The influence of artificial windbreaks on loss of soil water from a continuously grazed pasture during a dry period

Abstract

Soil water was recorded in paddocks with artificial windbreaks and in unsheltered paddocks at each of two stocking rates over a dry period of 29 days after soil had drained to field capacity following heavy rain. Significantly less water (12.3 mm) was lost from the two sheltered paddocks compared with the two unsheltered paddocks, a large saving of water over a single drying period. Since the metabolizable energy intake by grazing animals was higher by an average of 18% in the sheltered paddocks at both stocking rates it is inferred that some of this water was used for plant production, resulting in a higher herbage availability over the dry period in the sheltered paddocks than in those without shelter. Windbreaks should be considered in environments where there are periods during which water stress is the only factor limiting plant growth and the occurrence of rainfall is uncertain. Windbreaks may be of particular use in paddocks with lambing or lactating ewes or paddocks used for fattening lambs.