- Location
- Connemara, Ireland
So I wanted to go back to that loooong talk by dick Richardson. Which at first I had a little trouble getting into.
It ended up being really interesting!
Turns out I didn't know what Humus was! I'm a but embarrassed to say that, having studyed biological science at Uni
However after spending 3 odd hours drumming in the importance of root exudates compared to litter. The importance of keeping the grass young and growing, pumping out liquid carbon. Having the stock performing well. The grasses tillering etc. He almost off handedly mentioned sabbatical fallow. 'Your PH will jump from 4.8 to 6.5 and the 'biology will sort all that out'. (i might have miss quoted the figures???) and I was left thinking what! hang on, I want more of that!
Some biological processes are happening; that are really important during the 'rest period' of course there is no rest, things are whirring along, perhaps even more so than when the stock are present?
It is interesting to note that aside from stock density, Richardson and Elizondo have the same grazing pattern including Sabbatical fallows. Graze A-Z but when A is ready and your'e at N forget M-Z. etc. Then rotate this process yearly so that all paddocks are treated the same in the long term.
I like this, as you can't chase the grass in spring and you'll end up topping or grazing badly or as pete said wasting grass and running low stock numbers (or buying in all your hay, which when you think about it is the same thing).
Whats happening in the soil during the fallow period? Plenty of historical quotes about fallow, not much recent stuff. The only thing I've seen is a couple of articles about Mangapiri downs near @Kiwi Pete (do you know them?) and a couple of others bits and bobs from north America.
Haven't had a chance to watch that yet. On PH, the plant exudates will attract the specific bacteria or fungi they need. Their enzymes then change the local PH to extract nutrients. So soil test PH where samples are all mixed together...... maybe not as much use as portrayed I look forward to influencing some of my soils but that won't be this year I figure.