Grazing Management NZ

Pastoral livestock agriculture is the backbone of New Zealand’s rural economy, with tens of millions of sheep and cattle grazing on productive pastures year-round. Effective grazing management is critical in these systems – it determines how efficiently pasture (grass and forage) is converted into meat, milk, and wool. In fact, in New Zealand’s pasture-centric dairy farms, grazing management is directly linked to profitability. This pillar article provides an in-depth look at grazing management in New Zealand – from the types of grazing systems (and why rotational grazing is considered best practice) to the supporting policies, environmental considerations, latest scientific innovations, and the challenges and trends shaping the future of grazing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Grazing management refers to how farmers control where, when, and how intensively animals graze in order to optimise pasture growth and animal performance. New Zealand’s temperate climate allows livestock to graze outdoors most of the year, and the country has developed highly refined grazing systems to make the most of this natural advantage. The key principle is balancing pasture supply with animal demand – ensuring animals harvest the grass efficiently while allowing pastures time to recover. As DairyNZ notes, top farmers treat pasture like a crop: they “control daily grazing area, treat pasture like a crop, and maintain optimal pasture cover.” In practice, this means adjusting stocking rates (animal numbers per hectare) and grazing timing to match pasture growth through the seasons.

Types of grazing systems in New Zealand generally fall into two broad categories:

1. Continuous grazing (set-stocking) and 

2. Rotational grazing.

In continuous grazing, animals roam one area for an extended period (weeks or months). In contrast, rotational grazing uses many paddocks that livestock rotate through, grazing one paddock at a time and then moving on. Continuous (set-stock) grazing is simple but can lead to patches of over- and under-grazing. By contrast, rotational grazing is more hands-on but tends to be far more productive. On New Zealand’s high-producing dairy farms, rotational grazing is almost universally practised – cows are shifted to fresh paddocks after each milking (12-hour rotation) or every 24 hours. This ensures pastures are not grazed too low and have rest periods to regrow. The concept has long been ingrained in Kiwi farming; as early as 1961, researchers noted that rotational grazing was “universally practised with all classes of stock in New Zealand”, albeit implemented with a flexible, adaptive approach rather than a rigid schedule.

Sheep and beef farms historically used a mix of systems. Sheep farms often set-stock ewes (female sheep) during sensitive periods like lambing to reduce stress and allow lambs to mother up, then switch to “mob stocking” (a form of rotation) for the remainder of the year. In mob stocking, large groups of sheep graze a paddock briefly and are moved frequently, similar to rotational grazing. Traditional extensive sheep stations were less intensive than dairying, so rotational grazing wasn’t as paramount in the past. However, as stocking rates and productivity goals have risen, sheep and beef farmers have increasingly adopted rotational grazing techniques to boost pasture utilisation. Today, a well-run intensive sheep or beef farm might have 20+ paddocks and rotation cycles similar to a dairy farm during part of the year. In short, rotational grazing has become the gold standard for pasture-based farming in New Zealand because it allows farmers to grow and utilise more grass per hectare than continuous grazing.

Why is grazing management so important?

Pasture is the cheapest feed available – maximising what animals eat from pasture (vs. expensive supplements) is key to farm profit. Studies in New Zealand and overseas have repeatedly shown that the amount of pasture consumed per hectare is the single biggest driver of profitability in grass-based dairy systems. Good grazing management ensures a farm harvests as much high-quality grass as possible, while poor management can leave grass to waste or pastures overgrazed and damaged. Successful grazing management is a skilled balancing act involving the plant, the animal, and the farmer’s decisions. New Zealand farmers have developed this skill over decades, making the country a world leader in efficient pasture-based livestock production.

Rotational grazing involves subdividing land into multiple paddocks and grazing them in sequence to allow rest and regrowth. It is often considered the best-practice grazing system in New Zealand due to its well-demonstrated benefits for pasture productivity, animal performance, and overall farm output. Under rotational grazing, a farmer might have (for example) 20 paddocks and move the herd to a new paddock every day – meaning each paddock is grazed for 1 day and then rests for ~19 days. This rest period permits the grass to regrow to an ideal height before it’s grazed again. Classic New Zealand guidelines suggest that in spring, ryegrass/white clover pastures might need around 3 weeks of regrowth to reach the optimal yield and quality for grazing (about 8–10 cm of regrowth, which is a compromise between high biomass and good digestibility).

The benefits of rotational grazing are well documented. Compared to continuous grazing, a rotational system can dramatically improve pasture growth and utilisation. By giving grass time to recover, rotational grazing maintains a leafier, greener pasture that has more energy for livestock. One early New Zealand agronomist noted that a “leniently-grazed pasture produces a much greater bulk of feed in 24 hours than a short pasture”. In other words, if you avoid continuously nibbling a pasture to ground level, it will produce more total feed. Rotational grazing capitalises on this by alternating grazing and rest. Research confirms that this leads to greater pasture harvest: for instance, on dairy farms, rotational grazing typically achieves pasture utilisation rates of 80–90%, whereas continuous grazing on beef farms may only utilise 40–70% of the grass grown. In simple terms, a good rotation leaves behind the right amount of residual grass (not too much wasted, not grazed too low) and lets new grass come back for the next round. This results in more feed eaten per hectare over time.

From the animal perspective, rotational grazing also improves feed quality consistency. Livestock are regularly moved onto fresh, ungrazed pasture, which is palatable and nutritious. This avoids the problem of animals selectively over-grazing favoured patches and fouling others (common in set-stock systems). By controlling both the grazing interval (when animals return to a paddock) and the grazing intensity (how low the pasture is grazed), farmers can keep pasture in a high-growth mode and meet the herd’s nutritional needs. These two factors – timing and intensity – are the central levers of rotational grazing management. If the rotation is too fast (not enough rest), pasture yields drop; if it is too slow (grass becomes rank), quality drops. Likewise, if grazing is too severe (scalping the pasture), regrowth is stunted; if too lax, residual leftovers might be wasted or become dead material. Thus, best-practice guidelines often focus on target rotation lengths and residual heights. For example, research has shown that ryegrass pastures produce best if grazed around the 2½- to 3-leaf stage of regrowth and left with a post-grazing residual of about 3.5–4.5 cm height (measured by pasture meter). These metrics come from understanding the grass growth curve – grass grows slowly immediately after grazing (“lag phase”), then fast during the leafy regrowth phase, then slows again as it approaches a maximum mass. Timing grazing to coincide with that high-growth, high-quality window is a core principle (originating from André Voisin’s classic “grass productivity” concepts).

In practice on New Zealand farms, implementing rotational grazing involves subdivision and planning. Many farms are subdivided with permanent fences into numerous paddocks, often radiating from the farm dairy or yards for convenience. On dairy farms, a common system is 20–30 paddocks that the herd cycles through on a 20–30 day rotation in the main growing season. During faster grass growth (spring), rotation may speed up (e.g. 20-day round), and during slower winter growth, it lengthens (perhaps 60+ days, supplemented with silage if needed). Temporary electric fences are also widely used to further strip-graze paddocks – for example, giving cattle a fresh “break” of pasture after each milking. This fine-tuned control maximises utilisation and prevents trampling of the next allotment. Farmers also use tools like our satellite-backed pasture reading service at Pasture.io, or rising-plate meters, CDax pasture sledge, or in some case, pasture rulers where they enter their manual measurements into our app. These tools are best used to measure pasture cover regularly, enabling data-driven grazing plans (allocating a set kg of dry matter per cow per day). The net result is that each paddock is grazed in a controlled way and then spelled, leading to more even pasture use and regrowth. By comparison, continuous grazing with set-stocking tends to see animals continuously nibbling regrowth, which can stress the plants and reduce total yield over time.

The economic and production advantages of rotational grazing are evident. A well-run rotational system can support higher stocking rates and greater output per hectare than continuous grazing on the same land because it harvests more of the grass grown. For instance, one analysis noted that intensively rotated dairy farms stocked at ~2.5 cows/acre (about 6 cows/ha) could fully feed the herd on a 20-day pasture round. In contrast, under continuous grazing, the effective carrying capacity would be lower or would require more supplemental feed. Even on sheep and beef farms, adopting tighter rotations (when terrain and labour allow) has boosted performance. An example from Northland (NZ) showed that when ewes were mob-stocked and moved every 1–2 days (instead of set stocked), the system began to resemble a dairy farm in terms of paddock numbers and grazing pressure – 50–80 ewes per acre for a 2–3 day graze, equivalent to ~20–25 cows per acre per day, with notable improvements in pasture control. Farmers observed benefits like reduced selective grazing, better weed control (because ungrazed patches are minimised and get eaten in the rotation), and higher pasture utilisation.

Best practices for rotational grazing in New Zealand have been honed through both farmer experience and science.

Key tips include:

1. Allocate the right area per day – match paddock size or break size to herd demand so that cows enter a paddock with plentiful feed and leave behind the target residual.
2. Back-fence and forward plan – use back-fences to prevent stock from revisiting yesterday’s grazed area (protecting regrowth), and plan rotations ahead on a grazing chart so you can speed up or slow down as pasture growth changes.
3. Maintain pasture cover – avoid overgrazing to dirt; always leave enough green leaves for quick regrowth and to protect the soil.
4. Adapt to conditions – during droughts or wet periods, adjust rotation length or stand animals off to protect pastures (for example, in a summer dry spell, farmers may “drop paddocks out” of rotation and defer grazing them – a strategy discussed in the Innovations section).

Overall, rotational grazing requires attentiveness – moving animals frequently and monitoring pastures – but pays off in productivity. It embodies the Kiwi philosophy of treating grass as a crop to be carefully rationed and managed.

New Zealand’s government has increasingly shaped grazing practices via policies and regulations aimed at sustainability. In recent years, concern for water quality, soil health, and climate change has driven new rules that directly affect how farmers manage grazing, especially cattle grazing.

One major area is freshwater protection. In 2020, New Zealand introduced the Essential Freshwater reforms, which included strict requirements to mitigate the environmental impacts of grazing. Notably, new stock exclusion regulations now prohibit cattle, pigs, and deer from having access to wetlands, lakes, and rivers. Farmers are required to fence off waterways on grazed land so that animals cannot enter and contaminate them. These stock exclusion rules apply nationwide (with some criteria such as for rivers over a certain width) and have deadlines by which fences or barriers must be in place. The aim is to reduce stream bank erosion and prevent animal waste and sediment from directly fouling waterways. By keeping livestock out of streams and drains, the regulations help improve water quality and aquatic ecosystem health.

Another set of rules targets intensive winter grazing – the practice of grazing livestock on forage crops (like swedes, kale, fodder beet) during winter. This practice, common in southern NZ for wintering cattle, can cause severe soil and water damage if not managed carefully (heavy animals on muddy fields can lead to runoff of mud and nutrients). Under the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater 2020 (NES-F), intensive winter grazing on crops is now a regulated activity. Initially, the regulations (updated in 2022) set specific conditions that farmers must meet to do winter grazing without a resource consent. These include:

• Keeping grazing areas at least 5 meters away from rivers, lakes, or wetlands
• Limiting the extent of pugging (deep hoof prints in soil) beyond a certain depth
• Re-sowing the paddock with pasture promptly after grazing (to restore ground cover) and
• Not grazing forage crop on excessively steep slopes (above 10 degrees) without a permit.

In short, the New Zealand Government prescribed good management practices for winter grazing – such as protecting critical source areas (low spots that channel runoff) and avoiding too much bare soil exposure. If farmers can’t meet these standards, they need to apply for consent and implement an approved plan to mitigate environmental impacts. (As of 2024, there are indications these specific national winter grazing regs may be reviewed or adjusted by the incoming government, but the emphasis on environmental protection remains.)

New Zealand’s environmental regulation framework for farming also includes regional rules and farm planning requirements. Under the amended Resource Management Act, farmers will soon be required to have Freshwater Farm Plans that identify risks (like runoff or leaching) on their farm and set actions to manage them. This encourages tailored solutions for grazing impacts, such as planting riparian buffer strips, managing effluent from dairies, and adjusting grazing management on erosive soils. Additionally, many regions have nutrient management rules (for example, limits on nitrogen leaching in certain catchments), which indirectly push farmers to refine grazing intensity and fertiliser use. In hill country areas, soil conservation programs (often co-funded by the government) support practices like spaced tree planting or retirement of very steep land from grazing to reduce erosion.

Another significant government priority affecting grazing systems is climate change policy. New Zealand has binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including a commitment to reduce biogenic methane (mostly from ruminant digestion) by 24–47% below 2017 levels by 2050. Since grazing livestock are a major source of methane and nitrous oxide, the government has worked with the agricultural sector on a plan to measure and price these emissions. The He Waka Eke Noa partnership (government, iwi, and industry) delivered recommendations for farm-level emissions pricing, and as of late 2022, the Government announced that agricultural greenhouse gas emissions would be priced from 2025 via a farm-level levy system. In simple terms, this means farmers will likely have to report their livestock emissions (related to how many animals and what feed/grazing those animals have) and pay a levy, with potential rebates for mitigation actions. While not a direct “grazing practice” rule, this policy creates incentives for farmers to adopt management changes that reduce emissions intensity – for example, improving feed conversion efficiency, shifting seasonal feed to reduce methane, or experimenting with feed additives. It may also encourage grazing practices that increase soil carbon sequestration (as a partial offset) or integrate trees on grazing land to earn sequestration credits. The pricing system is still being finalised, but it represents a major policy shift tying grazing systems to climate outcomes.

Beyond regulation, the New Zealand government supports numerous initiatives to promote sustainable grazing and land management. Through agencies like the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the government co-funds research and extension programs (often with industry groups) to improve grazing practices. For instance, MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund has backed projects on regenerative grazing, winter grazing improvements, and precision farming tools. The Hill Country Erosion Programme provides grants to help hill farmers adopt erosion control measures (like poplar pole planting or retirement of slip-prone gullies) to make grazing more sustainable on fragile soils. There are also industry accords, some with government support – such as the Dairy Sector’s Sustainable Dairying: Water Accord, which, among other things, achieved near-complete stock exclusion from waterways on dairy farms and widespread nutrient management plans. In essence, New Zealand’s policy landscape is increasingly steering grazing management toward protecting water, soil, and climate. Farmers are adapting to these rules by investing in fencing waterways, improving effluent systems, adjusting grazing calendars, and focusing on environmental outcomes as part of their day-to-day farm management.

The way grazing is managed has profound impacts on soil health, water quality, and biodiversity on farms. New Zealand’s heavy reliance on grazing means that environmental stewardship is critical to ensure the long-term viability of its pastoral lands. Overgrazing, poor grazing timing, or inappropriate grazing on vulnerable land can lead to problems like soil erosion, compaction, nutrient runoff into waterways, and loss of pasture biodiversity. Conversely, well-managed grazing can be a tool for environmental sustainability – maintaining continuous ground cover, recycling nutrients efficiently, and even enhancing soil structure and carbon content.

One of the biggest concerns is soil erosion and degradation on pasture lands. New Zealand’s terrain includes extensive hill country, which is naturally prone to erosion, and clearing of forests for pasture has historically exacerbated this. According to Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, about 44% of New Zealand’s total soil loss to erosion comes from pastoral farmland. That equates to roughly 84 million tonnes of soil per year being washed from hillsides and slopes used for grazing. If animals are poorly managed on such lands (e.g. overstocking, grazing the slope too short so that soil is exposed, or pugging the soil in wet conditions), the protective grass cover is reduced and heavy rain can readily carry soil away. Erosion not only removes fertile topsoil (reducing pasture productivity long-term), but also sends sediment into rivers, affecting water quality and aquatic life. Good grazing management seeks to keep the soil covered with vegetation as much as possible. Rotational grazing inherently helps with this by avoiding continuous over-nibbling – pastures are given a chance to regrow and maintain a cover. In contrast, continuous set-stocking can result in patches being grazed down to dirt, especially around watering points or shade areas where animals linger.

On flat land, erosion is less visible, but soil compaction is a key issue. The trampling by hooves – particularly cattle – can compress the soil, reducing its aeration and drainage (measured as a decline in macroporosity). National soil monitoring has found that in many intensive dairy pastures, soil macroporosity is below optimal levels due to compaction, which can impede root growth and cause more runoff. Wet winter grazing on fine-textured soils is especially risky: animals can pug and compact the topsoil into a smeared, dense layer. This not only hurts pasture regrowth but also increases surface runoff of water (since infiltration is reduced). That runoff can carry nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as effluent microbes, into waterways. To protect soil structure, best practices include avoiding grazing on waterlogged paddocks (many farmers use stand-off pads or sacrifice paddocks in wet winters), and using lighter stock or lower densities on vulnerable soils. Some also aerate or subsoil compacted pastures to help restore structure. However, prevention is better – which is a motivation behind the new winter grazing regulations requiring limits on pugging damage.

Grazing management also directly links to nutrient losses and water quality. New Zealand’s grazed pastures often receive fertiliser (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus) to boost growth. In a well-managed system, much of these nutrients are taken up by plants and converted to animal products, but there are loss pathways that cause environmental impacts: nitrogen can leach as nitrate into groundwater, and phosphorus can run off attached to soil particles into surface water. A key contributor is how and where animals deposit their urine and dung. In grazing, unlike in barns, animals excrete directly on the land, creating concentrated nutrient patches. A single cow’s urine patch contains far more nitrogen than the grass in that spot can use, so nitrates readily leach below the root zone. Intensive grazing systems year-round tend to have higher nutrient loss risk than more controlled feeding systems. In fact, a scientific review noted that “year-round grazing systems and winter forage cropping in New Zealand exacerbate the risk of loss of nutrients and faecal microorganisms to waterways” compared to barn feeding, because you can’t time or locate manure deposition as precisely. This is why practices such as rotational grazing with off-paddock infrastructure (for example, using a stand-off pad or herd home during extreme wet periods to collect manure, or having good riparian buffers) are important mitigation tools.

Farmers and researchers are actively implementing strategies to reduce nutrient runoff from grazing. One promising practice is incorporating special pasture plants that mitigate leaching. For instance, plantain (Plantago lanceolata), a common pasture herb, has been found to significantly reduce nitrogen leaching when included in grass pastures. Trials in New Zealand showed that having 20–30% plantain in a ryegrass/clover pasture sward can cut nitrate leaching by around 20–30%, with one long-term trial measuring a 26% reduction in leached N with plantain, without any drop in milk or pasture production. Plantain works through multiple mechanisms: its roots can take up more nitrate, and compounds in plantain can alter the form of nitrogen in animal urine (diluting the concentration of N in urine patches). As a result, there’s a big push (supported by DairyNZ and government funding) to sow plantain in dairy pastures as an environmental mitigation. This is a great example of how an adjustment in grazing forage (a feeding aspect of grazing management) can improve environmental outcomes.

Another area of focus is protecting waterways on farms. As mentioned, fencing off streams and creating riparian buffer strips of vegetation are now common requirements. These buffers act as filters – when grazing occurs upslope, any runoff has to pass through grass/plant areas where sediment can settle and nutrients can be absorbed, rather than going straight into water. Many New Zealand farms have fenced hundreds of kilometres of waterways and planted native shrubs or grasses along banks. Coupled with rotational grazing, which often stations water troughs in paddocks (reducing the need for animals to enter streams to drink), these measures have markedly reduced direct water contamination. Regional council monitoring has shown improvements in fecal bacteria counts in streams where stock exclusion has been implemented.

Biodiversity and soil life are also linked to grazing practices. A continuously overgrazed pasture can become a monoculture of hardy species or even bare soil and weeds in places, which is poor for biodiversity. But a well-managed pasture with periodic rest can support a mix of species (grasses, clovers, herbs) and creates habitat for soil biota. New Zealand’s indigenous biodiversity on farms is often limited (since pastures are mostly introduced species), but some farmers are adopting more diverse pastures and regenerative grazing approaches to enhance on-farm biodiversity. These might include multi-species swards (adding plants like chicory, yarrow, forage herbs) that attract more insects and create healthier soil microbial communities. There is emerging evidence that grazing livestock can even boost soil carbon in some contexts by stimulating root growth and trampling organic matter into the soil – essentially, acting as “ecosystem engineers” when managed at the right intensity. A long rest period after grazing can allow plants to deepen their roots and improve soil structure and carbon inputs. For example, deferred grazing (where a paddock is taken out of rotation for several months) has been shown to increase root mass and soil moisture retention. Early results from a Waikato farm trial found that deferring 15% of farm area over summer not only improved pasture quality and yield when it was eventually grazed, but also likely benefited the soil by encouraging deeper roots.

In summary, the environmental sustainability of grazing in New Zealand comes down to thoughtful management: maintaining ground cover to prevent erosion, avoiding grazing in high-risk conditions (too wet or on very steep slopes), balancing stocking rates so the land isn’t overloaded, and using tools like fencing, buffers, and pasture mixes to reduce pollution. When done well, New Zealand’s grass-fed systems have some environmental advantages over intensive feedlot agriculture – for instance, New Zealand’s pasture-based farms have lower use of fossil fuel and irrigation water per unit of product, rely on natural nutrient cycling (legume-fixed nitrogen, dung decomposition), and avoid the waste management issues of confined systems. There are clear environmental challenges (nutrient losses, greenhouse gases, and soil impacts as noted), but continuous improvement in grazing practices – often informed by science – is helping to address these. New Zealand’s push toward “farm environment plans” means that, in the future, every paddock’s grazing regime might be fine-tuned not just for production, but for environmental protection as well.

New Zealand has a rich history of scientific research in pasture and grazing management, and this continues today with new innovations aimed at making grazing more efficient, productive, and sustainable. Researchers, often in collaboration with farmers, are exploring everything from advanced technologies (like virtual fencing and digital pasture monitoring) to refined grazing techniques (like extended rotation lengths or novel forages). Here, we highlight some of the latest studies and innovations that are shaping grazing practices:

• Deferred Grazing for Pasture Resilience: One innovation gaining attention is the use of deferred grazing as a tactical tool. Deferred grazing means deliberately resting a pasture (not grazing it) for an extended period – typically letting it grow through spring and summer – and grazing it later (e.g. in autumn). AgResearch scientists have been working with farmers to test this, especially on summer-dry sheep and beef farms. Results are promising: deferred grazing improved pasture performance compared to standard rotation, with trials showing higher pasture quality, increased total pasture production, better ryegrass ground cover and tiller density, and even higher topsoil moisture retention in the deferred areas. Farmers involved reported that although a deferred paddock looks rank for a while, the aftermath – when that long grass is finally grazed or cut – is a thicker, rejuvenated pasture with fewer weeds. The practice is also being studied for its environmental benefits; researchers hypothesise that allowing pastures to grow taller and develop deeper roots could enhance soil structure, carbon sequestration, and nutrient uptake, helping the paddock recover from droughts and utilise nutrients efficiently. The government and industry (through the SFF Futures fund) have invested in multi-year projects to validate these benefits. If widely adopted, deferred grazing could become a low-cost way to build resilience into grazing systems in the face of climate extremes – essentially a form of resting the land to give it a “boost” every so often.
• Virtual Fencing and Precision Grazing Technology: Another innovation on the tech front is the advent of virtual fencing systems for livestock, pioneered by companies like NoFence (Norway), Vence (USA now Merck Animal Health), Gallagher (AUS, NZ, USA, eShepherd), Halter (NZ (a US-owned company?), Corral Technologies (USA). Virtual fencing uses GPS-enabled collars on animals to contain or move them via audio cues and electric shocks, eliminating the need for physical temporary fences. With virtual fencing, a farmer can remotely shift cattle into a new break or paddock via a smartphone app, set up exclusion zones (e.g. keep animals off a steep gully or out of a re-seeded area), and even automate regular rotations. This technology addresses two traditional barriers to intensive rotational grazing on certain farms: labour and fencing infrastructure. Early adopters report that they can do daily rotations on remote hill paddocks that were previously set-stocked, dramatically improving pasture utilisation and animal performance without laying a single new wire. This is seen as a revolution in grazing management – effectively digitising the fence and allowing flexibility. There have been many issues reported with this technology, but if overcome, New Zealand’s terrain and farming style are well-suited to benefit: for example, a hill country farmer can break-feed a slope gradually to reduce erosion risk, or easily keep cattle out of riparian zones, all through a virtual fence plan - albeit permanent fencing around riparian zones is best practice. While cost and farmer uptake are still shaping up, and this looks like a significant hurdle, many see virtual fencing and associated precision grazing apps (for pasture measurement, grazing planning, etc.) as the future. Alongside this, drones and satellite imagery are being trialled to estimate pasture biomass (discussed below under remote sensing), giving farmers real-time data to make grazing decisions. The overall trend is “smart farming” applied to grazing – using sensors, automation, and data to maximise grass growth and utilisation with minimal environmental impact.
• Pasture Plant Breeding and Diverse Swards: Scientific innovation isn’t just about gadgets – a lot is happening on the biological front to support better grazing. New Zealand researchers are continually developing improved pasture cultivars (e.g. new ryegrass and clover varieties with traits like drought tolerance, higher sugar content, or better winter growth) to fit evolving grazing needs. Recently, there has been excitement about multi-species pastures and “regenerative” mixtures. Studies are examining how alternative species (such as plantain, chicory, birdsfoot trefoil, and novel clovers) can be integrated and how grazing management should adapt to these mixes. One challenge identified is that “diverse species pastures may require specific management to suit dominant species other than perennial ryegrass.” For instance, herbal leys might need longer rest to avoid overgrazing certain plants, or different grazing seasons to allow reseeding. Scientists are working on grazing guidelines for multi-species pastures to ensure farmers can maintain those biodiversity and soil benefits without sacrificing productivity. Another area of active research is forage quality and methane emissions – certain forage types (e.g. tannin-rich legumes, high-fat plants) can reduce methane produced by cows and sheep. New Zealand trials are investigating if grazing alternative forages like sulla or lotus during part of the year can cut emissions while still supporting good animal performance.
• Optimising Grazing Management through Research: There is also fundamental research revisiting grazing management principles in light of climate change and modern farm systems. A 2021 review by New Zealand and international scientists asked whether current rotational grazing recommendations (e.g. traditional rotation lengths, residual targets) will suit future conditions. They concluded that the core principles remain sound, but adjustments are likely needed: for example, with modern high-growth ryegrass varieties and warmer winters, dairy farms might need to adopt shorter rotations in late winter/early spring to prevent pastures from getting ahead. Likewise, during hotter, drier summers, it suggests that longer rotations (“deferred grazing”) could be beneficial to build up feed and ground cover – which aligns with the deferred grazing experiments mentioned above. The review also points out that grazing heights might be tweaked (it even floated that slightly taller residuals, up to ~70 mm, might help pastures survive drought stress better). Such insights are being tested in farmlet trials and modelling. This kind of science ensures that New Zealand’s grazing strategies evolve with changing climate patterns, new pasture genetics, and environmental constraints. It’s a continuous innovation loop: decades of research established the 2–3 leaf stage, 1500–1800 kg DM/ha residual type guidelines that many farmers use; now, new research is refining those for the next few decades.

Remote Sensing and AI-driven Pasture Management (Pasture.io):

An innovative example of agricultural technology transforming grazing management in New Zealand is Pasture.io's satellite-backed pasture monitoring and AI-driven analytics. Pasture.io combines satellite imagery, detailed weather data, and sophisticated machine learning (ML) models to provide precise and timely pasture insights, empowering farmers to optimise grazing management without the labour-intensive requirement of regular manual pasture measurements.

The key innovation behind Pasture.io is its ability to use satellite imagery, primarily sourced from high-quality providers such as Planet Labs, to measure pasture biomass and growth rates across entire farms. Unlike traditional pasture monitoring—which often relies on time-consuming manual measurements using rising-plate meters or pasture rulers—Pasture.io's system provides near real-time, accurate pasture data directly accessible on a farm’s digital dashboard. This technology significantly improves the frequency, consistency, and reliability of pasture information, enabling farmers to make precise grazing decisions.

Pasture.io's platform harnesses sophisticated machine-learning models trained specifically for pasture estimation. These models continuously improve by analysing vast amounts of historical and current data, including satellite imagery, weather data, paddock records, and grazing events. Farmers benefit from precise predictions of pasture covers, enabling proactive management decisions. For instance, the AI-driven system can generate accurate pasture feed wedges, clearly visualising pasture availability and guiding decisions on rotation lengths, grazing timings, and supplemental feeding requirements.

Additionally, Pasture.io integrates models that monitor critical agronomic parameters beyond pasture biomass, such as leaf emergence rates, soil moisture, soil temperature, and the temperature-humidity index (THI). These insights help farmers anticipate stress conditions for livestock, adjust grazing plans accordingly, and ultimately improve animal welfare and productivity.

From an environmental perspective, Pasture.io supports sustainable grazing by enabling precision grazing management. Precise pasture monitoring reduces the risk of overgrazing, helps maintain optimal residual pasture heights, and supports better soil and nutrient management. The platform's ability to quickly highlight paddocks at risk of environmental issues—like nutrient runoff or soil erosion due to low ground cover—allows farmers to respond proactively.

In summary, Pasture.io exemplifies the convergence of remote sensing, machine learning, and practical farm management, significantly reducing the labour and uncertainty traditionally associated with grazing management. It exemplifies how New Zealand’s farmers can leverage advanced technology to sustainably maximise pasture productivity, enhance farm profitability, and meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

Overall, the innovation ecosystem around grazing in New Zealand is vibrant. Government and industry invest in initiatives like the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (targeting methane mitigation in grazing systems), On-Farm Support programs (employing advisors to help farmers adopt new practices), and tech accelerators for ag-tech startups. From remote fencing collars to improved pasture plants, these developments all serve to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of efficient and sustainable grazing. Importantly, most of these innovations are farmer-centric – they are tested on farms and often driven by farmer ideas (e.g. the deferred grazing work was inspired by farmers already trying it, and Pasture.io’s service was developed by and co-developed with fellow dairy farmers). This means new practices and tools tend to be practical and readily adoptable, accelerating the uptake of research findings into real-world grazing improvements.

Despite New Zealand’s expertise in grazing, farmers face a number of ongoing challenges that require adaptation and continuous improvement. At the same time, new trends are emerging that will shape how grazing is managed in the future. In this final section, we’ll discuss some key challenges – such as environmental pressures and climate change – and likely future directions, including the rise of regenerative farming and high-tech grazing management.

Environmental and Regulatory Challenges: As detailed earlier, farmers must navigate an increasingly stringent regulatory environment for water and emissions. Implementing measures like fencing all waterways, managing winter grazing within tight rules, and gearing up for emissions pricing adds complexity and cost to grazing management. Many farmers, for example, have had to invest significant capital in fencing and reticulation to comply with the stock exclusion regulations. There is also the challenge of nutrient limits in certain regions – for instance, some catchments now cap how much nitrogen can be lost per hectare. This can effectively limit livestock numbers or require changes in feed and grazing (such as incorporating low-N feeds like plantain or reducing fertiliser). Complying with these while maintaining profitability is a balancing act. Farmers are responding by fine-tuning their grazing – e.g. adjusting stocking rates to optimal levels for pasture utilisation (to avoid wastage that could become pollution), and adopting new mitigations as discussed. In the near future, Farm Environment Plans will likely become mandatory, meaning farmers will need to formally plan and document their grazing strategies to mitigate environmental impacts. This could actually be an opportunity – prompting more strategic thinking and use of decision support tools – but is certainly a challenge in terms of time and knowledge required.

Climate Change and Weather Extremes: New Zealand’s climate is shifting, with trends toward warmer temperatures and in some areas drier summers, but also more frequent intense rainfall events. Grazing systems are vulnerable to these changes. Droughts pose a huge challenge – a severe summer or autumn drought can halt pasture growth, forcing farmers to either destock, buy expensive feed, or risk overgrazing paddocks (which can cause long-term damage). On the flip side, heavy rainfall and flooding can tear up paddocks or make land too wet for grazing without pugging damage. The future likely holds more variability, so grazing management must become more resilient. This includes building more feed buffers (conserved silage/hay or standing feed via deferred grazing) to get through droughts, more flexible stocking (trading animals in and out as seasons dictate), and perhaps infrastructure like feed pads or silvopastoral systems (integrating trees to provide shade and shelter). Some farmers are already planting trees in grazed paddocks for multiple benefits: shade for animals during heatwaves (improving animal welfare and weight gains), roots to stabilise soil on hills, and even carbon credits income. Expect to see climate adaptation strategies become a standard part of grazing management. For example, farmers might shift their lambing or calving dates slightly to better align feed supply with new grass growth patterns, or diversify pasture species to ones that survive hotter, drier conditions (like more cocksfoot or tall fescue replacing some ryegrass in the north). Research suggests that time-honoured rules of thumb will need tweaking – a review noted that "milder winters and new ryegrass cultivars with faster winter growth may necessitate either lower pasture cover targets at calving or shorter winter rotations to prevent grass getting ahead". Adapting to these nuances will be a future focus.

Maintaining Pasture Productivity: New Zealand has enjoyed steadily improving pasture productivity over decades thanks to fertilisation, plant breeding, and good management. However, there are signs that this growth has slowed in recent years, and concerns that some pastures (especially on older sheep/beef farms with less re-seeding) are tired or infested with weeds. A challenge is renewing and rejuvenating pastures cost-effectively. The trend toward “spray and pray” pasture renovation (spraying out old pasture and re-sowing) is expensive and can mean lost grazing days. Innovations like deferred grazing or oversowing with new species offer alternatives. Also, controlling pasture pests (like grass grub, or managing the new incursion of black beetle in the north) is crucial to maintain pasture health for grazing – this is an area of active agronomic research. Soil fertility must be balanced too: some intensive dairying has led to very high soil phosphorus levels (risking runoff), so future grazing might rely more on clover N-fixation and careful nutrient budgeting rather than blanket fertiliser application. Essentially, the challenge is to intensify sustainably – to get more output per hectare without just throwing more inputs, in line with environmental limits.

Labour and Knowledge Transfer: Grazing management is knowledge-intensive and requires daily attention to detail. One challenge facing the sector is a shortage of skilled labour and farm managers. As farm sizes have grown (especially in dairying with herd amalgamations) and as older farmers retire, ensuring the next generation has the know-how in grazing science is vital. Training programs and discussion groups (like those by Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ) are focusing on upskilling workers in pasture management. There’s also increasing use of digital tools and decision support, such as Pasture.io – for instance, farm management software that can recommend how many hectares to graze per day based on feed wedges, or even simple phone apps that remind when to shift mobs. Still, nothing replaces the stock-sense and observation skills a farmer develops over years of watching pasture growth under various conditions. Preserving and passing on this practical knowledge is an ongoing task. It’s noteworthy that many New Zealand farmers are very open to innovation and sharing – the country has a strong culture of farmer-led research and discussion groups (like Quorum Sense, a farmer network promoting regenerative grazing practices). This culture helps tackle challenges collectively, with early adopters mentoring others.

Regenerative Agriculture Trend: A significant future trend is the rise of regenerative agriculture ethos in New Zealand grazing. While definitions vary, regenerative farming generally emphasises soil health, minimal synthetic inputs, high biodiversity, and holistic management – often including adaptive multi-paddock grazing (a variant of rotational grazing with longer rest periods and higher stock density in short bursts). Interestingly, New Zealand’s traditional rotational grazing already embodies many regenerative principles (continuous ground cover, ruminants on pasture, etc.). As Beef + Lamb NZ pointed out, “New Zealand’s temperate climate and perennial pastures lend themselves to regenerative rotational grazing, and Kiwi farmers have harnessed this since the 1970s.”. What’s new is an added focus on outcomes like soil carbon sequestration, water retention, and biodiversity. We can expect more farmers to experiment with regenerative grazing practices – for example, ultra-high density grazing for very short durations (sometimes called “mob grazing” or “adaptive grazing”) to trample more litter into soil, followed by very long rest periods. Some are integrating cover crops into grazing rotations (grazing a diverse cover crop then re-sowing pasture) to boost soil organic matter. The government and research institutes are studying regenerative practices to see how they compare to conventional methods in NZ conditions. Early indications show positive effects on soil metrics, but with potential trade-offs in short-term production. The future likely merges the best of both – applying regenerative ideas (like multi-species pastures, longer recovery periods when feasible, reduced chemical reliance) within the efficient rotational grazing framework that NZ is known for. This trend is also market-driven: international consumers are increasingly interested in sustainably and regeneratively raised meat and dairy. New Zealand is well-positioned to capitalise on this with its grass-fed systems, and we might see more farms seeking certification or verification of their soil health and grazing practices to capture premium markets.

High-Tech and Data-Driven Farming: Looking ahead, the role of technology in grazing management will only grow. Beyond virtual fencing, we may see automated herding robots or drones that can move livestock on schedule. Sensor networks might monitor soil moisture, pasture growth, and animal intake in real time, enabling truly precision grazing – adjusting rotation speed on the fly to optimise utilisation and avoid pasture damage. Even breeding efforts for livestock and forages are likely to align with grazing goals: e.g. selecting animals that graze more uniformly or pastures that regrow faster after grazing. The Kiwi startup scene is vibrant in agri-tech, so innovations we can’t yet foresee may become commonplace on grazing farms in the next decade.

In conclusion, New Zealand’s grazing management is at a crossroads of tradition and innovation. The principles established over the past century – like rotational grazing to maximise grass growth, and matching stocking rate to pasture supply – remain fundamentally important. Yet, farmers are adapting those principles to meet new challenges: stricter environmental standards, the unpredictability of climate, and evolving market demands. Scientific research continues to support these adaptations, whether through improving our understanding of plant-animal interactions or providing new tools to ease the workload. The future of grazing in New Zealand is likely to be even more adaptive and sustainability-focused. We can expect farms to operate with “grazing by design,” using comprehensive plans that incorporate environmental buffers, diverse forages, and tech-assisted management. The common goal, however, remains what it has always been: to grow lush pastures and efficiently convert them into animal protein and fiber, while caring for the land. By building on best practices like rotational grazing and embracing new knowledge, New Zealand farmers are well-equipped to meet the challenges ahead and keep their grass-based systems thriving for generations to come.

1. DairyNZ (2014). Technical Series – Grazing management: the root to success. “In New Zealand pastoral-based dairy systems, grazing management is directly linked to profitability.” (URL)

2. DairyNZ – Pasture Management Tips. “Learn the habits of farmers with excellent pasture management, including controlling daily grazing area, treating pasture like a crop, and maintaining optimal pasture cover.” (URL)

3. D.I. Glue (1963). “Grazing systems on dairy and sheep farms.” Proceedings of the NZ Grassland Association. “To increase utilization and decrease waste, rotational grazing is almost universally practised on high-producing dairy farms…” (URL)

4. W. McMeekan (1961). “Grazing Management.” NZ Society of Animal Production, Proceedings. “…the system of rotational grazing management universally practised with all classes of stock in New Zealand…” (URL)

5. D.I. Glue (1963). Ibid. Description of sheep farm practices (set-stocking at lambing, mob-stocking rest of year) and noting rotational grazing was less paramount historically on sheep farms. (URL)

6. Donaghy et al. (2021). “Will current rotational grazing management recommendations suit future intensive pastoral systems?” Resilient Pastures – Grassland Research and Practice Series 17. Consensus on grazing principles, but suggests adjusting rotation lengths and residuals under future climate and new pasture scenarios. (URL)

7. Donaghy et al. (2021). Ibid. Highlights that grazing interval (round length) and grazing intensity (residual) are the two most important factors in rotational grazing management. (URL)

8. D.I. Glue (1963). Ibid. Fundamental concept: leniently-grazed (taller) pasture produces more feed than closely grazed pasture, but quality declines if too tall – ~10cm was a found compromise. (URL)

9. D.I. Glue (1963). Ibid. Example of a 20-paddock dairy rotation (~20-day cycle in spring for ryegrass/white clover pasture to regrow to ~10 in. length). (URL)

10. Ministry for the Environment (2020). Resource Management (Stock Exclusion) Regulations. “The stock exclusion regulations prohibit the access of cattle, pigs and deer to wetlands, lakes and rivers… part of the Essential Freshwater reforms.” (URL)

11. MPI (2022). Intensive Winter Grazing Regulations – Essential Freshwater. Regulations (effective Nov 2022) require re-sowing crop paddocks, limits on pugging, protecting critical source areas, and restrict grazing on slopes >10°. (URL)

12. MPI (2022). Ibid. These winter grazing regs were introduced in 2020 and amended in 2022 to be more practical; they aim to improve practices due to the environmental risks of poor winter grazing. (URL)

13. MPI/MfE (2022). Consultation on pricing agricultural emissions. “Agricultural emissions will be priced in Aotearoa New Zealand from 2025… The Government plans to introduce a farm-level levy on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from 2025.” (URL)

14. Landcare Research – Soils Portal (2021). State of NZ Soil. “Specific challenges for New Zealand soils are erosion, phosphorus levels (nutrient imbalances) and macroporosity (soil compaction).” (URL)

15. Landcare Research – Soils Portal (2021). Ibid. “An estimated 44% of soil loss in New Zealand due to erosion – approx. 84 million tonnes per year – comes from pasture (exotic grassland)…” (URL)

16. AgResearch (2020). “Pasture-fed livestock production and products: Science behind the NZ grass-fed brand” (White Paper). Year-round grazing and winter forage cropping in NZ increase the risk of nutrient and faecal micro-organism losses to waterways compared to housed systems (with managed manure). Also notes lightly grazed pastures have low erosion compared to cropping. (URL)

17. DairyNZ (2023). Media release: Review confirms plantain reduces nitrate leaching. Including plantain at 20–30% of a pasture mix cut nitrogen leaching by ~26% (Massey trial over 4 years) with no loss in production. (URL)

18. AgResearch (2022). “Sharing benefits of deferred grazing” – media release. Deferred grazing (mid-spring to late summer rest for 15% of farm) improved farm gross margins by ~8% (Farmax modeling) and field trials showed increased pasture quality, production, ryegrass cover/tillers, and reduced weeds and pest spores compared to standard rotation. (URL)

19. AgResearch (2022). Ibid. New government/industry-funded research is investigating if deferred grazing increases root depth, water/nutrient efficiency, and reduces environmental losses (GHGs, N leaching, P runoff). Farmer testimonials cite deferred grazing as “vital and proven,” with financial gains. (URL)

20. TriplePundit (2023). “New Zealand Leads the Way on Regenerative Agriculture Methods.” *Beef + Lamb NZ states NZ’s landscape suits regenerative practices; “these unique characteristics lend themselves to rotational grazing, and NZ farmers have harnessed rotational grazing since the 1970s.” Embracing regenerative grazing is helping reduce impacts of sheep and beef farming. (URL)

21. Donaghy et al. (2021). Resilient Pastures Conference paper. Mentions that with climate change and intensification, traditional grazing guidelines may need updating: e.g. using longer rotations (deferred grazing) in mid-spring to summer for resilience, and possibly taller residuals in drought to protect plants. (URL)