Ha Of Pasture Research Articles

Application of Participatory Methods to Explore Changes in Land Use of a Tropical Dry Forest Basin

Tropical hydrographic basins have undergone significant land use change processes in recent decades and correspond to areas of high population growth and development of economic activities. This article explores the causes of land use change in a tropical dry forest watershed, taking the Canalete river basin as a case study. For this purpose, stakeholder analysis techniques and participatory methods were applied. The results showed that the main causes of land use change in pastures were associated with biophysical factors, while forestsshrubs and crops were associated with direct and subyacents socioeconomics factors respectively. The participatory mapping allowed obtaining a desired land use scenario for the year 2030, observing a decrease of more than 16.2 ha of pasture, compensated by an increase of almost 2.4 thousand ha of crops and 13.8 thousand ha of forests and shrubs. Similarly, the hydrological impact of changes in land use was observed, especially in terms of flooding.

Biological reclamation of disturbed agricultural lands in the Volgograd Trans-Volga region

Earthworks, such as mining, construction, laying pipes for various purposes and other activities, result in the loss of ecological systems, particularly soil cover integrity. Land reclamation allows for the establishment of a fertile soil layer, soil structure, and the accumulation of humus and other nutrients up to the level of fertility that existed before the violation. The article presents a comparative analysis of the main indicators of soil fertility of agricultural lands (pasture, hayfield, arable land) in its natural state and in the disturbed one caused by the overhaul of the main gas pipeline. The purpose of the research conducted in 2020 was in the dry-steppe zone of chestnut soils of the Volgograd region to analyze the indicators of fertility of agricultural lands that are in their natural state and subject to reclamation with an estimation of restoration costs. To characterize the level of soil fertility, the main indicators of fertility have been considered: particle size distribution, content of organic matter (humus), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S) and pH, which reliably characterized soil fertility in the given soil-climatic conditions of the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region. As a result of the estimation, it was found that the cost of restoring 1 ha of arable land made 2607.13 euro, and the cost of restoring 1 ha of pasture (haymaking) reached 2096.62 euro.

LOCATION AND QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF GRASSLAND RESOURCES IN THE MOUNTAIN AREAS OF BANAT BY GEOMATIC METHODS

In the Mountainous Banat, the grasslands have a decisive influence on the area, both due to the significant areas occupied at regional level and due to the role they had and have in the mountain economy of the area. The inhabitants of the area capitalized on the resources offered by them (fodder, honey plants, berries, firewood) laying the foundations of an original pastoral life. The purpose of the research can be defined by two objectives: (1) the location and spatial representation of the lands, depending on the use and especially of the surfaces used as grasslands, by GIS techniques and means; (2) quantitative assessment of grassland areas as the main resource of mountain areas, "multifunctional" resources, both in the traditional sense and in the context of sustainable development. The surface of the study area is 42619 ha and overlaps over four administrativeterritorial units (ATU): Anina, Goruia, Ciudanoviţa and Oraviţa. The land use maps were drawn up, in GIS environment, initially at ATU level, and later, in order to create an overview of the entire region, quantitative data reports were generated, by land use categories. The use categories "Pastures" and "Natural grasslands" were followed in particular, in accordance with the purpose of the research. In the land balance of the study area, the forest areas predominate, and the grasslands, with all their subcategories, are on the second place in the ranking in most of the analyzed ATUs. From the total area of the analyzed territory, the grasslands were identified on an area of 5934.39 ha, of which 5338.41 ha of pastures and 595.98 ha of natural grasslands. The grasslands in the analyzed area are used extensively, dominating the traditional practices of free-range animals.

Analyzing the impact of grazing and short-term irrigation management on soil mechanical strength of a volcanic ash soil under different types of pastures

In southern Chile, there are over 1.3 million ha of pastures on volcanic ash soils. The climate change scenario and the need to increase yields are forcing farmers to increase irrigated surface areas. This implies an intensified soil use that must be analyzed to prevent soil degradation. Therefore, this study analyzed the impact of initial pasture defoliation (mowing and grazing) and short-term irrigation managements on soil structure dependent properties of a volcanic ash soil under different types of pastures. Field penetration resistance (PR) profiles (0–80 cm), soil water content measurements (0–10 cm) and undisturbed soil samples (0–3 cm) displayed the impact of animal trampling due to repeated loading events. Though this experiment did not determine significant interactions such as pasture x defoliation method x applied load, the early developmental stage of this experiment provided a basis for better understanding deformation processes due to animal trampling when different types of pastures are irrigated in the short-term. The plastic deformation caused by loads higher than precompression stress induced an increase in soil mechanical strength (e.g. Pc increased after the first grazing, but not after mowing), affecting the macropore volume and air permeability. The short-term effects (<2 years) showed the incipient consequences of grazing and irrigation: PR increased due to animal trampling (data dispersion: grazed> mowed plots, showing footprint formation after 8 grazing events) and the higher sum of PR in non-irrigated pastures evidenced the increase of the cohesion between particles/aggregates after drying events. Therefore, it can be expected that in the medium-term (3-4 years), animal trampling could lead to significant soil deformation and a progressive increase in soil mechanical strength near the soil surface.

Relationships between Organic Beef Production and Agro-Ecosystems in Mountain Areas: The Case of Catalan Pyrenees

This study analyzed the link between organic beef production and agroecosystems in mountain areas and the potential effects of land use change in eight farms of Catalan Pyrenees with a three step approach: (i) assessment of structural and management features; (ii) comparison of forage productivity and manure loads of 71 farmland parcels in relation with management intensity (natural meadows, seminatural meadows, temporary crops) and, for meadow parcels, with the farmers’ willingness to convert them to temporary crops; (iii) life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts. Each farm managed around 150 ha of pastures and 23 ha of farmland (of which only 5 as temporary crops), and maintained a herd of around 130 livestock units. Forage productivity and manure loads of farmland were modest and extremely variable, and no productive advantages could be predicted from the conversion of meadows to temporary crops. Environmental impacts were mostly related to the on-farm stages, because of low-input management and very high feed self-sufficiency, and the diets used showed very low feed/food competition. These results indicate a balance between organic beef production and management of mountain agroecosystems, which is a key point for sustainability and should be a priority in European policies and strategies.

Assessment of land degradation changes in mountain areas in Tashkent province

Analyzing the trend of land degradation changes and its cause and consequence in the mountain ecosystem is a matter of concern for sustainable development. It’s important to know that only 10% of the world’s population in rural areas depends directly on natural resources for their livelihood and 40% depends indirectly, i.e. water, biodiversity, and ecosystem. This study focuses on the assessment of land degradation changes in mountain areas of Tashkent province using GIS techniques. The study area is located lowland in the western part of the Tian Shan mountains. The results show that overgrazing significantly affects the mountain ecosystem, which decreased up to 29 thousand ha of pasture land over ten years between 1989-1998. However, changes during 2008-2018 show a significant rise in the pasture area, ending with 45 thousand ha of land. In conclusion, during last decades in Uzbekistan rehabilitation achievements be due to (i) complex measures taken by government and ecologists, who clearly recognized that if the previous scenario will continue, the ecosystem of high altitude areas could be irreversibly damaged; (ii) cutting trees from a forest which leads to decrease forest area and increase pasture area.

Quantifying sheep enterprise profitability with varying flock replacement rates, lambing rates, and breeding strategies in New Zealand

Sheep sales are the major source of income for most New Zealand sheep enterprises. Terminal (meat breed) sires are used to increase lamb growth rates enabling lambs to be sold earlier at higher prices on a per kg basis. Their use in self-replacing flocks is generally constrained by requirements for purebred ewe lambs from which to choose ewe replacements. This study used a bio-economic system-dynamics model of a sheep enterprise to investigate use of terminal sires for a ewe flock with a range of ewe replacement and lambing rates. Values from New Zealand industry survey data were used to simulate a representative New Zealand North Island East Coast Hill Country sheep enterprise (self-replacing flock of 2182 mature breeding ewes with a stable flock size on 549 ha of pasture where 60.8% of feed was consumed by sheep). Three ewe replacement rates (20%, 25%, and 30% per annum), lambing rates (110, 130, and 150%; lambs weaned per ewe presented for breeding), and breeding strategies (no terminal sires; breeding the maximum possible proportion of mature ewes with terminal sires; and breeding half of the maximum with terminal sires) were modelled. Income from lamb sales increased with use of terminal sires, due to increased production of lamb liveweight for sale and lambs sold earlier for higher prices, resulting in greater sheep enterprise cash operating surplus (COS). Sheep enterprise COS increases, from no terminal sire use compared with maximum use of terminal sires, ranged from $3/ha to $101/ha. Larger increases in COS occurred with a higher flock lambing rate and lower ewe replacement rate, which allowed for terminal sire use over a greater proportion of the flock. Up to 65% of the flock could be bred with terminal sires while producing sufficient numbers of purebred ewe lambs from which to choose replacements. For an average North Island East Coast Hill Country sheep enterprise with a replacement rate of 25% and lambing rate of 130%, sheep enterprise COS increased by $15,021 with maximum use of terminal sires (45% of the mature ewe flock), compared with use of only maternal sires. Use of terminal sires increased annual sheep energy demand by up to 6% and changed the sheep feed demand profile, with increases in energy demand post-weaning in December mostly compensated for by subsequent reductions in demand following crossbred lamb sales in January.

Calving location preference and changes in lying and exploratory behavior of preparturient dairy cattle with access to pasture

The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the calving location of dairy cattle given access to a pasture and barn; (2) identify factors associated with calving location; and (3) compare the lying and exploratory behavior of cows in the 24 h before calving and a previous day. Seventy-two Holstein dairy heifers and cows (n = 36 nulliparous and n = 36 primiparous and multiparous combined) were housed in a covered bedded-pack barn (167.4 m2) with free access to 2.1 ha of pasture. The composition of the group was dynamic, because cows were moved in weekly at 19 ± 6 d [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] before their calving date, and were removed immediately after calving. To facilitate data collection, we divided the environment into 9 sections, including the barn (section 1; 167.4 m2), 7 sections of open pasture (sections 2 to 8; 2,402 ± 60 m2), and 1 section of pasture surrounded by natural forage cover (section 9; 3,593 m2). We then collapsed these 9 sections into 3 distinct areas for further analysis: the barn, open pasture, and natural forage cover. Animals were fitted with accelerometers to measure lying time, lying bout duration, lying bouts, and steps for the 24 h before calving (calving day) and a similar 24 h period 4 to 11 d (median = 7) before calving (baseline day). We included parity (nulliparous vs. primiparous and multiparous) and heat stress [no heat stress = temperature-humidity index (THI) ≤68 vs. heat stress = THI >68 and ≤79] in all analyses; we included time of day and group composition as additional factors that may have affected calving location. We determined exploratory behavior using 10 min instantaneous scan sampling collected from video. At each scan, we recorded the section (1 to 9) the cow or heifer was located in, and then calculated the minimum number of sections that could be crossed between successive scans. Of the total sample, 39% calved in the barn, 26% calved in the open pasture, and 35% calved in the area with natural forage cover. Nulliparous heifers and those calving when heat stress was low (THI ≤68) selected the area with natural forage cover more frequently than the barn. On the calving day, cows spent more time lying down with more short bouts of lying, and crossed more sections compared with the baseline day. Steps were affected by an interactive effect of day, parity, and heat stress; nulliparous heifers took more steps on the calving day during conditions of heat stress compared with no heat stress. Results indicate that cows and heifers had different preferences for their environment at calving, and when provided access to pasture, both changed their lying and exploratory behavior on the day of calving compared with a previous day.

Relationships between soil, forage, and grazing parameter effects on weed incidence in Missouri pastures

AbstractDuring the 2015, 2016, and 2017 growing seasons, a survey of 63 pastures in Missouri was conducted to determine the effects of selected soil and forage parameters on the density of common annual, biennial, and perennial weed species. Permanent sampling areas were established in each pasture at a frequency of one representative 20-m2 area per 4 ha of pasture, and weed species and density in each area were determined at 14-d intervals for a period from mid-April until late September. The parameters evaluated included soil pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) concentrations, as well as tall fescue density, forage groundcover density, and stocking rate. An increase of 1 unit in soil pH was associated with 146 fewer weeds per hectare, the largest reduction in weed density in response to any soil parameter. Increased soil pH was associated with the greatest reduction in perennial grass weed density, along with an average reduction of 1,410 brush weeds per hectare for each 1-unit increase in soil pH. Common ragweed, a widespread weed of pastures, could be reduced by 3,056 weeds ha−1 when soil pH was 1 unit greater. A 1-ppm increase in soil P was correlated with a decrease of 206 biennial broadleaf weeds per hectare. Perennial broadleaf weed density was reduced in soils with greater concentrations of P, K, and Ca. Additionally, for every 1% increase of tall fescue and forage groundcover, there was a decrease of 18 and 38 perennial broadleaf weeds per hectare. The results from this research indicate that the density of many common weed species can be reduced with higher soil pH and adjustments to soil macro- and micronutrient concentrations, especially P.

Assessment of biomass nutritive value in the context of animal welfare and conservation of selected Natura 2000 habitats (4030, 6120 and 6210) in eastern Poland

The analyses were carried out between 2016 and 2017 in eastern Poland in three areas of high nature value: 4030 European dry heaths (Fig. 1), 6120 Xeric sand calcareous grasslands (Fig. 2) and 6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands on calcareous substrates (Fig. 3). These three habitats are dry grasslands threatened with extinction. They are semi-natural ecosystems dependent on some human intervention, which formerly grazed by livestock, mowed or burnt. However, due to the low production value, they were first excluded from use, which affected their disappearance. Investigations were performed to explore the vegetation, the yield and nutritional value of biomass in relation to the dietary welfare of sheep which can be used to prevent secondary succession in those habitats.The best grazing performance was identified in the case of local sheep breeds, e.g. the Świniarka Sheep. The maximum stocking density in the analysed sites – from the beginning of the season to the end of June – should not be higher than 1 LSU (Livestock Unit) per 1 ha of pasture. Excluding this grazing period, further use of the analysed sites required constant feed supplementation for the animals, with the time spent by them in the grazing site and their stocking density strictly monitored to avoid undernutrition and excessive damage to the vegetation. The species composition, yielding and nutritional value of the biomass indicate semi-natural dry grasslands on calcareous substrates (6210 habitat) as the most propitious for grazing in the context of animal welfare.

Scenarios of land use and land cover change for NW Amazonia: Impact on forest intactness

Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) are important drivers of environmental changes in the tropics. Amazônia Legal has showed some declines in deforestation rates, but NW Amazonia has become one of the most recent/new hotspots of forest loss in the Amazon basin. Regional models of change are tools that support the analysis of causes and consequences in the dynamics of land use and are critical in the construction of scenarios for planning the future of the territory and conserving Amazonian forests. The neural networks implemented in the Terrset Land Change Modeler (LCM) module were used to predict and analyze the recent (2007–2016) and future business as usual (BAU2030) and two alternative scenarios for 2030 (PAST50_2030 AND TECH_2030) of the Colombian Amazon and prognostics for intact forests of the future. We used 5 main categories (forests, pastures, secondary vegetation, fragmented forests, and others) and grouped the main transitions of categories into three submodels of change (conversion to pastures, degradation and regeneration). The simulation foresees a substantial loss of forests in the business as usual scenario of 7.92% for 2030 (−3,387,898 ha), followed by a projected increase in pastures of 2,012,087 ha (52.5%) respectively. On the contrary the alternative scenarios show more reduced loss of forest for 2030 of 1,998,299 ha (4.6%) for the PAST50_2030 scenario and a 612,989 ha (1.4%) in the TECH_2030 scenario, accompanied of an increase of only 362,966 ha of pastures in the first case and a reduction of pastures of 316,705 ha in the TECH_2030 case. The most worrying projection is the reduction of intact forest from an average size of forest fragments of 5724 ha in 2016 to 1668 ha (BAU2030), 1744 ha (PAST50_2030) and a minor reduction to 2397 ha for the TECH_2030 scenario. There is also an increased isolation and a reduction of total forest core that only in the TECH_2030 scenario is less pronounced. The protection of those intact patches is key to the future of the NW Amazonia, the reduction in the rate of conversion to pastures PAST50_2030 indicates an opportunity to have a less dramatic loss of forest intact patches but the TECH_2030 scenario is where those areas remain less affected and connectivity will be less affected. These findings signal the urgent need to find mechanisms to implement effective planning in the region in order to prevent uncontrolled expansion, slow deforestation and fragmentation rates and to ensure the integrity of the protected areas and the connectivity of such key landscapes.

Agricultural land use change and associated driving forces over the past 180 years in two municipalities of the Brazilian Cerrado

This paper aims to test the hypothesis that a single driving force from the local, national, or global level is capable of triggering land use changes, including large scale deforestation, within a historical context. To reach this goal we describe and explain the driving forces from the global to farm level that have shaped agricultural land uses, as a case study, over 180 years in the municipalities of Quirinopolis and Gouvelândia in the Brazilian Cerrado. Through secondary data, field surveys, and interviews with farmers and other stakeholders involved with agricultural production, we identified four distinct periods in which drastic or little land use occurred. The evidence found supports our hypothesis. Two drastic land use changes occurred in Quirinopolis and Gouvelândia. The first one was the replacement of about 400,000 ha of original vegetation by pastures and crops between 1965 and 1985 triggered by the availability of abundant subsidized rural credits for farmers; the second one was initiated in 2005 with the replacement of 100,000 ha of pastures and cropping area by sugarcane, which was driven by the sudden domestic and world demand for sugar and ethanol.

Produktivitas Sapi Bali di Lahan Pastura dan Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit di Kabupaten Keerom Provinsi Papua

Bali cattle are potentially developed on pasture and palm oil plantation lands. They are kept in small scale by local farmers. The study aimed to investigate the forage and bali cattle productivitie in those two grazing areas. Total land area, carrying capacity and total land capacity for bali cattle were analysed to evaluate the forage productivity of pasture and oil plantation grazing areas. A total of 60 heads of bali cattle aging 1-3 years were used to evaluate their productivities including bodyweight and linear body measurements. A number of 30 heads of the animal had been raised on pasture and the other 30 heads on palm oil plantation. The results showed that there were 7191 ha of pasture and 5519 ha of palm oil plantation that could cover grazing cattle of 28 188.72 animal unit and 20 585.87 animal unit respectively. The carrying capacity of pasture was slightly higher than that of palm oil plantation, which were 3.92 AU and 3.73 AU per ha per year respectively. The bali cattle, particularly female animal, raised on pasture had better productivity in term of body weight and hip height. The higher cattle productivity on pasture was due to the additional supplementation of King grass and Elephant grass. In general, the bali cattle kept in the two different raising system (pasture and palm oil plantation system) had good performance since their population were still below their carrying capacities.

Land Cover Trade‐offs in Small Oceanic Islands: A Temporal Analysis of Pico Island, Azores

AbstractLivestock production has been highly relevant in the Azores, boosted by European agricultural policies, increasing the demand for pasture and competing for space with other land uses. Therefore, it is important to understand the spatial evolution of pasture and related land use/land cover (LULC) trade‐offs. This study describes a geographical information systems‐based LULC change detection approach to identify, map and assess pasture‐related land use changes and respective trade‐offs in Pico Island in the period between 1998 and 2013 (15 years). Pasture in 1998 occupied a total area of 17,131 ha (about 39% of Pico Island surface), while in 2013, this same area was of 17,621 ha (about 40% of Pico Island surface). During this period, about 16,316 ha of pasture remained unchanged, while 2,110 ha (about 5% of Pico Island surface) of land use have changed from pasture to another land use (810 ha), or from a previous land use to pasture (1,300 ha). The whole pasture spatial dynamics and its net increase of 3% from 1998 to 2013 (490 ha, about 1% of Pico Island surface) were analysed through the identification, mapping and assessment of LULC trade‐offs and interpreted according to several physical (elevation) and socio‐economic/policy drivers. Pasture and livestock grazing activity with adequate management may not constitute per se threats to nature conservation and biodiversity protection in Pico Island, as the identified issues have been shown to be mostly related to the pasture dynamics (changes and respective trade‐offs). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Reconciling rural development and ecological restoration: Strategies and policy recommendations for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Increased demand for both agricultural production and forest restoration may lead to increased competition for land in the next decades. Sustainably increasing cattle ranching productivity is a potential solution to reconcile different land uses, while also improving biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services. If not strategically implemented in integration with complementary policies, sustainable intensification can however result in negative environmental, economic and social effects. We analyzed the potential for sustainable intensification as a solution for a conflict between agricultural expansion and forest restoration in the Paraitinga Watershed at the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, we provide policy recommendations for sustainable development in the region, based on interviews with producers and local actors. We found that the Paraitinga Watershed has the potential to increase its cattle-ranching productivity and, as a result, relinquish spared land for other uses. This was true even in the most conservative intensification scenario considered (50% of the maximum potential productivity reached), in which 76,702ha of pastures can be spared for other uses (46% of total pasture area). We found that restoration, apiculture and rural tourism are promising activities to promote sustainable development in the region, thus potentially increasing food production and mitigating competition for land. Our study shows that results from socioeconomic interviews and biophysical modelling of potential productivity increases offer robust insights into practical solutions on how to pursue sustainable development in one of the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots.

Catchment-scale contribution of invasive nitrogen fixing shrubs to nitrate leaching: a scoping study

ABSTRACTWoody nitrogen (N) fixers are known to fix atmospheric N at very high rates. However, N leached from woody N fixers is rarely accounted for in catchment nutrient budgets. We conducted a scoping study to determine the potential impact of the invasive N fixer gorse (Ulex europaeus) on water quality in an agricultural catchment in New Zealand. With current gorse cover (596 ha) our model-based leaching estimates suggest that gorse accounts for 1.7%–2.4% of total N leaching in the catchment. This is equivalent to leaching from 1200–1800 ha of pasture (averaged across both dry stock and dairy land uses). In our worst-case scenario, with gorse covering over 5000 ha, we estimate that N leaching from gorse would account for 12%–25% of the catchment total. The expected increase in N leaching under this scenario is equivalent to leaching for 9000–14000 ha of pasture, suggesting that gorse could significantly constrain capacity for agricultural expansion or intensification if a cap on N loads is imposed in the catchment. These results show that leaching from gorse is probably much higher than currently assumed. Further, land use policies aiming to abandon marginal land may cause a net increase in leaching if large areas of abandoned land are colonised by gorse.

Association of Phenotypic Traits with Ploidy and Genome Size in Annual Ryegrass

ABSTRACTAnnual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lamarck) is planted annually on more than 1 million ha of pastures in the southeastern United States. The exact ploidy level and genome size of the annual ryegrass germplasm collection (USDA–ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network, GRIN) are unknown and the future use of this germplasm relies on their determination. The study was conducted to (i) estimate the ploidy level and determine the DNA content of 139 accessions from the GRIN collection, 15 experimental lines, and 13 commercial cultivars through flow cytometry; and (ii) identify morphological and agronomic characteristics that could be used to differentiate diploid from tetraploid annual ryegrass. A total of 140 diploid and 27 tetraploid lines were successfully identified through flow cytometry. The average 2C DNA content was 6.13 ± 0.36 pg for the diploid lines and 12.30 ± 0.83 pg for the tetraploids. Diploid and tetraploid annual ryegrass showed significant differences for morphological and agronomic variables such as seed size, leaf width and length, guard cell size, plant height, tiller size, plant biomass, and seed head length, and all variables were significantly correlated with DNA content. The use of morphological and agronomic variables may guide the determination of ploidy when flow cytometry is not available. Ploidy level and genome size information will benefit those that request accessions from the GRIN system for specific studies at the diploid or tetraploid level in the species.

Pasture-derived greenhouse gas emissions in cow-calf production systems.

There is a lack of information regarding carbon dioxide (CO), methane (CH), and nitrous oxide (NO) emissions from pasture soils and the effects of grazing. The objective of this study was to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from pasture soils grazed with cow-calf pairs managed with different stocking rates and densities. The central hypothesis was that irrigated low-density stocking systems (SysB) would result in greater GHG emissions from pasture soils than nonirrigated high-density stocking systems (SysA) and grazing-exclusion (GRE) pasture sites. The nonirrigated high-density stocking systems consisted of 120 cow-calf pairs rotating on a total of 120 ha (stocking rate 1 cow/ha, stocking density 112,000 kg BW/ha, rest period of 60 to 90 d). The irrigated low-density stocking systems consisted of 64 cow-calf pairs rotating on a total of 26 ha of pasture (stocking rate 2.5 cows/ha, stocking density 32,700 kg BW/ha, rest period of 18 to 30 d). Both systems consisted of mixed cool-season grass-legume pastures. Static chambers were randomly placed for collection of CO, CH, and NO samples. Soil temperature (ST), ambient temperature (temperature inside the chamber; AT), and soil water content (WC) were monitored and considered explanatory variables for GHG emissions. GHG fluxes were monitored for 3 yr (2011 to 2013) at the beginning (P1) and at the end (P2) of the grazing season, always postgrazing. Paddock was the experimental unit (3 pseudoreplicates per treatment), and chambers (30 chambers per paddock) were considered multiple measurements of each experimental unit. A completely randomized design considered the term year × period as a repeated measure and chamber nested within paddock and treatment as the random term. Generally, SysB had greater CO emissions than SysA and GRE pasture sites across years and periods ( < 0.01). Soil temperature, AT, and WC had effects on CO emissions. Methane and NO emissions were observed from pasture sites of the 3 systems, but the effect of grazing was not constantly significant for CH and NO emissions. In addition, ST, AT, and WC did not conclusively explain CH and NO emissions. No clear trade-offs between GHG were observed; generally, GHG emissions increased from 2011 to 2013, which was likely associated with weather conditions, such as higher daily temperature and precipitation events. The central hypothesis that SysB would result in greater GHG emissions from pasture soils than SysA and GRE was not confirmed.

Village-based tropical pasture seed production in Thailand and Laos - a success story

Seed of 6 forage species, Mulato II hybrid brachiaria ( Brachiaria ruziziensis x B. decumbens x B. brizantha ), Cayman hybrid brachiaria ( B. ruziziensis x B. decumbens x B. brizantha ), Mombasa guinea ( Panicum maximum ), Tanzania guinea ( P. maximum ), Ubon stylo ( Stylosanthes guianensis var. vulgaris x var. pauciflora ) and Ubon paspalum ( Paspalum atratum ), is currently being produced by more than 1,000 smallholder farmers in villages in northeast Thailand and northern Laos, under contract to Ubon Forage Seeds, Faculty of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand. The seed is mainly exported (95%), with the remainder sold within Thailand. Tropical Seeds LLC, a subsidiary of a Mexican seed company, Grupo Papalotla, employs Ubon Forage Seeds to manage seed production, seed sales and export, and to conduct research on new forage species. This paper details how the development of a smallholder-farmer seed-production program in Thailand and Laos produced positive social and economic outcomes for the village seed-growers. In addition, the strong emphasis on seed quality, high purity, high vigor and high germination enabled pasture growers in more than 20 tropical countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific and Central and South America, to establish more than 20,000 ha of pastures over the past 3 years.

Remote Sensing for sustainable agriculture

Worldwide agricultural production encompasses 3500 million ha of pasture and fodder crops and 1559 million ha of cultivated lands, of which 28% is prime land, 52% is good land, and 20% is marginal ...