Managing mitchell grass : a grazier's guide

Abstract

Mitchell grass pastures are a valuable and stable resource; they provide good quality grazing, and are able to recover well from drought and short-term overuse. Although mitchell grass is resilient, the pastures can deteriorate if other species become predominant.
There are no fixed recipes for managing mitchell grass pastures; instead you need
• to understand how the different plants and grazing animals affect each other
• to have some practical local guidelines
• to look closely at the plants on the ground.
Mitchell grass will last for ever under continuous grazing if stocking rates are adjusted appropriately. This adjustment should be made at the end of the growing season, and based on the amount of feed standing in the paddock.
Do not graze mitchell grass plants below 10 cm in height and allow them to recover after defoliation. Heavy grazing after a drought, floods or a fire will weaken mitchell grass.
Mitchell grass is not normally burned because the standing hay is of fair quality and it is too valuable in a region with typically unreliable rainfall.