Description

Practice abstract

Fonte do Prior is a family-run farm that has been in the family for four generations, with around 330 hectares, 200 of which of Montado (mixed farming with cork tress) and around 90 hectares of arable land, part of which is irrigated. The farm has implemented a system of grazing in small parks (around 30 ha), for its 200 Charolais bovines, which means that there is non-selective grazing, resulting in better utilization of the pasture. Due to the greater concentration of animals in each park, it is possible to improve animal and pasture management, making better use of the animals’ manure, for example. The great advantage of this grazing system is that it allows pastures to fully recover, because after grazing the parks are not used again for a considerable period of time. In addition, they also started to do direct sowing, which allows them to greatly reduce the costs of the operation, and obtaining a higher forage yield. This, in the long term, also contributes to the increase of soil organic matter and reduces compaction of the soil. 

Context profil