Information
Effects of time-controlled grazing on runoff and sediment loss (Sanjari et al. 2009)
Level 1 General description
Purpose:
A catchment runoff experiment was conducted on a large-scale commercial livestock property to investigate the effects of continuous and time-controlled rotational grazing (TC grazing) on runoff and sediment generation.
Methods (brief)
The runoff experiment was conducted on the grazing property ‘Currajong’ 40 km west of Stanthorpe, Queensland. TC and continuous grazing were practiced in three small catchments. For data analysis, the six year study was divided into two three-year periods to show the effect of TC grazing more clearly.
Key findings (brief)
Compared to continuous grazing, the long rest periods that are characteristic of the TC grazing method, increased ground cover which resulted in a decrease in runoff and soil erosion. A minimum of 70 % surface cover was found to be the threshold needed to protect soil from rain and runoff erosion.
Location
Currajong Lat 28° 33’S, Lon 151° 33’E