practice improves resilience of our land and communities, with increased returns and rising land values.

Evolution of regenerative agriculture

Early adopters recognised traditional farming practices were putting stress on the ecosystem, increasing land degradation and poor outcomes. For example, continuous grazing, or uncontrolled selective grazing, led animals to feed on the new, sweet grasses, damaging the root systems of productive grasses. With no time to rejuvenate, the weakened productive grasses were overtaken by invasive weeds. Too often this problem was addressed with replanting and costly fertilisers.

Today, soil health, biodiversity and the change makers in the industry are driving the evolution of grazing management and land restoration.

Regenerative agriculture is about balance

David reinforced that balance is the key to land regeneration, with livestock playing a vital role in stimulating regrowth. Healthy soil relies on livestock to recycle nutrients from manure into the soil, grass and biomass. Livestock can encourage vibrant grass which constantly refresh stimulation of root growth and stimulate the biology. Paddocks that are ‘over rested’ won’t receive enough stimulation to support healthy soil.

Healthy soil is the engine that drives productivity in plants and the animals that rely on them. Converting a balance of sunlight and moisture is the key. In Australia, with variable rainfall and seasonal temperatures, practices underpinned by more efficient water use will more readily adapt to changing conditions. In regenerating our landscapes, we create deeper, healthier root systems, resulting in more ground cover and better water use efficiency. This provides a consistent supply of feed, without additional costs, and productivity can be maintained.

RCS recommend grazing charts as a helpful tool to manage the unpredictability of seasonal conditions, enabling producers to forecast grass budgets. They also measure yields for individual paddocks e.g., using animals to identify how much grass they are yielding.

Lastly, David suggests that species composition and density need to be considered in the complex equation of grazing management and soil health. Achieving the right balance of stock intensity and grazing rotations will depend on your soil health, location and conditions e.g., stocking rates need to match feed capacity in periods of drought. Watching the land and plant growth will tell you what is needed.

In closing, regenerative agriculture practices, when coupled with good livestock management, help landowners and producers to better manage landscape health, improve productivity, and create a business that is adaptable, resilient and rewarding. An approach that Packhorse is adopting on a broad scale across Australia.

Nicholas Bonifant?Packhorse CEO

We would like to extend our gratitude to?David McLean, chief of delivery at RCS, who participated in our recent webinar on this topic.?Watch here.

#regenerativeagriculture

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