Pastoreo Racional Voisin

Pastoreo Racional Voisin (PRV) a methodology of moving grazing animals  (cows, sheep, goats, or horses) each day from one paddock to another, in order to take advantage of pasture in its ideal grazing moment. According to research by Voisin, this moment occurs before the grass has gone to seed and after the roots have developed enough to regenerate a fresh cycle of vegetative reproduction after the last grazing or period of dormancy. This method was developed by Andre Voisin and published in 1957 (Grass Productivity: An Introduction to Rational Grazing), and the method was referenced and adapted by other practitioners like Luiz Pinheiro Machado and Allen Savory.

The method relies on sizing each paddock according to the number and type of animals, as well as the growth rate of the grasses in the pasture. The rate of growth of the pasture depends on the climate of the location, and changes throughout the seasons according to temperature and water availability. If multiple paddocks mature at the same time and there are not enough grazers in the peak moment to harvest all of the grasses, the manager may choose to make hay for the animals to eat in the dormant season. Through the deposition of their feces, animals stimulate microbial activity and build humus in the soil over long periods of time. As the organic matter of the soil increases, the yield of the pasture also increases.