Managing Pugging Damage | PGG Wrightson

The rainy season, winter and early spring, may be challenging months for farmers, but especially when heavy rainfall makes soil more prone to pugging damage. When livestock walk on wet soil, they compact the earth and disrupt the natural soil structure. Pugging’s long-term consequences on pasture health and the yield of potential spring and summer planted crops can be significant. During wet weather, pugging may seem unavoidable, but there are things you can do.

Pugging results in poor pasture utilisation during grazing and hinders pasture recovery after grazing. Pastures may appear to bounce back, but the damage to the soil is often more severe and hidden to the naked eye. The compaction from pugging increases soil bulk density, decreases porosity, and leads to poor aeration
and drainage making it much harder for crops to establish proper root systems. These compacted soils restrict water movement and limit nutrient availability. This can result in reduced crop yields and delayed growth, especially on clay or clay-loam soils that are more vulnerable to pugging.

Fortunately, there are things farmers can do to minimise the impact of pugging damage. These Best Management Practices (BMP) include grazing wetter paddocks before they become saturated, only grazing when soil moisture is at an optimal level for safe grazing, or when minimal treading damage is observed. Maintaining good pasture cover, before the wet season begins, also helps protect the soil from excessive treading. Additionally, implementing short grazing periods, followed by stand-off grazing (on/off grazing) further reduces pugging damage by allowing soil to recover between grazing events.

For help in protecting your soil this winter, contact your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative.