Grazing management for the tropical savannas of northern Australia:utilisation rates and timing of spelling

摘要

The survival and continuing productivity of native perennial grasses are the foundation of sustainability for the cattle industry in northern Australia.Cattle have grazed the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory for almost 130 years,and the current thrust is for production intensification to meet the increasing cost price squeeze.Year‐round set stocking is the commonly used grazing system,but there is interest in alternatives that incorporate spelling with higher utilisation rates to enhance both productivity and ecological sustainability.This paper reports the preliminary results of a study to investigate optimum spelling and utilisation rates for three key native perennial grass species.