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1
Macdonald, K. A., C. Matthew, C. B. Glassey, and N. Mclean. "Dairy farm systems to aid persistence." NZGA: Research and Practice Series 15 (January 1, 2011): 199–209. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.15.2011.3199.
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This manuscript reviews fundamental pasture management principles relevant to pasture persistence. We first note some points of context, within which the debate on pasture persistence is occurring: the release of new pasture cultivars, the debate about climate change, and the effects of newly introduced weeds and pests. We then examine trends in farm practice. The critical management period (of most concern to farmers) has shifted from winter/autumn to summer. It is essential that farmers have and use sets of decision rules to govern when and how hard to graze, when to supplement and when to remove cows from pasture to allow pastures to be grazed appropriately to aid pasture persistence. Adaptations available to improve pasture persistence include: the use of nitrogen fertiliser to increase feed supply going into the summer, the use of crops or other feed supplements, stocking rate and on-off grazing to ensure the pastures are appropriately grazed in the summer. New pastures must be treated with care in their first year of life to ensure survival. The response of farmers to these variables to aid persistence of pastures is discussed. Keywords: climate, insect pests, pasture growth model, pasture renewal, weeds
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Trapnell, L. N., A. M. Ridley, B. P. Christy, and R. E. White. "Sustainable grazing systems: economic and financial implications of adopting different grazing systems in north-eastern Victoria." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, no. 8 (2006): 981. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea03022.
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Data from experimental sites at Maindample and Ruffy, on which different grazing systems were implemented, was extrapolated to a 100-ha paddock on a commercial property to determine their economic and financial implications. Included into the analyses were risk assessments to allow for sowing failures due to adverse seasonal conditions and price variability of meat and wool during the life of the pasture. Where graziers carried out pasture improvement, the results indicated that changing from control (low-input pasture stocked at a low intensity) to high-input (high stocking rates and fertiliser addition) rather than medium-input pasture was the more profitable option. In changing to high-input pasture at Maindample, a cattle activity using nominal discount rates of 10%/year required success rates in pasture establishment of ≥80% for profitability. For cattle at Ruffy, using the same discount rate, the change was profitable for success rates in pasture establishment of ≥70%, but lamb and wool activities were only profitable for success rates in pasture establishment of ≥90%. Over both sites, cattle at Ruffy was the only activity in which the change was profitable for nominal discount rates of 15%/year, but success rates for pasture establishment also had to be ≥90%. Financial analyses performed on these increases in profitability confirmed that they were feasible because the payback periods for deficits incurred during the development and management of the improved pasture were less than the 13-year life of the investments. However, using a contractor to improve the pastures was not feasible because the deficits could not be repaid within the period of the investment. These results support the current low adoption of perennial pastures and have significant implications for catchment management bodies in Victoria and New South Wales where heavy reliance is placed on perennial pastures to improve catchment outcomes.
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Lobato, José Fernando Piva, André Luís Menegaz, and Antonio Carlos Gonçalves Pereira. "Pre- and post-calving forage systems and reproductive performance of primiparous cows." Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 39, no. 9 (September 2010): 2081–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1516-35982010000900029.
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During pre and post calving periods, it was evaluated the influence of the following forage systems on reproductive performance of primiparous cows: natural pasture during pre and post-calving periods; natural pastures during pre-calving period and improved pastures during post-calving period; improved pastures during pre-calving and natural pasture during post-calving; improved pasture during pre- and post-calving periods. The lowest body weights and body condition scores were observed on cows kept on natural pastures pre-calving (384.3 kg and 3.31; 391.4 kg and 3.60), followed by those on improved pastures during pre-calving and on natural pasture during post-calving period (424.4 kg and 3.60), finally, cows on improved pasture during pre- and post-calving period (421.2 kg and 3.59). Cows on improved pastures pre and post-calving showed higher body weight and body condition score in the beginning of the breeding season (442.1 kg and 3.76), higher pregnancy rate (82.3%) and they conceived earlier. Natural system during pre-calving and improved on post-calving and that with improved pasture in pre-calving and natural in post-calving did not differ on weight at the beginning of breeding season (417.2 and 409.8 kg) and on pregnancy rate (65.8 and 62.8%), respectively. However, cows on natural pasture in pre-calving and on improved pasture in post-calving conceived earlier. Cows on natural pastures showed lower weight in the beginning of breeding season (391.2 kg), the lowest pregnancy rate (52.7%), and they conceived later. Cows maintained on improved pastures pre- and post-calving improved weight and body condition score at calving and beginning of the breeding season making high reproductive performance possible.
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Pembleton, Keith G., Katherine N. Tozer, Grant R. Edwards, Joe L. Jacobs, and Lydia R. Turner. "Simple versus diverse pastures: opportunities and challenges in dairy systems." Animal Production Science 55, no. 7 (2015): 893. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an14816.
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For Australian and New Zealand dairy farms, the primary source of home-grown feed comes from grazed perennial pastures. The high utilisation of perennial pasture is a key factor in the low cost of production of Australian and New Zealand dairy systems and, hence, in their ability to maintain international competiveness. The major pasture species used are perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), normally grown in a simple binary mixture. As pasture production has been further driven by increasing use of nitrogen fertiliser and irrigation, farms are getting closer to their economic optimum level of pasture utilisation. Increasing inputs and intensification have also increased scrutiny on the environmental footprint of dairy production. Increasing the diversity of pasture species within dairy swards presents opportunities to further increase pasture utilisation through additional forage production, extending the growing season, improving forage nutritive characteristics and, ultimately, increasing milk production per cow and/or per hectare. Diverse pastures also present an opportunity to mitigate some of the environmental consequences associated with intensive pasture-based dairy systems. A consistent finding of experiments investigating diverse pastures is that their benefits are due to the attributes of the additional species, rather than increasing the number of species per se. Therefore, the species that are best suited for inclusion into dairy pastures will be situation specific. Furthermore, the presence of additional species will generally require modification to the management of dairy pastures, particularly around nitrogen fertiliser and grazing, to ensure that the additional species remain productive and persistent.
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Fernandez-Turren, Gonzalo, José L. Repetto, José M. Arroyo, Analía Pérez-Ruchel, and Cecilia Cajarville. "Lamb Fattening Under Intensive Pasture-Based Systems: A Review." Animals 10, no. 3 (February 27, 2020): 382. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10030382.
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The benefits of pasture-based systems on the fatty acid composition of sheep meat appear to be achievable despite variability in the quality of the pastures. Lambs fed high levels of temperate pastures have an excess of N-ammonia derived from protein degradation. Furthermore, animal performance is highly variable depending on the quality of the pasture at the time of grazing, and high animal performance in these systems appears to be linked to the use of high-quality pastures with high availability, and is possibly added to by the inclusion of concentrates that allow increasing energy intake and a better use of the N in the pasture. The combination of high-quality pastures and total mixed ration offers a good alternative to the inclusion of concentrates in the diet, improving the use of N, and avoiding acidosis problems. However, information to determine the effect of a number of nutritional strategies on meat quality, and the minimum level of pasture intake necessary to achieve the benefits of pastoral systems is still lacking.
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Hearnshaw, Helen, R. E. Darnell, R. Barlow, and Virginia Finch. "Post-weaning growth of Hereford and first-cross heifers grazing three pasture systems." Journal of Agricultural Science 112, no. 1 (February 1989): 19–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859600084069.
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SummaryThe post-weaning growth, frame size and body condition of Hereford (H × H), Brahman × Hereford (B × H), Simmental × Hereford (S × H) and Friesian × Hereford (F × H) heifers were evaluated on three pasture systems in each of five years. One group of heifers was grown from weaning (at 8 months of age) to 18 months on the high-pasture system, which included supplementation with grain, while the other two groups were grown to 30 months on pastures of medium or low quality. Pasture effects were large compared with differences between years, with average daily gains between weaning and 18 months of 552, 275 and 97 g/day on high, medium and low pastures, respectively. Genotype had a significant effect on all measurements. Pasture × genotype interaction was significant in most instances. While crosses grew faster and were heavier than H × H on all pastures, S × H were heaviest by 18 months on high pasture, with B × H heaviest at all ages up to 30 months on both medium and low pastures. There was little difference in live weight between B × H and F × H on high pasture, or between S × H and F × H on medium pasture, whereas F × H was heavier than S × H on low pasture. There were concomitant differences in measures of skeletal size, but when adjusted allometrically to a common live weight, pasture effects were removed, while differences between genotypes remained. At a common live weight F × H had the largest height, length and pelvic area, but shared the lowest body condition with S × H. Pelvic height was greatest among B × H heifers, but this cross had similar body length, condition and subcutaneous fat cover to H × H. The pattern of genotype × pasture interaction observed in this study was similar to that observed by Darnell, Hearnshaw & Barlow (1987) for growth rate among contemporary steers located in different environments.
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Saul, Geoffrey, Gavin Kearney, and Dion Borg. "Pasture systems to improve productivity of sheep in south-western Victoria. 1. Growth, composition, nutritive value and persistence of resown pastures." Animal Production Science 49, no. 8 (2009): 654. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea06142.
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Two pasture systems were compared at five on-farm sites across south-western Victoria between 1990 and 1996. The ‘typical’ pasture treatment mimicked the pasture and grazing management common in the region, with volunteer annual-based pastures fertilised with around 5 kg/ha phosphorus (P) each year. The ‘upgraded’ pasture treatments were resown to phalaris, perennial ryegrass and subterranean clover, and higher rates of fertiliser (13–25 kg P/ha.year) plus other nutrients were applied. Both pastures were set stocked with the participating farmers breeding ewes. Stocking rate was an emergent variable on each plot. The stocking rate on the typical treatments was based on normal farm practise. Initially, the stocking rate of the upgraded pastures was 15% higher than for the typical pastures and increased over time depending if the ewes in the upgraded pastures were heavier than those in the typical pastures. Measurements included soil fertility, pasture production, nutritive value and composition, and animal production. Net annual pasture production of the upgraded pastures was 10 500 kg/ha compared with 8700 kg/ha for the typical pastures. This average difference (18%) between the treatments was greatly influenced by the large advantage (40%) of the upgraded pasture in the wet year of 1992. Upgraded pastures had higher pasture production than typical pastures in spring but the reverse occurred in autumn. In a separate small plot experiment, the response of each pasture to higher P fertiliser applications was tested. In autumn and winter, there was a significant interaction between pasture type and P rate, with higher responses on the upgraded pastures. In spring, both pastures responded to increased P applications but the upgraded pastures were more responsive at all P rates. The upgraded pastures contained significantly higher legume content (30–50%) than the typical pastures (10–20%). The proportion of sown perennial grasses in the upgraded pasture declined from around 30 to 10% after 6 years displaced by annual grasses and broad-leaf weeds. Herbage from upgraded pastures had significantly higher crude protein content (2–7 units) and digestibility (1–10 units) than the typical pastures with the difference between the treatments increasing over time. The set stocking policy used in this experiment is likely to have exacerbated the decline in sown perennial grasses and implementation of some form of strategic or rotational grazing may have improved persistence. The experiment also highlights the importance of selecting perennial grasses able to cope with the local environment and grazing conditions. Despite the decline in perennials, these results show significant potential to improve pasture productivity and quality in south-western Victoria.
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Burnett, V. F., G. R. Seymour, S. Norng, J. L. Jacobs, and E. N. Ponnampalam. "Lamb growth performance and carcass weight from rotationally grazed perennial pasture systems compared with annual pasture systems with supplements." Animal Production Science 52, no. 4 (2012): 248. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an11053.
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Annual pastures used to finish lambs can decline in herbage nutritive value (NV) from January to April in the temperate zone. If lambs are to be finished to market specifications for carcass weight during this period, the use of summer-active perennial pastures or supplementation of annual pastures, is required. The present study investigated liveweight (LW) gain and carcass characteristics of lambs finished on perennial pastures compared with annual pastures and supplementation. Fifty-four second-cross lambs were allocated to one of the following four treatments in an asymmetric split-plot design: perennial pasture (PP), annual pasture with hay and grain (AP), AP with flaxseed (AP+FS) and AP with flaxmeal (AP+FM). Lambs were fed for 7 weeks and weighed weekly. Blood glucose and total antioxidant status were determined before, during and at the end of the experiment. Carcass weight and GR fat were measured at 24 h post-slaughter. Lambs grazing PP had significantly higher daily LW gain (P < 0.001), slaughter weight (P < 0.001), carcass weight (P < 0.01) and GR fat (total tissue depth at 12 rib, 110 mm from midline) (P < 0.001) than did lambs grazing AP, AP+FS or AP+FM. Lambs receiving AP+FS and AP+FM grew significantly faster (P < 0.001) than lambs receiving AP. It is likely that lambs grazing the perennial pasture were actively selecting the green portion of lucerne that had higher herbage NV than that indicated by the conventional feed analysis. Results show that lambs grazing a lucerne-dominant perennial pasture performed better than did lambs grazing annual pasture with supplements during the finishing period. Further work is required to determine the efficacy of other perennial species to enable economic finishing of lambs during summer and early autumn.
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Brennan, R. F., B. Penrose, and R. W. Bell. "Micronutrients limiting pasture production in Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 70, no. 12 (2019): 1053. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp19087.
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Low levels of plant-available micronutrients were an inherent feature of many agricultural soils in Australia, mostly due to the prevalence of highly weathered soil parent materials. The diagnosis and correction of the widespread deficiencies of micronutrients, especially copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn), were prerequisites for the development of productive, legume-based pastures in southern Australia. In subtropical and tropical regions, Mo deficiency commonly limited pasture-legume production. Soil treatments involving micronutrient fertiliser incorporated in soils, or applied as additives to superphosphate, were generally effective in alleviating micronutrient deficiencies. In the low-output dryland pasture systems, the annual removal of micronutrients in wool and meat is small compared with rates added in fertiliser. Hence, in general, the residues of soil-applied micronutrient fertilisers remain effective for many years, for example, up to 30 years for Cu. By contrast, shorter residual values occur for manganese (Mn) fertiliser on highly calcareous soils, and for Zn in high-output pasture systems such as intensive dairy production. In the last two decades since the recommendations for micronutrient management of pastures were developed, there have been many changes to farming systems, with likely implications for micronutrient status in pastures. First, increased cropping intensity and low prices for wool and meat have meant lower nutrient inputs to pastures or to the pasture phase of rotations with crops. However, when pastures have been rotated with crops, ongoing small additions of Cu, Zn and Mo have been common. In cropping phases of farming systems, lime application and no-till may have altered the chemical and positional availability of micronutrients in soils to pastures. However, there has been little study of the impacts of these farming-systems changes on micronutrient status of pastures or profitability of the production system. The intensification of dairy production systems may also have altered the demand for, and removal rates of, micronutrients. Soil tests are not very reliable for Mn or Mo deficiencies, and well-calibrated soil tests for boron, Cu and Zn have been developed only for limited areas of pasture production and for a limited range of species. There is limited use of plant tests for nutrient management of pastures. In conclusion, there is limited knowledge of the current micronutrient status of pastures and their effects on animal health. Pasture production would benefit from targeted investigation of micronutrients status of pasture soils, pasture plants and micronutrient-linked animal-health issues.
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Ward, G. N., S. G. Clark, G. A. Kearney, M. R. McCaskill, M. C. Raeside, A. R. Lawson, and R. Behrendt. "Summer-active perennials in pasture systems improve seasonal pasture distribution without compromising winter-spring production." Crop and Pasture Science 64, no. 7 (2013): 673. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13003.
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Improved dryland pastures for sheep and beef cattle production in south-western Victoria are typically based on summer-dormant cultivars of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) or phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.). These are highly productive in spring but exhibit low accumulation rates over summer–autumn. Summer-active perennial pasture species could potentially alleviate this summer–autumn feed gap. Three pasture systems that used different pastures on each of the three landscape classes (crest, slope, and valley floor) were compared over 4 years. The perennial ryegrass system (henceforth Ryegrass) had a different ryegrass cultivar on each landscape class. The Triple system used lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) (crest), perennial ryegrass (slope), and summer-active tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb) Darbysh.) (valley floor). The Novel system used chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) (crest), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) or hybrid ryegrass (L. × boucheanum Kunth.) (slope), and kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. ex Chiov.) (valley floor). The pastures were grazed by either one (in the case of the Novel system) or three (in the case of the Ryegrass and Triple systems) animal systems that varied over the life of the experiment. Total annual herbage accumulation of the Ryegrass and Triple systems did not differ. The Novel system consistently had lower total annual dry matter accumulation than the other two systems. Lucerne pastures generally had the highest accumulation rates over summer, followed by the chicory pastures. The kikuyu pastures responded well to summer rainfall but otherwise had similar accumulation rates to the perennial ryegrass and tall fescue pastures over summer. Tall fescue pastures grew well in autumn following wet summers. In spring the perennial ryegrass pastures based on Fitzroy or Avalon were highly productive but seldom grew faster than other pastures. The results support the hypothesis that incorporating deep-rooted, summer-active perennial species will increase pasture production over summer–autumn compared with conventional pasture systems but not at the expense of winter–spring production.
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Holst, P. J., D. F. Stanley, G. D. Millar, A. Radburn, D. L. Michalk, P. M. Dowling, R. Van de Ven, et al. "Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. 3. Animal production response to pasture type and management." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, no. 4 (2006): 471. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea04041.
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The main limitations for prime lamb production in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales are low availability of forage early in the growing season (late autumn–early winter) and low nutritive value in the summer. This paper describes the performance of a first-cross lamb breeding enterprise on 4 pasture types and 2 management systems over 4 years for the Central Tablelands region. The pastures studied comprised a traditional unfertilised naturalised pasture, a similar pasture fertilised with superphosphate, a sod-sown fertilised introduced perennial grass pasture and a sod-sown summer growing perennial, chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) pasture. Grazing management involved either continuous grazing or tactical grazing that combined a lower annual stocking rate with an optional summer rest to maintain perennial grass content above 50%. An additional area of chicory pasture was set aside for finishing lambs. Over the experiment stocking rates were increased each year as the pasture became established, with increases ranging from 1.5 ewes/ha for tactically grazed unfertilised natural pasture to 3.6 ewes/ha, for chicory and clover pasture. The feed quality v. quantity problem of summer and autumn was reaffirmed for each pasture type except chicory and the lamb enterprise appeared to be sufficiently adaptable to be promising. Ewes lambed in September and produced satisfactory lamb growth rates (about 280 g/day for twins) on the various pastures until weaning in late December. Thereafter, lamb growth rates declined as the pastures senesced, except chicory, reaffirming the feed quality v. quantity problem in summer and autumn of naturalised and sown grass pastures for producing lamb to heavyweight market specifications. Weaning liveweights (in the range of 32–40 kg) from grass-based pastures were high enough for only about 45% of the lambs to be sold as domestic trade lambs with the remainder as unfinished lambs. In contrast, the chicory and clover finishing pasture produced lamb growth rates of 125 g/day and quality large, lean lambs suitable for the export market. Vegetable matter in the late January shorn wool was insignificant and there was no significant effect of pasture on fleece weight, fibre diameter or staple strength. Position of break in staples of wool from chicory pastures differed from that of the other pasture types and warrants further study on time of shearing. It was concluded that a first cross lamb producing enterprise of suitable genetics was effective in producing trade and store lambs before pasture senescence, but the inclusion of a specialised pasture of summer growing chicory would create greater opportunities. In the unreliable summer rainfall region of the Central Tablelands, the area of chicory pasture needed to maintain lamb growth rates of >125 g/day, estimated from these results, is around 10 lamb/ha of chicory.
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Watson, D. J., A. Avery, G. J. Mitchell, and S. R. Chinner. "Grazing management to increase utilisation of phalaris-based pasture in dryland dairy systems." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, no. 1 (2001): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea99039.
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Phalaris (Phalaris aquatica cv. Sirosa)-based pastures at Sandy Creek (north-eastern Victoria) and Flaxley (South Australia) were subjected to grazing strategies based on different pre- and post-grazing pasture dry matter levels for 3 years, 1994–96. At Sandy Creek, 3 treatments consisted of commencing grazing when either 1600 (1), 2200 (2) or 2800 (3) kg dry matter per hectare (DM/ha) of pasture had accumulated, with treatments being grazed to a pasture residual of 1200 kg DM/ha. Grazing strategies were imposed over autumn–winter. At Flaxley, there were 5 treatments. Grazing commenced when either 1800 (1) or 2200 (2) kg DM/ha of pasture had accumulated, and was grazed to a pasture residual of 1200 kg DM/ha. Also when either 2200 (3) or 2600 (4) kg DM/ha of pasture had accumulated and these treatments were grazed to a pasture residual of 1800 kg DM/ha. A further treatment was when phalaris had reached a 4-leaf stage (5) (4 fully expanded leaves per tiller) and this was grazed to a residual of 1200 kg DM/ha. The grazing strategies were imposed over the autumn, winter and spring. Pasture consumption at Sandy Creek was higher in treatments 2 and 3. Pasture metabolisable energy (ME) levels and crude protein contents were not affected by treatment. Pasture consumption at Flaxley was greater in treatments 2 and 4. The strategy of grazing at the phalaris 4-leaf stage (5) showed potential for large spring growth. The ME of pasture was unaffected by treatments. The optimal grazing strategy to increase pasture growth for phalaris cv. Sirosa-based pastures in winter-dominant rainfall zones of temperate Australia, receiving about 700 mm average annual rainfall appears to be: allowing 2200 or 2600 kg DM/ha of pasture to accumulate before grazing back to a pasture residual of 1200 or 1800 kg DM/ha, respectively.
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Gillingham, A. G., G. W. Sheath, M. H. Gray, and R. W. Webby. "Management and nitrogen fertiliser options for increased pasture productivity in dryland hill systems." NZGA: Research and Practice Series 11 (January 1, 2003): 43–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.11.2003.3002.
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Legume productivity in dryland pastures is often less than 10% of the total annual growth and dominated by annual species. White clover content of these pastures is often less than 5% because the period of potentially most active growth coincides with that of low soil moisture levels. Therefore variations in summer rainfall have a dominant effect on the white clover content of the pasture in the following spring. Predictive relationships for white clover content are presented. Attempts to introduce alternative legumes into dryland hill pastures have generally been unsuccessful because of the harsh climate during late spring-summer and competition from resident species. It is unlikely that further research will change this situation. This paper compares improved legume productivity from dryland pastures with the use of N fertiliser as options to increase winter and spring pasture growth for increased economic gain. To optimise productivity and summer persistence of resident legumes, grazing management, especially in spring, must aim to avoid accumulation of surplus grass that will shade associated legumes. During winter and early spring, when soil moisture is adequate, pasture growth in dryland hill pastures is limited by inadequate soil nitrogen (N), due to low legume content and N fixation, even where soil phosphorus (P) is at moderate to high levels. Consequently, pasture responds well to applied N fertiliser. At Waipawa in Hawke's Bay, the magnitude of response to N fertiliser was inversely related to the legume content of the pasture and so was greatest (e.g. up to 47 kg DM/kg N) on steep north aspects with little clover, and much less (8-17 kg DM/kg N) on easy slopes. In winter, N fertiliser offers reliable and significant increases in pasture growth. To optimise economic returns from the additional pasture dry matter, winter stocking rates could be increased. However, a simulation study showed that the maximum economic benefit would be obtained by maintaining ewe numbers and increasing fecundity to produce more lambs. Key words: hill country, legumes, nitrogen fertiliser, pastoral dryland
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Stevens, D. R. "Managing sheep and beef farm systems - where does pasture persistence fit in?" NZGA: Research and Practice Series 15 (January 1, 2011): 191–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.15.2011.3202.
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Pasture persistence is highly rated by sheep and beef farmers as an important factor determining wholefarm performance. Managing pastures to ensure the persistence of newly sown pasture species must be considered as a part of the decision making process of the whole farm. The farmer aims to optimise the outcomes of resource use over time, rather than maximise any single resource, and therefore grazing decisions must be considered in this context. Pasture renewal is a major event-driven disruption that replaces current pasture species with competitive species, creating a grass-legume complex that has a tendency to develop towards a community of plants that tolerate the local environmental stress. Pasture persistence can be improved through managing the impacts of and interactions between environmental stressors on the pasture. Interactions between pasture management options, such as grazing and fertiliser, and the major environmental stressors of soil moisture, temperature, soil fertility, grazing and pests are discussed. Keywords: ecology, environmental stressors, farm systems, grazing management, pasture persistence.
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Karynbaev, A. K., Yu A. Yuldashbaev, and Zh Kuzembayuly. "The influence of use systems on the productivity of shrubephemeral desert pastures and the preservation of herbage." Agrarian science 354, no. 11-12 (January 11, 2022): 76–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.32634/0869-8155-2021-354-11-12-76-80.
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The article is devoted to the urgent problem of developing a scientifically based organization and use of distant pastures in the south of Kazakhstan. It has been found that the composition and diversity of pasture grasses have significant effect on the forage value of the grass stand and ultimately affect the forage capacity of desert pastures. Grazing of farm animals should be carried out with an optimal load on pastures, that is, no more than 70% of the productivity of the pasture mass should be exploited. Due to the better preservation of various types of forage plants and pasture herbage in general with systematic use, the yield of pastures in the summer season was 6.15 c/ha, in other words it was higher by almost 1.0 c/ha of dry forage mass compared to unsystematic grazing (5.20 c/ha). All pasture plants exploited in early spring produced aftermath in 10–15 days and were well preserved from overexploitation and trampling.
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Densley, R. J., I. D. Williams, J. J. Kleinmans, S. B. Mccarter, and R. Tsimba. "Use of maize silage to improve pasture persistence in dairy farm systems: a review." NZGA: Research and Practice Series 15 (January 1, 2011): 217–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.15.2011.3205.
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Maize is a drought tolerant crop that produces high dry matter yields. Growing maize silage as part of a pasture renewal programme can help improve pasture persistence by reducing the level of weeds, insect pests and carryover ryegrass seed. Feeding maize silage to dairy cows results in pasture substitution. This decreases grazing pressure and can be used to manipulate farm pasture cover levels reducing overgrazing. The combination of maize silage and a well-designed stand-off pad with feeding bins allows farmers to keep cows off wet pastures reducing pugging damage and subsequent losses in pasture production without compromising milk production or animal welfare. Maize hybrid selection is critical to ensure timely regrassing. Crop simulation models such as CERES-maize may be useful to determine the best maize hybrid maturity x planting date combinations required to maximise silage yield and meet desired silage harvest and regrassing dates. Best-practice maize silage management including seed bed preparation, weed control and insecticide-treated maize seed will help farmers achieve high yields of silage and assist in the subsequent establishment of high yielding and persistent pastures. Keywords: pasture persistence, maize silage, feed pad
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Alsaaod, Maher, Salome Dürr, Damian Iten, Wolfgang Buescher, and Adrian Steiner. "Locomotion behavior of dairy cows on traditional summer mountain farms in comparison with modern cubicle housing without access to pasture." PLOS ONE 17, no. 3 (March 9, 2022): e0264320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264320.
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Pasture based systems enable cattle to express their natural behavior and are thus expected to provide better welfare than the majority of confinement systems. The aim of this study was to objectively measure locomotion activity of healthy dairy cattle kept on mountain pastures (n = 44) compared with cows kept in cubicle housing systems (n = 38). Selected cows were equipped with a validated 3D-accelerometer on one hind limb, and locomotion behavior was recorded for 48 hours. The 1-hour summaries of the variables lying time, walking time, standing bouts, walking bouts and number of strides were summed up to 24-hour summaries, and the means of the stride distance and stride duration were weighted by the variable number of strides. Mountain pasture cows had higher locomotor activity levels in comparison to cubicle cows. Mountain pasture cows spent less time lying down (528.1±109.5 min/day vs. 693.3±73.8 min/day; P<0.0001) and more time walking (75.6±25.9 min/day vs. 38.8±15.8 min/day; P <0.0001) than cubicle cows. Lying bout duration was longer in cubicle than in mountain pasture cows (90.9± 15.2 min/bout vs. 74.2 ± 21.1 min/bout; P = 0.0001), whilst the number of walking bouts was higher in mountain pasture cows than cubicle cows (199.1 ± 49.1 vs. 123.8 ± 43.8 bouts per day; P < 0.001). Likewise, the number of strides was higher in mountain pasture cows than cubicle cows (2040.5 ± 825.3 vs. 916.7 ± 408.6; P < 0.001). Mountain pasture cows had shorter stride duration (P < 0.0001) and shorter strides (P = 0.0002) than cubicle cows (1.8 ± 0.1 s/stride vs 2 ± 0.2 s/stride and 126.3 ± 18.1 vs 142.1 ± 17.8 m/stride, respectively). In summary, cows kept on mountain pasture were more active and spent longer than 12 hours / day standing. Lying markedly less than 12 hours per day seems to represent the normal behavior of pastured cows searching for fresh grass. This does not cause any obvious damage to the locomotor system as claws of cattle are well adapted to long periods of movement on mountain pastures.
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Barlow, R., K. J. Ellis, P. J. Williamson, P. Costigan, P. D. Stephenson, G. Rose, and P. T. Mears. "Dry-matter intake of Hereford and first-cross cows measured by controlled release of chromic oxide on three pasture systems." Journal of Agricultural Science 110, no. 2 (April 1988): 217–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859600081247.
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SummaryFaecal output of 287 beef cows consisting of Hereford (H × H), Simmental × Hereford (S × H), Friesian × Hereford (F × H) and Brahman × Hereford (B × H) breeding was estimated using controlled release of chromic oxide (Cr2O3). All cows were from 6 to 10 years of age and had grazed on one of three pasture systems in the subtropics of New South Wales since they were 7–8 months of age. These pastures were designated as being of high, medium and low nutritive value. Faecal organic matter output (FOMO) was estimated in each of four periods (early lactation, mid lactation, late lactation, and non-lactating) during one annual production cycle.Herbage mass exceeded 2 t/ha on all pasture systems, but estimates of organic-matter digestibility, nitrogen content and pasture composition indicated large differences in pasture quality (high > medium > low). Live weight of cows averaged 604, 488 and 393 kg live weight on the high, medium and low pastures, respectively. There were significant differences in live weight between genotypes on the medium (B × H > F × H and H × H) and low (S × H ≡ F × H ≡ B × H > H × H) pastures but not on the high pasture).FOMO and dry-matter intake (DMI) differed significantly between genotypes among lactating cows on all pasture systems. Rankings on high pastures were reasonably consistent in all periods: S × H ≡ F × H ≥ B × H ≥ H × H, as were those on low pastures, B × H ≥ S × H ≡ F × H ≥ H × H. Differences on medium pastures were significant only during mid-lactation when B × H ≡ S × H ≡ F × H > H × H. Significant differences between genotypes were observed among non-lactating cows on high pastures only, where H × H ≡ S × H ≡ F × H > B × H. Lactating females had significantly higher FOMO and DMI than non-lactating females when compared across genotypes during early lactation on all pastures.
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Schon, N. L., R. A. Gray, and A. D. Mackay. "Earthworms stimulate pasture production in sheep and beef systems: their economic value." Journal of New Zealand Grasslands 78 (January 1, 2016): 89–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/jnzg.2016.78.523.
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Earthworms have long been recognised to promote plant growth but their contribution to pasture production in managed pastures may be undervalued. At three field sites pasture production was measured in an area where surface active communities were found compared to a more diverse area where the additional deep burrowing earthworm Aporrectodea longa had been introduced. Caution is needed when interpreting the results, as all data are from paired areas and not replicates. The influence of earthworms on pasture production was positively correlated with the difference in abundance of the topsoil species Aporrectodea caliginosa, with this species being more abundant in the presence of A. longa at two sites. Overall, the value of diverse earthworm communities to pasture production was estimated to be $365-$440/ha annually. In managed pasture systems there is need to recognise the value of maintaining and enhancing earthworm populations. Keywords: pasture production, earthworm functional diversity
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Tarawali, S. A., and M. Peters. "The potential contribution of selected forage legume pastures to cereal production in crop-livestock farming systems." Journal of Agricultural Science 127, no. 2 (September 1996): 175–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859600077959.
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SUMMARYThe potential of 3-year-old grazed pastures ofStylosanthes hamata, Chamaecrista rotundifoliaandCentrosema pascuorumto contribute to subsequent maize production was investigated in subhumid Nigeria in 1993. All three legume pastures had the ability to give better maize grain yields than native pasture but this was significant only forStylosanthes hamataandChamaecrista rotundifolia. For the legume species, maximum yield of maize per kg of N applied was attained at 60 kgN/ha. The subsequent yields of maize could be related to the legume species used, pasture management and the length of the fallow period.Centrosema pascuorumbehaved as an annual, and as such there was little legume present after 3 years; crop yield was therefore relatively low. Nevertheless, this species could be useful in 1-year fallow/pasture situations. Maize cropping was economically viable for legume plots only with 60 or 120 kgN/ha and not for native pasture. There were no significant differences in the time required to till or to weed legume pastures as compared with native pasture. Forage legume pastures could also have a positive effect on maize residue yields which represent a fodder resource in addition to the herbage understorey remaining after cropping, the quality of which could be enhanced by the presence of the forage legumes. The use of forage legumes for the promotion of both crop and livestock production in sustainable agricultural systems is discussed. The results of the study are used to highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate legume species, pasture management practices and duration of fallow period in relation to the prevailing farming system to maximize benefits from the legumes.
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Vere, D. T., R. E. Jones, and M. H. Campbell. "The economics of temperate pasture systems on the central and southern Tablelands of New South Wales." Rangeland Journal 23, no. 2 (2001): 159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj01003.
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Pastures are the basis of most forms of agricultural production on the New South Wales central and southern tablelands. Pastures occupy the bulk of the region's landmass and pasture-based livestock production annually contributes more than three-quarters of the regional gross value of rural production. Throughout the region, there is substantial variation in pasture composition, ranging from high quality introduced perennial grasses and legumes to pastures comprising mainly low quality native species. This paper examines the economics of the main categories of temperate pastures over a range of soil fertility-rainfall environments on the south-eastern tablelands areas of New South Wales. Using a linear programming model and discounted development budgets, the results demonstrate the strong influence of the environment on the economics of the individual pasture systems. The highest economic returns in both the short and longer-terms were to the introduced perennial grass pastures in most of the environments. Pastures based on introduced legumes and the high quality native species also generated sound economic returns, although there are recognised problems with the persistence of the legume pastures. Over time, the returns to the better quality native pastures compare favourably with the introduced legumes and are better suited to acidic soils than the perennial grasses. Low quality native species produced relatively poor economic returns in all environments and unfortunately, are the main pasture type in the region's less favourable environments.
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Robertson, S. M. "Mass to height relationships in annual pastures and prediction of sheep growth rates." Animal Production Science 54, no. 9 (2014): 1305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an14072.
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The relationship between pasture height and mass influences the availability of pasture for grazing, and is important for predicting intake of pasture and liveweight change by sheep. The relationship between pasture mass and structure and sheep production is poorly defined for low-mass, clumpy pastures in low-rainfall regions. Between 2001 and 2004, 480 quadrats of pastures were measured in 23 paddocks throughout the Victorian Mallee. Pasture height was related to live mass for medic (linear; r2 = 0.70; P < 0.001) and grassy medic (asymptotic; r2 = 0.64; P < 0.001) pastures, and prediction of grassy medic pasture height was improved by inclusion of proportion live groundcover. During 2004, pasture dry matter accumulation and liveweight changes in sheep grazing annual pastures were measured and compared with predicted outputs from GrazFeed, a software model used to estimate feed intake and liveweight change in sheep. Improved predictions of liveweight gain in grazing sheep were obtained using measured height rather than the GrazFeed default height. The results show that the height to mass relationship of annual pastures in the Victorian Mallee differs between pasture types, between years, and may differ from other published relationships. This study provides information that may assist in the development of models of grazing systems.
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Eyles, Alieta, Garth Coghlan, Marcus Hardie, Mark Hovenden, and Kerry Bridle. "Soil carbon sequestration in cool-temperate dryland pastures: mechanisms and management options." Soil Research 53, no. 4 (2015): 349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr14062.
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Permanent pastures, which include sown, native and naturalised pastures, account for 4.3 Mha (56%) of the national land use in Australia. Given their extent, pastures are of great interest with respect to their potential to influence national carbon (C) budgets and CO2 mitigation. Increasing soil organic C (SOC) mitigates greenhouse gases while providing other benefits such as pasture productivity, soil health and ecosystem services. Several management approaches have been recommended to increase C sequestration in pasture-based systems; however, results have proved variable and often contradictory between sites and years. Here, we present an overview of the processes and mechanisms responsible for C sequestration in permanent pastures. In addition, we discuss the merits of traditional and emerging pasture-management practices for increasing SOC in pastures, with a focus on dryland pasture systems of south-eastern Australia. We conclude by summarising the knowledge gaps and research priorities for soil C-sequestration research in dryland pastures. Our review confirms that soils under a range of pasture types have considerable potential for sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in Australia, and that the magnitude of this potential can be greatly modified by pasture-management practices. Although the shortage of long-term studies under Australian conditions limits our ability to predict the potential of various management approaches to sequester soil C, our review indicates that prevention of erosion through maintenance of groundcover and adoption of options that promote deep C sequestration are likely to confer broad-scale maintenance or increases in SOC in pasture soils over a decade or longer. We acknowledge that the evidence is limited; therefore, confidence in the recommended practices in different locations and climates is largely unknown.
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Vibart, R. E., G. B. Douglas, A. D. Mackay, M. B. Dodd, and I. R. Mcivor. "Pasture-tree systems - Modelling potential implications for animal performance and greenhouse gas emissions." Journal of New Zealand Grasslands 77 (January 1, 2015): 153–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/jnzg.2015.77.498.
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The potential animal performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement benefits from pastures and wide-spaced poplars on a typical lower-North Island sheep and beef farm operation were explored using farm-scale models. The analysis included reductions in understory pasture production, increased ewe reproductive performance (i.e., lambing and weaning percentage) with additional tree shelter and increased dry matter intake from poplar foliage. The pasture-tree systems demonstrated reductions in sheep stocking rates and total meat production, but increases in ewe efficiency and emissions intensity, reflecting a shift in feed energy use from maintenance to production. Inclusion of ewe fecundity and supplementary feed benefits largely overcame reductions in stocking rate and meat production due to pasture shading. An integrated assessment of the multiple benefits of pasture-tree systems should be incorporated in future farming scenario testing, strengthening our knowledge on the impacts of these systems compared with pastureonly systems. Keywords: pasture-tree systems, animal performance, greenhouse gas emissions.
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Washburn, S. P., S. L. White, J. T. Green, and G. A. Benson. "Reproduction, mastitis, and body condition scores among spring and fall calving dairy cows in pasture or confinement feeding systems." BSAP Occasional Publication 26, no. 2 (September 2001): 507–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263967x00034224.
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AbstractDairy cows in confinement and pasture-based feeding systems were compared across 4 spring-calving and 3 fall-calving replicates for differences in reproduction, mastitis, and body condition scores. Each feeding system and replicate included both Jersey and Holstein cows. Cows in confinement were fed a total mixed ration with maize silage as the base forage along with a variety of concentrates. Cows on pasture were routinely supplemented with concentrates and were provided baled grass and/or legume silage when pastures were limiting. Breeding periods were for 75 days in spring or fall. Reproductive performance did not differ significantly due to feeding system but Jerseys had higher conception rates (59.6 vs. 49.5%) and overall pregnancy rates (78.0 vs. 57.9%) than Holsteins. Cows in confinement had significantly higher rates of clinical mastitis and culling for mastitis than cows on pasture. Within both feeding systems, Jerseys had less mastitis than Holsteins. Average body condition scores were higher for confinement cows than pasture cows except for one replicate. Jerseys maintained higher average body condition scores than Holsteins in all but one replicate. In summary, pastured cows produced less milk and had less mastitis but lower body condition scores than confinement cows. Holsteins produced more milk but were less likely to rebreed, had more mastitis, higher culling rates, and maintained lower body condition scores than Jerseys.
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Angus, J. F., T. P. Bolger, J. A. Kirkegaard, and M. B. Peoples. "Nitrogen mineralisation in relation to previous crops and pastures." Soil Research 44, no. 4 (2006): 355. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr05138.
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Most of the nitrogen (N) used by Australian crops is mineralised from the residues of previous crops and pastures. Net N mineralisation was studied in 2 field experiments in southern NSW, one comparing different residue-management and tillage systems during continuous cropping and the other comparing residues of annual and perennial pastures in a pasture–crop system. After 14 years of continuous cropping, soil total N concentration had decreased by 50%. Neither stubble retention nor direct drilling affected potential N mineralisation or the decrease in total N. However, soil mineral N in the field was greater after direct drilling than cultivation and greater after stubble retention than stubble burning. There were 2 reasons for the discrepancy. One was because retained stubble conserved soil water, leading to periods of increased mineralisation. The other was that direct drilling and stubble retention reduced growth and N uptake by crops. In contrast to the similar rates of potential mineralisation under different tillage and stubble systems, there were significant differences following different pasture species. In a 5-year study of a pasture–crop system we measured net mineralisation following annual pasture based on subterranean clover and perennial pasture based on lucerne and/or the grasses phalaris and cocksfoot. Mineralisation generally decreased with number of years after pasture removal. Previous lucerne pastures led to slow net mineralisation in the first year after removal, apparently because of immobilisation by high C : N residues. Mineralisation in soil containing perennial grass residues was the highest measured. This high rate may be due to redistribution of N to the topsoil by roots of perennial grasses. The comparison of continuous crop and pasture–crop systems showed that the decline in soil N supply was not prevented by direct drilling and stubble conservation, but N mineralisation was increased by pastures, particularly those containing perennial grasses.
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ROSAS-DÁVILA, M., J. G. ESTRADA-FLORES, F. LÓPEZ-GONZÁLEZ, and C. M. ARRIAGA-JORDÁN. "Endophyte-free tall fescue pastures for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico." Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 90, no. 5 (September 10, 2020): 778–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v90i5.104631.
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The objective was to assess dairy cows in small-scale dairy systems grazing pastures of endophyte-free tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum cv. Cajun II), or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Tetragrain), both associated with white clover (Trifolium repens). An on-farm double cross-over experiment was undertaken with 10 Holstein cows, continuously grazing 10 h/day of Cajun II or Tetragrain pastures, plus 4.6 kg DM of a concentrate/cow/day. Animal variables were milk yield, milk fat and protein content, live-weight, body condition score, and milk urea nitrogen. The analyses of pasture variables was with a split-plot experimental design. Pasture variables were sward height, net herbage accumulation, and chemical composition of herbage for CP, NDF, ADF, in vitro digestibility of organic matter, and estimated herbage intake from utilised metabolizable energy. There were significant differences between treatments for OM, ADF, IVDOM, and eME, with tall fescue showing higher IVDOM which resulted in a slightly higher eME value. An economic analysis compared incomes and feeding costs. There were no statistical differences in animal or pasture variables. Cajun II endophyte-free tall fescue pasture performed similarly to Tetragrain perennial ryegrass in animal, pasture, and economic variables.
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Banks, Robert, Laura Wendling, Kaye Basford, Anthony Ringrose-Voase, and Vera Banks. "Beneficial soil profile differences associated with tropical grass pastures on sodic texture contrast soils in Northern New South Wales." Soil Research 58, no. 2 (2020): 207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr19140.
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Volunteer native pastures on widespread sodic texture contrast soils in northern New South Wales slopes and plains are known for their limited agricultural production. Fertilised tropical grass pastures on these soils are reported to have much increased pasture production, deeper, more abundant root mass and greater soil profile moisture storage. The subsoil physical differences between native and tropical grass pastures are not well understood. This observational study compared root abundance, soil structure and soil physical parameters (dispersion, bulk density, porosity and pore distribution) in sodic texture contrast soils under native and adjacent, well established and fertilised tropical pastures in a 14-year chronosequence. The physical differences observed may have contributed to improved soil water storage reported by other authors. Fourteen years after establishment, mean root abundance was significantly lower in soils under native pasture and greater in the tropical grass pasture system with 4600 and 8400 m of roots m–3 respectively. Dispersion values were high in native pastures but soils under tropical pastures had to be physically worked to cause dispersion. Bulk density under native pasture was significantly higher than in tropical grass pastures by 0.08 g cm–3 at 0–10 cm and by 0.2 g cm–3 in the upper B horizons. Total soil porosity of topsoils and upper B horizons was consequently lower in native than in tropical grass pasture. Tropical grass pasture upper B horizons had a three-fold greater macroporosity (pores > 30 µm), than under native pastures. This is equivalent to significantly greater potential water flow through stable macropores in dense sodic B horizons in tropical pastures. These findings indicate that pasture system selection and management positively affects deep soil structural properties which promote pasture productivity. The study contributes to a better understanding of mechanisms of published deeper water storage in tropical grass pasture systems on these normally low production soils.
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Joaquin, N., and M. Herrero. "Intake of lactating and dry dual-purpose cows grazing two species of Brachiaria pastures in Santa Cruz, Bolivia." Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science 2001 (2001): 103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1752756200004853.
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Brachiaria spp. pastures, specially B. decumbens, cover an area of 400 thousand ha in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They comprise the basal diet for ruminants in dual-purpose and small-holder dairy systems of the region (Herrero et al. 1999). Therefore, an important portion of the animal production is conditioned by the amount and quality of these pastures and their intake. Knowledge of pasture intake is crucial for formulating bio-economically feasible feeding systems for ruminants. The objective of this work was to measure intake of Brachiaria spp pastures using alkanes as markers and to quantify pasture intake differences between dry and lactating cows.
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Kaur, K., R. K. Jalota, D. J. Midmore, and J. Rolfe. "Pasture production in cleared and uncleared grazing systems of central Queensland, Australia." Rangeland Journal 27, no. 2 (2005): 143. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj05012.
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Clearing land of trees and introducing exotic pastures to enhance pasture and cattle production and hence enterprise financial performance are widely practised in Queensland. The results from many previous studies on tree clearing have emphasised the gains in pasture production, but over periods of less than 10–15 years after clearing. The present study questioned the sustainability of pasture production in cleared systems over a longer time-frame (>10 years of clearing). For this, three different age groups of clearing i.e. 5 year, 11–13 year and 33 year were selected in each of 3 major types of tree communities i.e. Eucalyptus populnea, E. melanophloia and Acacia harpophylla in central Queensland. Paired comparisons of cleared and uncleared (intact) pasture systems were selected for each age group of clearing. The results suggest that the initial gains in pasture production upon clearing were compatible with published studies. However, for longer periods of time since clearing, the gains in pasture production were not sustained and were accompanied by risks of land degradation and loss of pasture plant diversity. For E. populnea and A. harpophylla, the maximum benefits from clearing were achieved at 13–15 years whereas for E. melanophloia, any benefits existed only over a short period of 5–6 years. The study emphasises that each tree community exhibits a specific response with regard to the duration of increased pasture production following clearing. To estimate the total benefits from tree clearing in pasture development, it is important to consider both monetary benefits and non-monetary losses from clearing for different types of tree communities.
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Numata, Izaya, Dar A. Roberts, Yoshito Sawada, Oliver A. Chadwick, Joshua P. Schimel, and João V. Soares. "Regional Characterization of Pasture Changes through Time and Space in Rondônia, Brazil." Earth Interactions 11, no. 14 (September 1, 2007): 1–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/ei232.1.
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Abstract Although pasture degradation has been a regional concern in Amazonian ecosystems, our ability to characterize and monitor pasture degradation under different environmental and human-related conditions is still limited. Regional analysis of pasture dynamic patterns was conducted using high-frequency temporal satellite data and ancillary data to better understand pasture degradation under varied soil, environmental, and pasture management conditions in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. The 10-day normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) composite derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250-m resolution was used to characterize different grass phenological patterns for 32 counties in Rondônia between 2001 and 2003. Six pasture greenness classes showed that high greenness pasture classes dominated in young pastures, while low greenness pasture classes were least common. As pastures aged, the proportion of high greenness pasture classes decreased and the proportion of low greenness pastures increased, indicating a decrease in forage productivity over time in Rondônia. The magnitude of productivity decline depended on environmental constraints and land use systems. To refine this analysis, trajectories of pasture change were determined using spectral mixture analysis applied to Landsat time series data from 1988 to 2001 with the focus on two counties that show contrasting patterns of potential of grass production: Pimenteira, representing the “degraded” pasture category, and Governador Jorge Teixeira, as the “productive” pasture category. The results revealed a clear pasture degradation pattern in Pimenteira, related to low soil fertility and dry climate conditions, while Governador Jorge Teixeira, with better soil fertility and intermediate precipitation, did not show signs of pasture degradation through time.
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Reed, Kinsey, and Ember M. Morrissey. "Bridging Ecology and Agronomy to Foster Diverse Pastures and Healthy Soils." Agronomy 12, no. 8 (August 12, 2022): 1893. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081893.
Full textAbstract:
Renovating pastures to increase forage species diversity is a burgeoning practice among producers. Over a century of grassland and small-plot research suggests that increasing plant diversity can lead to improved pasture productivity, resilience, and soil health. However, it remains hard to decipher how these benefits translate to grazed production systems given the limited experimentation in realistic grazing systems. There is a disconnect between ecological and agronomic research regarding what qualifies as a “diverse” grassland or pasture. This review aims to examine the current state of research regarding plant diversity and its potential benefits for soil health in pasture systems, and outlines how we can improve our understanding and implementation of this practice in production systems.
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Macedo, I., G. Cantou, and J. A. Terra. "Soil Use Intensity Effects on Soil Organic Carbon in No-till Crop-pasture Rotations Systems." Agrociencia 19, no. 3 (December 2015): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.31285/agro.19.254.
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Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key soil quality indicator for cropping systems sustainability. We evaluated 20 yrs. soil use intensity effects on SOC (0-5 cm and 5-15 cm depth) in a 72 ha no-till crop-pasture rotation experiment (33°:15’36"S, 54°:29’26"W, 60-m elevation) in Treinta y Tres, Uruguay (Abruptic Argiaquolls and Oxiaquic Vertic Argiudolls). Treatments between 1995-2005 were: Continuous cropping (CC) of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. or oat Avena sp. in winter and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) or foxtail millet (Setaria italica) in summer; 2) Short Rotation (SR): two years idem CC and two years pasture of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) and Holcus lanatus L.; 3) Long Rotation (LR) two years idem CC and four years pasture of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.); 4) Permanent Pasture (PP): natural pasture overseeded with legumes used in RL. Since 2005 until now, grain crops substituted forage crops in the «cropping phase» of all rotations (CC, SR, LR), maintaining without modifications the pasture phase of them. Grain cropping sequence was: Oat (Avena sativa L.), Sorghum bicolor (L.), black oat (Avena sp., as a winter cover crop), soybean (Glycine max L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). After 20 years, significant SOC differences (0-5 cm) were found between rotations. Continuous cropping decreased SOC by 16%, 18%, 31% compared to SR (25.55 g kg-1), LR (26.17 g kg-1) and PP (31.32 g kg-1), respectively. Although no SOC differences were found between rotations that include perennial pastures (SR and LR), both had 18% lower SOC than PP. A trend of SOC decrease (12%) was observed also in PP compared to the original situation that existed at the beginning of the experiment (natural pasture 35.25 g kg-1). No SOC differences were found in the 5-15 cm depth between treatments that included pastures. However, there was an average SOC increase of 14% in these treatments (13.34 g kg-1) compared to CC. The aggregate of data suggest that, even under no-till, continuous cropping reduced SOC compared with cropping systems that include some proportion of pastures in the rotation. For undisturbed fragile soils incorporated to grain production, like those prevalent in 1 million ha in Eastern Uruguay, the inclusion of perennial pastures in the rotations is critical for soil conservation and mitigation of SOC losses in cropping systems.
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Stevens, D. R., and I. Knowles. "Identifying the need for pasture renewal and valuing the contribution of renewal on a dairy farm - Telford Dairy, a case study." NZGA: Research and Practice Series 15 (January 1, 2011): 211–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.15.2011.3204.
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How do we know which pastures to renew and do we increase profitability when we renew them? An inventory of pasture production of the Telford dairy farm was developed using paddock grazing records to estimate potential pasture production and variability from different soil types. Using the difference between low and high producing pastures as the potential for improvement, the change in pasture production with renewal was calculated and valued using several methods, from the simple conversion of extra dry matter into milk solids production through to whole farm systems optimisation using Farmax Dairy Pro. The cost of pasture renewal was highest when valued by the Pasture Renewal Charitable Trust model when the cost of lost grazing was estimated. The return for pasture renewal was lowest from Farmax Dairy Pro modelling when whole farm-integration was considered. At the average value of milk for the last 5 years, the payback period was between 2.5 and 3.1 years, depending on the model used. Keywords: analysis, modelling, pasture production records, pasture renewal, soil types.
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Vere, D. T., P. M. Dowling, R. E. Jones, and D. R. Kemp. "Economic impact of Vulpia in temperate pasture systems in south-eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, no. 4 (2002): 465. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea01100.
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An increasing incidence of annual grasses is considered to be a primary cause of decline in the productivity of Australia's temperate pasture systems. In particular, Vulpia (silver grass) comprises a significant proportion of the biomass of many temperate pastures and can seriously affect livestock productivity. The main economic effects of Vulpia include reducing pasture carrying capacities, contaminating produce and competing with more desirable pasture species. This paper presents the results of an economic evaluation of the costs of Vulpia and the long-term benefits of improving Vulpia management in the high-rainfall areas of south-eastern Australia. The evaluation used an integrated economic modelling system that determined the grazing system and livestock industry impacts of Vulpia and translated these into measures of economic welfare change that enabled the benefit-cost analysis of various levels of Vulpia management to be undertaken. With a focus on wool, the analysis established the high annual costs of Vulpia to wool producers and consumers, together with substantial long-term economic benefits that could potentially result from reducing the incidence of Vulpia in pastures. Total annual costs to the wool industry in the temperate pasture zone of New South Wales and Victoria ranged between A$7 and $30 million, while the potential discounted net benefits to the Australian and international wool industries were between $32 and $287�million over a 15-year period at a real discount rate of 5%. These estimates provide a strong economic basis for promoting improved management strategies for reducing Vulpia incidence in pastures.
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Nadolny, Christopher. "Towards integrating farming and conservation: the role of native pastures." Pacific Conservation Biology 4, no. 1 (1998): 70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc980070.
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Agriculture has almost certainly contributed to the decline of native vegetation and wildlife in rural Australia. A prevalent culture supports agricultural systems that rely on the use of exotic plants and animals and greater use of chemicals and machinery. In general, these systems do not fully utilize or take account of the indigenous biota. The full implications of implementing such farming systems on a landscape scale are seldom considered. I use the grazing industry on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales to illustrate two contrasting approaches: (1) "pasture improvement" involving replacement of native with exotic species versus (2) retention and management of existing native and naturalized pasture species. Pasture improvement has been refined by extensive agronomic research, plant selection and field testing of techniques. Nevertheless, the approach is losing support among farmers because of high inputs required to maintain "improved" pastures, the fragility of these pastures during droughts, low commodity prices, longterm declines in soil structure and increases in soil acidity. Other side-effects include tree decline, reduced diversity of indigenous herbaceous plant communities and loss of wildlife. Using native pastures may offer some solutions to these problems, but the level of understanding required to manage them effectively is limited. Exotic sown pastures have no clear advantage in areas with poor soils and irregular rainfall, and the environmental impacts of new developments involving large-scale pasture improvement can be unacceptable. I conclude that native and naturalised pastures are the best option for most of the region and sown pastures should be used strategically.
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Michalk, D. L., P. M. Dowling, D. R. Kemp, W. McG King, I. J. Packer, P. J. Holst, R. E. Jones, et al. "Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands, New South Wales." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, no. 8 (2003): 861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea02180.
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Pasture degradation is a major issue in the high rainfall zone (>600 mm) of temperate Australia. Characterised by a decline in the perennial grass component, this degradation is responsible for reduced livestock production and implicated in environmental problems, such as dryland salinity, through changed water-use patterns. This paper reports on a multi-disciplinary research program conducted at Carcoar in central New South Wales, one of 6 sites that comprised the Sustainable Grazing Systems National Experiment. The aim of the experiment was to develop more profitable and sustainable pasture systems by evaluating the impact of changes in the perennial grass component on animal production and water-use patterns. Tactical management strategies were evaluated on naturalised and sown perennial grass pastures and on chicory (Cichorium intybus), using a Merino ewe-based first cross lamb enterprise. Data presented showed that grazing deferment over summer, combined with reduced stocking rate, increased perenniality and reduced annual grass weeds compared with continuous grazing. Livestock performance, however, did not always follow trends in available perennial herbage mass. Naturalised and sown pastures were suitable for raising prime lambs, but only chicory had the capacity to finish lambs to market specification without supplementation. With respect to water-use patterns, sown perennial pastures were more successful than naturalised pastures in reducing leakage of water from the root zone, although this seemed to be related mostly to the abundance of the perennial grass in the pasture. From a sustainability perspective, continuously grazed pastures generated higher net cash flows, but had negative environmental impacts, whereas tactically grazed pastures had positive on- and off-farm impacts but lower net cash flows. The implications of these findings for incorporation into future management strategies for sustainable production in high rainfall environments are discussed.
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Chan, K. Y., A. Oates, G. D. Li, M. K. Conyers, R. J. Prangnell, G. Poile, D. L. Liu, and I. M. Barchia. "Soil carbon stocks under different pastures and pasture management in the higher rainfall areas of south-eastern Australia." Soil Research 48, no. 1 (2010): 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr09092.
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In Australia, pastures form the basis of the extensive livestock industries and are important components of crop rotation systems. Despite recent interest in the soil carbon sequestration value of pastures in the mitigation of climate change, little information is available on the soil carbon sequestration potential of pastures in New South Wales farming systems. To quantify the soil carbon stocks under different pastures and a range of pasture management practices, a field survey of soil carbon stocks was undertaken in 2007 in central and southern NSW as well as north-eastern Victoria, using a paired-site approach. Five comparisons were included: native v. introduced perennial, perennial v. annual, continuous v. rotational grazing, pasture cropping v. control, and improved v. unimproved pastures. Results indicated a wide range of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks over 0–0.30 m (22.4–66.3 t C/ha), with little difference when calculated based on either constant soil depth or constant soil mass. Significantly higher SOC stocks were found only as a result of pasture improvement using P application compared with unimproved pastures. In this case, rates of sequestration were estimated to range between 0.26 and 0.72 t C/ha.year, with a mean rate of 0.41 t C/ha.year. Lack of significant differences in SOC stocks for the other pastures and pasture management practice comparisons could be due to inherent problems associated with the paired-site survey approach, i.e. large variability, difficulties in obtaining accurate site history, and the occasional absence of a valid control as well as the likely lower rates of SOC sequestration for these other comparisons. There is a need for scientific long-term trials to quantify the SOC sequestration potential of these other pastures and pasture management practices.
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Kallenbach, Robert, Stacey Hamilton, and Thomas Ryan Lock. "345 Digital Technologies Ease the Burden of Pasture Intake Measurements: A New Hope." Journal of Animal Science 98, Supplement_4 (November 3, 2020): 78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa278.142.
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Abstract A short while ago, in fields not so far away, graziers guessed forage mass and intake of grazing livestock in pastures. Then a period ensued where only laborious, expensive methods existed to measure the same. Faced with such a galactic dilemma, researchers made one of two practical choices: 1) collect minimal amounts of pasture growth information and give up precision, or 2) ignore pasture growth and forage measures altogether. Neither approach provides the data needed to describe forage intake of grazing animals. Smart devices — now carrying 120 million times more computing power than navigation systems onboard Apollo 11 — bring a new hope to pasture researchers, managers and farmers. This paper evaluates technological advances that enable the next generation of pasture measurements (including animal intake) using sensors. The list of sensors-based tools includes platemeters, digital rules, sonic waves, stereo photography, dual-tuned ultrasound, surround sound, lasers, light bars, and satellite images. These tools — coupled with artificial intelligence systems — give creative thinkers new ways to measure, monitor and manage forage intake in pastures. It’s the future.
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Rendel, J. M., A. D. Mackay, and P. N. Smale. "The value of legumes to a Whanganui hill country farm." Journal of New Zealand Grasslands 79 (January 1, 2017): 35–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/jnzg.2017.79.555.
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There is interest in the sheep and beef sector in lifting the legume content of hill pastures. This interest is tempered by the uncertainty of the benefits and how much farmers can afford to spend to achieve them. The objective of this study was to quantify the value to a hill country farm of differing proportions of legumes in a mixed species pasture using AgInform® (Integrated Farm Optimisation and Resource Allocation Model). AgInform® is a multi-year farm systems model, adapted so that the legume proportion of pasture as it influences pasture growth and animal performance through its influence on diet could be included as variables in the model. Three levels of legume (Low, Base and High) in a mixed pasture were modelled. The model predicts that increasing the legume proportion increases farm profitability although not in a linear manner with increasing legume proportion. This analysis provides an indication of the investment that hill country farmers can afford to increase the legume proportion in mixed pastures. Keywords: farm systems, legume, variability, AgInform®, multi-year
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Brazendale, R., J. R. Bryant, M. G. Lambert, C. W. Holmes, and T. J. Fraser. "Pasture persistence: how much is it worth?" NZGA: Research and Practice Series 15 (January 1, 2011): 3–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.33584/rps.15.2011.3213.
Full textAbstract:
The farm system model, Farmax Dairy Pro, was used to evaluate the impact of new pastures on dairy farm profitability, assuming a range of pasture yields and qualities, and different levels of persistence in the new pastures, which were established on 10% of the farm annually. Scenarios were tested for Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury and Southland dairy farm systems. Assuming a $6.50/kg MS milk payment and a response to pasture renewal of 10% in dry matter yield and a 0.6 MJ ME/kg DM increase in quality, increasing persistence from 4 years up to 8 years was modelled to increase dairy farm profitability by $271/ha to $478/ha. Management practices, including selections of cultivars and endophytes, that improve pasture persistence are likely to increase dairy farm profitability. Keywords: dairy farms, modelling, pasture renewal, persistence
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Campbell, Braden J., Jefferson S. McCutcheon, Antoinette E. Marsh, Francis L. Fluharty, and Anthony J. Parker. "PSV-19 Pasture history and supplementation affects parasite status of naïve lambs in grazing systems." Journal of Animal Science 98, Supplement_3 (November 2, 2020): 159–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa054.281.
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Abstract Developing alternative parasite management strategies is critical as anthelmintic resistance continues to be a global concern in small ruminant grazing operations. Converting cropland to pastureland may serve as one strategy to develop parasite free pasture, thus reducing the need for anthelmintic treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pasture contamination with gastrointestinal parasites and protein supplementation on the mitigation of parasitic infection in grazing lambs. We hypothesized that lambs grazing on newly established pasture (clean) without supplementation would perform similarly to those lambs grazing on permanent sheep pasture (infected) provided supplementation. A total of 96, 60-day old lambs (30 kg ± 4.0 kg), were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: 1) clean pasture without supplementation (CN); 2) clean pasture with supplementation (CS); 3) infected pasture without supplementation (IN); and 4) infected pasture with supplementation (IS). Packed cell volume (PCV) and fecal egg counts (FEC) were monitored biweekly. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS. Based upon fecal egg fluorescence, 66% of the fluoresced eggs in the mixed infection population were Haemonchus contortus. There was a pasture × supplementation × day effect for PCV in that CN lambs had a greater PCV than IS lambs on days 28, 42, 56, and 70 (P < 0.0001). However, on days 98 and 112, IS lambs had a greater PCV than CN lambs (P < 0.001). In addition, there was a pasture × supplementation × day effect for FEC such that IS lambs demonstrated a greater FEC over time from day 28 to day 112 compared to CN lambs (P < 0.001). Offering supplemental protein to lambs grazing pastures contaminated with gastrointestinal parasites may help lambs cope with a heavy parasite burden. Therefore, developing additional management strategies will be key in reducing the future use of anthelmintics.
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Cullen, B. R., I. R. Johnson, R. J. Eckard, G. M. Lodge, R. G. Walker, R. P. Rawnsley, and M. R. McCaskill. "Climate change effects on pasture systems in south-eastern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 60, no. 10 (2009): 933. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp09019.
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Climate change projections for Australia predict increasing temperatures, changes to rainfall patterns, and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. The aims of this study were to predict plant production responses to elevated CO2 concentrations using the SGS Pasture Model and DairyMod, and then to quantify the effects of climate change scenarios for 2030 and 2070 on predicted pasture growth, species composition, and soil moisture conditions of 5 existing pasture systems in climates ranging from cool temperate to subtropical, relative to a historical baseline. Three future climate scenarios were created for each site by adjusting historical climate data according to temperature and rainfall change projections for 2030, 2070 mid- and 2070 high-emission scenarios, using output from the CSIRO Mark 3 global climate model. In the absence of other climate changes, mean annual pasture production at an elevated CO2 concentration of 550 ppm was predicted to be 24–29% higher than at 380 ppm CO2 in temperate (C3) species-dominant pastures in southern Australia, with lower mean responses in a mixed C3/C4 pasture at Barraba in northern New South Wales (17%) and in a C4 pasture at Mutdapilly in south-eastern Queensland (9%). In the future climate scenarios at the Barraba and Mutdapilly sites in subtropical and subhumid climates, respectively, where climate projections indicated warming of up to 4.4°C, with little change in annual rainfall, modelling predicted increased pasture production and a shift towards C4 species dominance. In Mediterranean, temperate, and cool temperate climates, climate change projections indicated warming of up to 3.3°C, with annual rainfall reduced by up to 28%. Under future climate scenarios at Wagga Wagga, NSW, and Ellinbank, Victoria, our study predicted increased winter and early spring pasture growth rates, but this was counteracted by a predicted shorter spring growing season, with annual pasture production higher than the baseline under the 2030 climate scenario, but reduced by up to 19% under the 2070 high scenario. In a cool temperate environment at Elliott, Tasmania, annual production was higher than the baseline in all 3 future climate scenarios, but highest in the 2070 mid scenario. At the Wagga Wagga, Ellinbank, and Elliott sites the effect of rainfall declines on pasture production was moderated by a predicted reduction in drainage below the root zone and, at Ellinbank, the use of deeper rooted plant systems was shown to be an effective adaptation to mitigate some of the effect of lower rainfall.
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Ongaratto, Fernando, Marcia Helena Machado da Rocha Fernandes, Erick Escobar Dallantonia, Lais de Oliveira Lima, Guilherme Alves do Val, Abmael da Silva Cardoso, Izabela Larosa Rigobello, et al. "Intensive Production and Management of Marandu Palisadegrass (Urochloa brizantha ‘Marandu’) Accelerates Leaf Turnover but Does Not Change Herbage Mass." Agronomy 11, no. 9 (September 15, 2021): 1846. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091846.
Full textAbstract:
Pasture intensification through higher stocking rates, nitrogen fertilization and intensified grazing management in beef cattle production optimizes pasture use by increasing the forage harvested. We aimed to assess its effects on the morphogenesis and canopy structure of Urochloa brizantha ‘Marandu’ (marandu palisadegrass) pastures. The treatments consisted of marandu palisadegrass pastures managed under continuous stocking and a canopy height of 25 cm, with different levels of intensification: extensive, semi-intensive, and intensive systems N-fertilized with 0 kg, 75 kg, and 150 kg N ha−1 year−1, respectively, as ammonium nitrate (32% of N), with four replicates (paddocks) in a completely randomized design. Phyllochron (9.8 days) and leaf lifespan (34.7 days) were shorter in intensified pastures, whereas herbage mass was similar among treatments. Extensive pastures had a higher proportion of senescent material; thus, more intensive systems showed higher proportions of leaves and stems, although the leaves-to-stem ratio remained similar across production systems. The defoliation interval was lower in intensive (14.4 days) and higher in extensive (18.7 days) treatments. Thus, pasture intensification accelerates leaf appearance, decreases leaf lifespan, shortens the tiller defoliation interval and increased herbage accumulation rate but does not change herbage mass. The extensive system produces excessive forage losses due to dead material.
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Scott, J. F., O. J. Cacho, and J. M. Scott. "Economic risk analysis of different livestock management systems." Animal Production Science 53, no. 8 (2013): 788. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an11249.
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The Cicerone farmlet experiment, conducted on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, explored aspects of profitability and sustainability under three different whole-farmlet management regimes. The 5-year period over which the treatments were measured occurred over a period of generally below-average rainfall, hence responses to management treatments were limited. A modelling approach was used to estimate profitability over a longer period representing the variable climate of the region. A stochastic discounted cash flow model was developed to estimate economic returns of two of the Cicerone management system treatments scaled up from the farmlet scale (53 ha) to the size of a typical commercial farm in the region (920 ha) over a 20-year period. Several scenarios were used to estimate the commercial-scale returns under different rates of pasture improvement and stocking rates. Over the long-term, Farm A was found to be more profitable but also more risky (in terms of variation around the mean of cumulative discounted cash flow) than the ‘typical’ Farm B management system. If livestock managers choose to adopt a pasture improvement strategy based on renovating pastures and increasing soil fertility, they are more likely to achieve higher net worth with more moderate rates of pasture improvement than those explored on Farm A where a high rate of pasture improvement had been implemented in order to quickly differentiate treatments.
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Acharya, Mohan, Amanda J. Ashworth, Yichao Yang, Joan M. Burke, Jung Ae Lee, and Roshani Sharma Acharya. "Soil microbial diversity in organic and non-organic pasture systems." PeerJ 9 (April 22, 2021): e11184. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11184.
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Understanding the effects of organic pasture management on the soil microbiome is important for sustainable forage production since soil microbiome diversity contributes to improved nutrient cycling, soil structure, plant growth, and environmental resiliency; however, the soil microbiome response to pasture management is largely unknown. This study assessed the soil microbial diversity, richness, and community structure following 10 years of pasture management (organic or non-organic) of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Soil samples were collected from 0–15 cm in July and August from 2017–2018 and soil nutrient properties (nutrients, carbon, nitrogen, and pH) quantified and correlated with soil microbial diversity. Overall, greater soil bacterial species richness (P ≤ 0.05) occurred in organic relative to non-organic (conventional) systems. Management affected bacterial species richness (Chao1), with greater richness occurring in organic pasture soils and less richness occurring in non-organic systems (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, management affected bacterial evenness (Simpson’s index), with a more diverse community occurring in organically managed soils relative to non-organic pastures (P ≤ 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed statistically significant and biologically consistent differences in bacterial taxa in organic compared with non-organic soils. Therefore, there was a shift in bacterial community structure in organic relative to non-organic soils (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, soil nutrients (Fe, Mg, Ni, S, Al, K, Cd, and Cu), pH, C, and N were correlated with one or more dominant bacterial phyla (Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria). Overall, pasture management affected soil microbial diversity, with greater diversity occurring in organic than non-organic systems, likely owing to applications of organic poultry litter in organic systems compared to non-organic management (use of inorganic-fertilizers and herbicides). Results indicate that when pastures are converted to organic production systems, soil microbial richness and diversity may increase, thereby resulting in enhanced soil microbiome diversity and overall ecosystem services.
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Keim, J. P., I. F. López, and R. Berthiaume. "Nutritive value, in vitro fermentation and methane production of perennial pastures as affected by botanical composition over a growing season in the south of Chile." Animal Production Science 54, no. 5 (2014): 598. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an13026.
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Permanent pastures have been shown to produce similar herbage masses and nutrient contents to perennial ryegrass pastures. To the best of our knowledge, little research has been conducted on the ruminal fermentation of permanent pastures. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of botanical composition of four perennial pastures during a growing season in the south of Chile [winter, September 2010 ‘S1’; spring, November 2010 ‘S2’; and summer, January 2011 ‘S3’]: on in vitro fermentation products using a batch culture system. The perennial pastures studied included: permanent (PP), permanent fertilised (PFP) and renovated pastures (Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens pasture ‘RGWC’; Bromus valdivianus, Dactylis glomerata, Holcus lanatus, L. perenne and T. repens ‘MIXED’). There were strong interactions between pasture type and regrowth period for true organic matter, nitrogen (N) and neutral detergent fibre digestibility; total gas and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production; ammonia and microbial N. In general, all pasture treatments showed a high true organic matter digestibility (>800 g/kg), and tended to decrease in S3. In vitro fermentation of PFP and RGWC produced the highest total VFA concentration during S1 and S2, and no differences among pastures were observed in summer. Propionate proportion of total VFA was affected by pasture type and regrowth period, being higher for RGWC and S1, respectively. In vitro microbial N was higher for MIXED in S1, and PFP in S2 and S3. No pasture and regrowth period effects were observed for methane production and its proportion of total gas production. These results indicate that the in vitro fermentation products of a permanent fertilised pasture reach similar levels to those obtained from a sown pasture, and thus may be considered as a sustainable alternative for grazing livestock systems.
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García, S. C., M. R. Islam, C. E. F. Clark, and P. M. Martin. "Kikuyu-based pasture for dairy production: a review." Crop and Pasture Science 65, no. 8 (2014): 787. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp13414.
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The amount of pasture grown and converted to animal product is closely linked with the profitability of pasture-based systems. Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. ex Chiov.) is the predominant C4 grass in coastal Australian beef and dairy systems. These kikuyu-based production systems face several key challenges to achieving high levels of productivity. In this review, we bring together the literature to highlight the opportunities for closing the gap between current and potential utilisation and for increasing dairy production from kikuyu-based pastures. More specifically, we highlight the significant gains that can be made on kikuyu-based commercial farms based on a conceptual model to show where the main losses originate, namely input and grazing management. The physical limitations associated with kikuyu for dairy systems are also presented, such as the relatively higher content of cell wall and lower content of water-soluble carbohydrates, together with nutrient imbalances relative to other grass species. Together, these limitations clearly indicate the need of supplying cows with supplements (particularly grain-based concentrates) to achieve moderate to high milk yield per cow. To achieve this without compromising pasture utilisation, dairy producers farming on kikuyu-based pastures need to use relatively greater stocking rates to generate enough demand of feed that can be used to align rate of pasture intake with rate of pasture growth, creating enough deficit of feed per cow to justify the addition of supplementary feed without impinging on pasture utilisation. The variability that exists between cows in kikuyu dry matter and neutral detergent fibre intake is also highlighted in this review, opening up new avenues of research that may allow significant productivity gains for kikuyu-based dairy farming in the future.
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Pereyra-Goday, Fabiana, Pablo Rovira, Walter Ayala, and M. Jordana Rivero. "Management and Productivity of Key Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems in Uruguay: The Palo a Pique Long-Term Experiment’s Third Phase." Agronomy 12, no. 12 (November 30, 2022): 3023. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123023.
Full textAbstract:
Integrated Crop Livestock Systems (ICLSs) use productive diversification as a strategy to improve productivity and land use efficiency. Pasture Crop Rotations are a part of ICLSs and imply a pasture phase included in the sequence of crops. The main reasons to include pastures in crop systems are low productivity of natural grasslands and increased crop yield after a pasture phase. Our objective was to analyze the productivity indicators and management of four ICLSs that combine crop and livestock production, with data collected over a 3 y period (2019–2022). The experimental site was The Palo a Pique (Treinta y Tres, Uruguay) long-term experiment installed in 1995, located in the subtropical climate zone and on Oxyaquic Argiudolls soils (3% average slope). Systems evaluated were CC (continuous cropping), SR (two years idem CC, two years of pastures), LR (two years idem CC, four years of pastures) and FR (continuous pasture with Tall Fescue). Liveweight (LW) production, grain production and dry matter (DM) production were evaluated. Liveweight production was higher in CC and SR (426 and 418 kg LW/ha) than in LR (369 kg LW/ha) and FR (310 kg LW/ha). DM production was higher in FR and SR (6867 and 5763 kg DM/ha/year) than in LR (5399 kg DM/ha/year) and CC (5206 kg DM/ha/year). Grain production was 10%, 16% and 9% lower in soybean, wheat and sorghum in CC.
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Saul, Geoffrey, Gavin Kearney, and Dion Borg. "Pasture systems to improve productivity of sheep in south-western Victoria 2. Animal production from ewes and lambs." Animal Production Science 51, no. 11 (2011): 982. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an11010.
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Two pasture systems (Typical, Upgraded) were compared at five on-farm sites across south-western Victoria between 1990 and 1996. The Typical pasture treatment mimicked the pastures common in the region, with volunteer annual-based species fertilised with ~5 kg/ha.year phosphorus (P). The Upgraded pasture treatment was sown to phalaris, perennial ryegrass and subterranean clover using cultivars recommended for the particular area. Higher rates of fertiliser (13–25 kg/ha.year P) plus other nutrients were applied. Both pastures were set-stocked with breeding ewes. The stocking rate on the Typical treatments was based on normal farm practice. Initially, the stocking rate of the Upgraded pastures was 15% higher than the Typical pastures and increased over time depending if the ewes in the Upgraded pastures were heavier than those in the Typical pastures. Measurements included pasture growth, composition and persistence, ewe stocking rates, ewe and lamb liveweights and condition scores, lambing, marking and weaning percentages, fleece characteristics and supplementary feeding. Over the 6 years, the average carrying capacity of the Upgraded pastures was 18.0 DSE (Dry Sheep Equivalents)/ha compared with 10.2 DSE/ha on the Typical pastures (P < 0.001). As well, the ewes on the Upgraded pastures were 2–3 kg heavier (P < 0.001) and 0.3 condition score higher (P < 0.001) than those on the Typical pastures. Ewes grazing the Upgraded pastures cut significantly more wool per head (4.8 versus 4.5 kg) of higher micron wool (23.1 versus 22.6 um, P < 0.001) but with similar yield and strength. There was no difference in the supplementary feeding required on the treatments. Ewes grazing Upgraded pastures had significantly higher lambing (116 versus 102%), marking (86 versus 81%) and weaning percentages (84 versus 79%) and weaned significantly heavier lambs (23.6 versus 22.6 kg) than those on Typical pastures. There was less feed on offer (P < 0.05) in the Upgraded pastures compared with the Typical pastures in autumn–winter but similar or higher levels in spring and summer. Gross margins using current costs and prices were $20 and $24/DSE for the Typical and Upgraded pastures, respectively. These values were used in a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the long-term benefits of the treatments. Assuming a 12-year life for the pasture, the internal rate of return was 27% with the breakeven point in Year 7. Treatment and ewe condition score significantly influenced lambing percentage with ewes in condition score 3.0 at joining having a lambing percentage of 111% compared with 95% if at condition score 2.3. Irrespective of condition score, ewes grazing Upgraded pastures had a 7% higher lambing percentage than those grazing the Typical pastures. Ewe condition score and lambing time significantly affected weaning weight. Lambs born to ewes in condition score 2.3 during pregnancy and lambing in autumn, reached only 32% of mature ewe liveweight at weaning whereas lambs from ewes at condition score 3.0 achieved 51% of mature weight by weaning.