INTENSIVE strip grazing had dramatically increased efficiency on an 800ha property just north of Melbourne, a seminar was told at the recent Green Triangle Beef Expo.

Grazier Brett Kissel said the stocking rate on his family's Sunbury property climbed from nine to 23DSE/ha on 550mm rainfall since he adopted TechnoGrazing.

This was achieved through infrastructure of 6120 cells divided by two-line electric fencing, featuring 12 dams and 1542 troughs.

In comparison, the farm in 1986 had 36 paddocks, 31 dams and 36 troughs.

Mr Kissel discovered TechnoGrazing while working in New Zealand in the late 1990s, which eventually led to TechnoGrazing consultant Tom Chisholm to help redesign the Sunbury farm.

Mr Kissel said weight gains through the system - used to produce bull beef - were phenomenal.

"The farm is becoming productive again, so we've come quite a long way," he said.

"And it's pretty exciting where we are going in the future.

"We will continue to develop it and hopefully buy a bit more country around it in the coming years."

Mr Chisholm said the system allowed graziers to match grass growth with feed requirements.

The strip grazing set-up comprised two or three line hot-wire fences, which could be driven through or over using equipment adapted for a four-wheel motorbike.

Stock simply started at one end of the strip, grazing through to the end.

The system allowed use of either portable plastic troughs, moved around with the stock, or small round troughs sunk into the ground.

Crops or pastures were sometimes sown into the strips for feed during leaner periods.

€ Details: Brett Kissel on 0417 501 732.