Forage Supply Research Articles

Behaviour influences thermoregulation of boreal moose during the warm season.

Management of large herbivores depends on providing habitats for forage supply and refuge from risks of temperature, predation and disease. Moose (Alces alces) accumulate body energy and nutrient stores during summer, while reducing the impact of warm temperatures through physiological and behavioural thermoregulation. Building on the animal indicator concept, we used rumen temperature sensors and GPS collars on captive moose (n = 6) kept in large natural enclosures to evaluate how behaviour and habitat selection influence the rate of change in rumen temperature during the growing season on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA. We compared movement and habitat selection of individual females during tolerance days (daily amplitude in rumen temperature was ≥1.2°C in 24h) with those of control days (daily amplitude in rumen temperature was < 1.2°C) before and after the tolerance day. Moose moved more during tolerance days (172m • h-1; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 149-191m • h-1) than on control days (151m • h-1; 95% CI = 128-173m • h-1). The rate of change in rumen temperature (°C • h-1) declined with low to moderate movement rates that were probably associated with foraging in all habitats. Movement only increased the rate of change in rumen temperature at high activity (~ > 500m • h-1). Additionally, the relationship between rate of change in rumen temperature and movement rate was different during tolerance and control days in open meadow and wetland habitats. In all habitats except wetlands, the rate of change in rumen temperature increased while resting, which probably is a result of diet-induced thermogenesis. Our study demonstrates that the behavioural choices of moose on the landscape are associated with the rate of change in rumen temperature and their ability to thermoregulate. Wildlife managers must consider high-value habitats where wildlife can employ both behavioural and physiological mechanisms to tolerate warm ambient conditions in a landscape of forage, predators and pests.

Adoption and Commercialization of Green Corn, Green Corn –Based Silage, Haylage and Ummb Production for Dairy Cattle in Cagayan Valley, Philippines

This research aimed to improve dairy production and increase the income of dairy farmers using locally available feed resources. Small-scale milk producers rely heavily on available feed resources in the locality which are either indigenous in the area or introduced species for feed and nutrition of their dairy cattle and buffalos. Their milk output depends mainly on seasonal fluctuations in the quality and quantity of natural forage. Crop residues such as corn stover and rice straw which are high in fiber but low in nutrients serve as a feed supplement and filler to the daily diets of dairy cattle and buffalos. Cagayan Valley is an ear of top corn and rice-producing region. The potential of crop residues as feed supplements or raw materials of dairy cattle/buffalo feed mix is great. But dairy farmers still face the scarcity problem of quality feed resources for dairy animals especially during the dry season. The supply of forage is very low during the dry spell. Inadequate feed mix and low nutritive value of feed mix result in low or no milk production. Producing green corn and ensiling it to produce green corn silage preserves and prolong the storage life of forages. In this way, a stable supply of feed mix for dairy animals is assured year-round. Type of Paper: Empirical. Keywords: adoption and commercialization, dairy industry, financial viability, green-corn silage production, indigenous grasses, smallholder farmers.

A Dual-Purpose Model for Spring-Sown Oats in Cold Regions of Northern China

Alpine regions in northern China are the traditional animal husbandry base. The lack of high-quality forage supply resulting from degradation of natural grasslands and low forage production due to short growing seasons greatly restricts development of animal husbandry in these areas. Spring oats have been widely planted in cold regions worldwide harvesting as either grains or forages because of their great adaptative ability to low temperatures and early maturation and high nutritional values. To maximize forage and grain production, we developed a dual-purpose model for spring-sown oats in the cold regions of northeastern China using two oat species, Avena nuda L. (cv. Bayou6) and Avena. sativa L. (cv. Qinghai444). Growth, forage production and quality, grain yield, and re-growth ability of the two oats were investigated in field trials and field demonstration. Maximal dry weight was found to occur at 70 days of emergence for both oats with higher forage production and crude protein (CP) in Bayou6 than Qinghai444 oat species. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of the two oats increased with time during the early vegetative growing stage, while the relative feed value showed a decrease during vegetative growing stage. The re-growth ability following cutting for the two oats reduced with increasing growth times during vegetative stage. Plant height, tiller density, CP and NDF contents of re-growing seedlings harvested at 30–40 days of emergence did not significantly differ from those of un-cutting control. The overall cumulative dry weight of biomass following cutting at 30 days of emergence was significantly higher than that of control without cutting in both oat species. Seed yield from plots cut at 30 days of emergence for both oat species was insignificantly different from that of control plots. Harvesting of spring-sown oats at 30 days of emergence enhanced forage production, but it did not influence seed yield. Results from 2-year field demonstration confirmed these conclusions. These findings highlight that this dual-purpose oat management model can have great applications in the cold regions of China.

Evaluation of Risk Value of Investors of Projects for the Creation of Crop Protection of Family Dairy Farms

The analysis of the status and trends of the development of territorial communities in Ukraine is carried out. The expediency of the development of tools for assessing the risk of investors’ value in projects for the creation of cooperatives for the provision of family dairy farms is substantiated. The model and computer program of risk assessment of investors’ value of projects based on the use of probability theory, methods of mathematical statistics and modeling of work execution for determination of variable costs for feed production are developed. It has been established that there are three scenarios for the formation of the value of investors for the creation of FC projects and three zones of their risk. The initial data are grounded for assessing the risk of investors investing in projects for the creation of cooperatives for the provision of family dairy farms. The study of the characteristics of the project environment for the conditions of the “Pokrova” SOK has been performed, which is located on the territory of the Zabolotiv’s community of the Brody district of the Lviv region. The statistical characteristics of distribution of expenses for production of feed, their market value and profit of investors of cooperatives forage supply of family dairy farms are substantiated. The level of risk of obtaining value from investments in the project of establishing a cooperative of forage provision of family dairy farms with a given minimum value of their profit is determined.

Restoring Fire-Grazer Interactions to Pursue Heterogeneity in Sandhills Prairie

Heterogeneity has emerged as a fundamental principle for rangeland management and the importance of environmental heterogeneity for biological diversity has raised questions about the appropriateness of rangeland practices that seek to promote uniform grassland structure and composition. Principles of uniformity in rangeland management reflect a utilitarian target of “managing for the middle” by minimizing both overgrazing and underutilization while avoiding or preventing fire and other disturbances that consume aboveground biomass. We implemented a study to evaluate pioneering efforts to restore historical fire-grazer interactions via patch burning in an effort to increase spatial heterogeneity in the Nebraska Sandhills, a sandy soil, mixed-grass ecoregion with a long history of “management for the middle”. The application of patch burning did not increase landscape heterogeneity of vegetation structure or composition in the Nebraska Sandhills. Instead, grassland structure exhibited greater temporal variability than spatial variability in growing and dormant seasons. The low stocking rate and the rapid regrowth of live herbaceous vegetation following fire likely constrained the degree of spatial heterogeneity observed in our study and highlights the challenges of balancing forage supply and demand in semi-arid grasslands.

Assessment of spatial variability of multiple ecosystem services in grasslands of different intensities

Grasslands provide multiple Ecosystem Services (ES) such as forage provision, carbon sequestration or habitat provision. Knowledge about the trade-offs between these ES is of great importance for grassland management. Yet, the outcome of different management strategies on ES provision is highly uncertain due to spatial variability. We aim to characterize the provision (level and spatial variability) of grassland ES under various management strategies. To do so, we combine empirical data for multiple ES with spatially explicit census data on land use intensities. We analyzed the variations of five ES (forage provision, climate regulation, pollination, biodiversity conservation and outdoor recreation) using data from biodiversity fieldwork, experimental plots for carbon as well as social network data from Flickr. These data were used to calculate the distribution of modelled individual and multiple ES values from different grassland management types in a Swiss case study region using spatial explicit information for 17,383 grassland parcels. Our results show that (1) management regime and intensity levels play an important role in ES provision but their impact depends on the ES. In general, extensive management, especially in pastures, favors all ES but forage provision, whereas intensive management favors only forage provision and outdoor recreation; (2) ES potential provision varies between parcels under the same management due to the influence of environmental drivers, related to topography and landscape structure; (3) there is a trade-offs between forage provision and other ES at the cantonal level but a synergy between forage provision and biodiversity conservation within the grassland categories, due to the negative impact of elevation on both ES. Information about multiple ES provision is key to support effective agri-environmental measures and information about the spatial variability can prevent uncertain outputs of decision-making processes.

Appraisal of Seed Priming with Liquid Microbial Inoculants on Growth and Yield Attributes of Forage Cowpea

Inadequate and nutritionally unbalanced supply of forage results in low productivity of livestock. There is an urgent need of burgeoning forage supply by amalgamating organic and inorganic components in integrated manner.Thereupon, the present investigation was carried out to evaluate the potential of liquid microbial inoculants on growth and yield of forage cowpea.The field experiments were conducted during kharif season (2018) at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bathinda and Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab respectively. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with a total of eleven treatment combinations of liquid microbial inoculants (Burkholderia seminalis, Burkholderia sp. and Bradyrhizobium sp.) with 75% and 100% RDF and replicated thrice. Results indicated that the treatment T10 (75% RDF + Burkholderia sp. + Burkholderia seminalis) significantly p less then0.05 enhanced vine length (210.47 and 205.33 cm), leaf length (11.77 and 11.53), leaf breadth (8.97 and 9.14 cm) and dry matter yield (40.13 and 38.18 q/ha) at Ludhiana and Bathinda respectively. Moreover, the percentage increase in green fodder yield (q/ha) with T10 treatment over T1 (control) was 13.21% at Ludhiana and 12.50% at Bathinda. Accordingly, it can be concluded that liquid microbial inoculants could play a predominant role in integrated nutrient management of forage cowpea for enhanced productivity.

Morphophysiology of buffel grass grown under different water supplies in the dry and dry-rainy seasons

ABSTRACT The lack of information on the growth of forage grasses in semi-arid environment, especially from the perspective of irrigation, is one of the obstacles to regular forage supply, as well as to the rational use of irrigation water. The objective with this study was to evaluate the leaf gas exchanges, biomass flow and structural characteristics of buffel grass cultivar Gayndah under different water supplies (30, 60, 90 and 120% of the reference evapotranspiration - ETo) during the dry season and dry-rainy season, in completely randomized design in a split-plot scheme with three repetitions. The experiment was conducted in Sobral, CE, Brazil (3° 45’ 00.77” S and 40° 20’ 38.55” W, altitude of 101 m) from September 2015 to January 2016. A higher photosynthetic rate was verified during the dry season, evidencing the adaptability of buffel grass to environments with water restriction. Overall, the best morphogenic and structural characteristics and the biomass production were observed in the dry season. The 90% ETo regime leads to maximum amount of forage accumulation, whereas the 30% ETo allows the maintenance of the cultivar Gayndah of buffel grass in a state of latency during the dry season.

Ecosystem services tradeoffs arising from non-native tree plantation expansion in southern Chile

Non-native tree plantations (NNTP) are an increasingly relevant global source of timber. Their expansion may lead to tradeoffs with important local ecosystem services (ES) that need to be evaluated for a sound and sustainable landscape planning. For a mountain area in southern Chile, we assessed the effects of NNTP expansion and potential NNTP timber-ES tradeoffs through a spatial tradeoff typology based on ES supply variations. We evaluated changes in prioritized ES (native timber supply, forage supply, water regulation, and recreation opportunities) and NNTP timber supply based on a probabilistic projection of NNTP expansion at two administrative levels (the municipality and small, medium and large farm properties). Results show that NNTP expansion triggered an increase of 361% in NNTP timber supply at the expense of decreases in provision of selected ES, such as forage supply (16.3%), native timber supply (9.4%), water regulation (0.4%) and recreation opportunities (66.8%). Tradeoffs were restricted to small geographic areas but were considerably high in terms of the magnitude of ES supply losses. Tradeoffs were highest in medium farms as compared to small and large properties. Results corroborate that tradeoffs arise from the interplay of several factors, such as ES type and ES productivity, and they are site-specific and scale dependent. If NNTP continue to expand at the current rate (yearly 9.6%) and under the current management (large scale monocultures), significant ES supply changes are inevitable. These results can inform landowners, landscape planners and governments to better anticipate and mitigate tradeoffs arising from afforestation.

Invasion of Euryops floribundus in degraded South African communal grassland: Unpacking the invasion relationship with elevation, soil properties, the quality and quantity of the herbaceous layer

AbstractShrub invasion is a recent occurrence in African grassland ecosystems. This study assessed the distribution of Euryops floribundus (a native shrub species) along an elevation and invasion intensity gradients, and its relationship with soil and herbaceous vegetation in a South African grassland. Shrub density increased (p &lt; 0.05) from the uplands (2,301 plants/ha) to the bottomlands (4,888 plants/ha). Themeda triandra (a highly palatable grass) was dominant at the uplands and sloping sites, whereas Eragrostis plana and Sporobolus africanus (poorly palatable grasses) dominated the bottomlands. Upland soils had the highest organic carbon (OC), phosphorous (P), calcium and nitrogen (N) contents, but the lowest shrub density and herbaceous biomass. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that elevation, soil OC and N contents determine important vegetation variables along the elevation gradient. In the shrub density gradient, soil P, OC and N responded positively to E. floribundus density. Grass biomass in the moderate and heavily invaded sites was high, but the abundance of palatable grasses declined, suggesting that E. floribundus invasion may be concomitant with a decrease in rangeland condition in terms of quality forage provision.

Pasture Stocking Density and the Relationship to Animal Performance

The pasture/livestock production enterprise should be viewed as an integrated production system. An important step in improving the production efficiency of the system is to consider the interrelationship between the cattle and the pasture forage supply. Management of stocking density is one such relationship between grazing cattle and pastures. The stocking density of Florida pastures can impact beef cattle production, forage production, and enterprise profitability. The overall goal of managing grazing animals is to utilize the forage that a pasture already produces to its optimum potential. This document is AN155, one of a series of the Department of Animal Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date August 2005.&#x0D; AN155/AN155: Pasture Stocking Density and the Relationship to Animal Performance (ufl.edu)

CHLORELLA SUSPENSION AND ITS USAGE IN FINISHING PIGS’ RATIONS

The animal husbandry cannot develop successfully without complete balanced feed and optimal forage supply. This article deals with the chemical composition of chlorella suspension. The ration is balanced with seaweeds as well as premixes, vitamins and bio supplement for the last decades. These seaweeds include chlorella - a representative of green microscopic algae. The use of chlorella allows for multi-factor balancing of the diet in accordance with modern feeding standards, which increases the productive effect of feed and significantly increases the transformation of nutrients into livestock products. This is arelevant issue of modern animal husbandry. The chlorella suspension was material for scientific research. It was made on the farm “In Samvel”, Ovidiopol District. According to the result of researches that took place on the farm " In Samvel", Biliayevka District, Odessa Oblast and SERF "Yuzhnyi" OSAGES NAAS, new data concerning chemical composition, the positive influence of investigated chlorella suspension on the growth and development of finishing pigs as well as feed costs by 1 kg of growth were obtained. It has been established that the chemical composition of chlorella suspension takes a special place among all feed additives used in farm animals feeding. It has been established that the additional use of chlorella suspension in the ration of finishing pigs of Large White breeds contribute to the increase of average daily gains by 121.9% against the control group in which chlorella suspensions was not given. Feed conversion to obtain1 kg of pigs live weight gain in the control group was 5.1 kg, in the experimental group - 4.2 kg and feed conversion index in the experimental group was higher by 21.4%. Thus the results of researches indicate the positive effect of investigated chlorella suspension on the growth anddevelopment of finishing pigs. Due to the obtained results, we can state that the chemical composition of the suspension chlorella takes a special place among all feed additives used in farm animals feeding. Chlorella has higher indicators of chemical composition, the amount of protein, vitamins and minerals in comparison with plant fodder and crops of agricultural production.

Estimation of spatial and temporal variability of pasture growth and digestibility in grazing rotations coupling unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with crop simulation models.

Systematic monitoring of pasture quantity and quality is important to match the herd forage demand (pasture removal by grazing or harvest) to the supply of forage with adequate nutritive value. The aim of this research was to monitor, assess and manage changes in pasture growth, morphology and digestibility by integrating information from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and two process-based models. The first model, Systems Approach to Land Use Sustainability (SALUS), is a process-based crop growth model used to predict pasture regrowth based on soil, climate, and management data. The second model, Morphogenetic and Digestibility of Pasture (MDP), uses paddock-scale values of herbage mass as input to predict leaf morphogenesis and forage nutritive value. Two field experiments were carried out on tall fescue- and ryegrass-based pastures under rotational grazing with lactating dairy cattle. The first experiment was conducted at plot scale and was used to calibrate the UAV and to test models. The second experiment was conducted at field scale and was used to test the UAV’s ability to predict pasture biomass under grazing rotation. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) calculated from the UAV’s multispectral reflectance (n = 72) was strongly correlated (p < 0.001) to plot measurements of pasture biomass (R2 = 0.80) within the range of ~226 and 4208 kg DM ha-1. Moreover, there was no difference (root mean square error, RMSE < 500 kg DM ha-1) between biomass estimations by the UAV (1971±350 kg ha-1) and two conventional methods used as control, the C-Dax proximal sensor (2073±636 kg ha-1) and ruler (2017±530 kg ha-1). The UAV approach was capable of mapping at high resolution (6 cm) the spatial variability of pasture (16 ha). The integrated UAV-modeling approach properly predicted spatial and temporal changes in pasture biomass (RMSE = 509 kg DM ha-1, CCC = 0.94), leaf length (RMSE = 6.2 cm, CCC = 0.62), leaf stage (RMSE = 0.7 leaves, CCC = 0.65), neutral detergent fiber (RMSE = 3%, CCC = 0.71), digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (RMSE = 8%, CCC = 0.92) and digestibility of dry matter (RMSE = 5%, CCC = 0.93) with reasonable precision and accuracy. These findings therefore suggest potential for the present UAV-modeling approach for use as decision support tool to allocate animals based on spatially and temporally explicit predictions of pasture biomass and nutritive value.

One-hundred years after shrub encroachment: Policy directions towards sustainable rangeland-use

In many shrub-encroached lands, livestock grazing is the dominant land-use type which shapes stakeholders’ perspective on single ecosystem service provision (i.e., forage production). Although recent ecological studies suggested otherwise, recognition of multiple ecosystem services from shrublands is rarely translated into policy, likely due to the lack of robust scientific evidence on trade-offs between ecosystem services following shrub removal. Based on meta-analysis from global publications, we found that while shrub removal increased forage provision, such effect was generally short-lived (˜5 years). At the same time, shrub removal also increased bare soil, decreased soil nutrients and soil organic carbon, which potentially reduced erosion control and nutrient cycling service. These trade-offs tended to be more prominent with increasing disturbance intensity (i.e., higher shrub removal frequencies or switching from single to multiple shrub removal methods). To encourage adaptation to the provisioning of multiple ecosystem services from shrublands, we provided a framework on how to value such landscapes, including the estimated monetary values that could be generated from maintaining them. Since there will be a time-lag until most monetary values appear, initial incentives may be necessary to encourage the adoption of conservation practices, in addition to efforts to increase society awareness (e.g., eco-labelling, alternative food networks or social media) on multiple ecological benefits from shrublands and investment to provide capacity building for pastoralists.

Effects of forage feeding on rumen fermentation, plasma metabolites, and hormones in Holstein calves during pre- and postweaning periods1.

Recent studies have suggested that the amount of forage intake by calves around the time of weaning could affect ruminal pH levels. Several studies have also proposed that subacute ruminal acidosis in mature cows is a risk factor for various metabolic disorders and production diseases. In this study, we examined the effects of forage feeding on ruminal pH, ruminal fermentation, rumen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration, plasma metabolites, and hormonal concentrations in calves during pre- and postweaning periods. Sixteen male Holstein calves were used. At 7 wk of age, calves were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments: calves in the HAY group (n = 8) were fed starter with forage, and those in the CON group (n = 8) were fed starter without any forage. All calves were weaned at 8 wk of age. The amounts of starter and mixed hay were gradually increased until the end of the experiment (age, 11 wk). Ruminal pH was measured continuously every 10 min using an indwelling sensor. Rumen fluid and peripheral blood samples were obtained prior to morning feedings at -1, 0, 1, and 3 wk after weaning. Compared with the HAY group, in the CON group, the average daily ruminal pH was lower (P < 0.05) and the duration of ruminal pH values below 5.6 was longer (P < 0.05). Regarding ruminal VFA profiles, compared with the HAY group, the CON group had lower (P < 0.05) acetate to propionate ratios at 1 and 3 wk after weaning. Rumen LPS concentrations tended to be higher (P < 0.1) in the CON group than in the HAY group; however, concentrations of LPS-binding protein, haptoglobin, and serum amyloid A in the peripheral blood did not differ significantly. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels were markedly higher (P < 0.05) in the CON group than in the HAY group at 1 and 3 wk after weaning. There was a linear decrease in plasma growth hormone (GH) levels in the CON group after the start of the experiment, and its concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in the CON group than in the HAY group at 0 and 3 wk after weaning. The results indicated that forage provision during pre- and postweaning periods helped prevent decrease in ruminal pH, change in ruminal fermentation, and liver alteration, and helped maintain plasma GH levels, which suggests that calves around the time of weaning need forage intake with starter to maintain proper metabolic and hormonal functions.

FEATURES OF PLANNING PROJECTS FOR THE CREATION OF COOPERATIVES FORAGE FAMILY DAIRY FARMS

The analysis of the condition of dairy cattle breeding in Ukraine is carried out. The necessity of realization of projects’ creation of forage provision cooperatives of family dairy farms is substantiated. The peculiarities of planning of projects for the creation of cooperatives for feed of family dairy farms are presented. The expediency of taking into account the changing characteristics of the project environment of projects for the establishment of cooperatives forage feeding of family dairy farms during their planning, which determine the risk of value, is substantiated. The models of projects’ planning for the creation of cooperatives for the provision of family dairy farms are indicated. It is proved that these models should be developed for each stage of their implementation, which necessitate consideration of various components of projects that are the objects of planning. The purpose and the main requirements for the models of projects’ planning for the creation of forage feeding cooperatives of family dairy farms, taking into account the risk are substantiated. Project’s value dependence on the main groups of their factors is presented. The scheme of changing the risk for different processes of project management of cooperatives creation during their life cycle has been built.

Perennial ryegrass productivity and nutritive quality as affected by frequency of nitrogen fertilizer addition

AbstractIn intensive dairy pasture‐based systems, split applications of nitrogen (N) use throughout the growth cycle has played an important role in increasing the herbage production and additional forage supply at specific times across the pasture growth season. However, little is known about how the frequency of N applications can modify the crude protein content and their fractions. A mini‐sward study was conducted between August 2011 and January 2012 in Valdivia, Chile, to quantify the effect of frequency of N application on herbage yield, growth dynamics and protein fractions in perennial ryegrass swards. A single N rate equivalent of 250 kg N ha−1 year−1 of ammonium nitrate (27% N) fertilizer was applied in five patterns based on phyllochron. Thus, the mini‐swards were fertilized when they reached 1–2–4–8 phyllochrons, and there was a zero rate of fertilizer application. All mini‐swards were defoliated when the ryegrass reached two complete expanded leaves per tiller. The treatments were replicated four times in a completely randomized block design. Defoliations were carried out by harvesting each plot with hand shears to a stubble height of 5 cm. Crude protein fractions were analyzed using the Cornell Carbohydrate and Protein Scheme (CNCPS). The results showed that plants fertilized more frequently (1–2–4 phyllochrons) had a higher (p &lt; 0.001) accumulated herbage mass than plants fertilized every 8 phyllochrons. On the other hand, the fertilization frequency modified the herbage production over the experimental period (p &lt; 0.05). Total crude protein was higher in plants fertilized less frequently, but crude protein fractions were not affected by fertilization frequency.

Diagnosing the weather and climate features that influence pasture growth in Northern Australia

Northern Australian agricultural industries are vulnerable to a highly variable climate. Year-to-year fluctuations in rainfall strongly affect pasture growth and increase the challenge of matching forage supply with stock numbers. A case study of climate drivers of pasture growth is conducted for the extensively-grazed cattle enterprises in the semi-arid tropics of north-eastern Australia. By assessing past climate, we explore which aspects of climate variability drive variations in pasture growth to inform effective developments in grazing management tools. Insights gained from these investigations could be important to the understanding of how we might integrate dynamical climate models into the decision making process. Currently, dynamical climate models are limited in their ability to provide skilful 6 month forecasts of total rainfall at the paddock scale. In their favour, we show that variables other than total rainfall are more important in forecasting pasture growth. Predicting total rainfall is dominated by the need to effectively predict the extreme events. We demonstrate that these extreme events do not significantly influence pasture growth as much of the rain received during extreme rainfall events is lost as run-off. A forecast would ideally be able to predict the number of rain days that fall when the soil is dry; incorporate the moisture content of soil at the beginning of the season; determine the likelihood of an early break to the wet season resulting in late winter and/or spring rainfall; and establish the interaction of El Niño Southern Oscillation with other climate modes. We stress however, that potential pasture growth is only one aspect of complex farm management decisions. Optimal decision making must also incorporate factors such as grazing management, cattle condition and longer time horizons as part of a whole of farm approach.

Productivity and crude protein concentration of Tifton 85 pasture-based mixed with pinto peanut

ABSTRACT Mixed pasture grass-legume systems balance forage supply and minimize environmental impacts by reducing the need for nitrogen fertilization. Pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi Krap. and Greg. “Amarillo”) has several traits that are suitable for mixed pastures but have not yet been adequately explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate a mixture of Tifton 85 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and pinto peanut and evaluate forage yield, crude protein, and stocking density. A two-year study of three grazing systems was used with the following treatment combinations: (a) Tifton 85 (T) + 100 kg N ha-1 yr-1 + pinto peanut (T + PP+100); (b) T + 100 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (T + 100; control, pure grass); and (c) T + 200 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (T + 200; positive control, pure grass). In this study, forage yield, pasture characteristics and responses of lactating cows were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments (grazing systems), three replicates (paddocks), and repeated measures (grazing cycles within seasons). Forage accumulation, crude protein concentration, and stocking rate were 15.1; 11.3 and 14.1 t DM ha-1 yr-1; 17%, 16%, and 17%; and 5.3; 4.9 and 6.1 AU ha-1 day-1, respectively. The grass-legume system yielded the best results.

Total grazing pressure - a defining concept for extensive pastoral systems in the southern rangelands of Australia

In Australia, particularly in the southern rangelands, large populations of native and feral herbivores (including kangaroos, goats, rabbits, pigs, donkeys and camels, depending on the location) co-exist with domestic livestock. In recent decades the concept of ‘total grazing pressure’ has been developed, and widely accepted, to denote the total forage demand of all vertebrate herbivores relative to the forage supply. This concept provides a framework within which both domestic and non-domestic species can be managed to allow commercially viable livestock production, landscape maintenance or restoration and species conservation. The concept should have relevance wherever pest animal control programs, biodiversity conservation, or commercialisation of wildlife are conducted in conjunction with extensive livestock production. The rationale for the compilation of the Special Issue is outlined.