Research into how to solve these issues is ongoing, and there is much sector interest in improving farming practice and providing science-informed guidance for farmers. Fortunately, farmers are quick to adopt worthwhile measures, as shown by a recent survey of the latest advice on “top-down” winter grazing.
Developed by AgResearch and partners, top-down grazing, as the name suggests, gradually moves livestock from the top of a slope downwards, using temporary electric fences to restrict their grazing activity, thus providing a buffer for water quality. Top-down grazing is one of several improved farming practices together known as “strategic grazing”, which is associated with reduced sediment and nutrient losses from paddocks, and which could translate into significant improvements in water quality.
As part of the national-scale Survey of Rural Decision-Makers run by Manaaki Whenua in 2023, around 650 farmers indicated that they undertook winter grazing, mostly on sloping ground.
In more detail, the researchers were encouraged to find that 52.5% of respondents who grazed winter forage crops on slopes, grazed top-down. Location had a modest impact on this decision, with Otago respondents being 17–24% more likely to graze top-down than those from other regions.
Māori farmers were 30% more likely to graze top-down than non-Māori farmers. Profitability was also positively correlated with the top-down technique – farmers who had adopted it were more likely to report that their farm was profitable or break-even.
The study concluded that the adoption of top-down grazing practices on slopes for winter forage crops is widespread, with just over half of the farmers surveyed grazing winter forage crops top-down. This knowledge will help planners and scientists to refine water quality modelling, and help policy-makers to evaluate the uptake and impact of information and policies intended to improve environmental outcomes.
