Hill Pastures Research Articles

The productivity, chemical composition and nutritional value of pastures dominated by Artemisia diffusa and Cousinia resinosa in arid lands of southwestern Uzbekistan

Abstract. Bazarov B, Rajamuradov Z, Safin M, Rajabov A, Khayitov D, Kuziev M, Aminjonov S, Ismayilova M, Kudratov J, Khujabekov M, Khaydarov D. 2023. The productivity, chemical composition and nutritional value of pastures dominated by Artemisia diffusa and Cousinia resinosa in arid lands of southwestern Uzbekistan. Biodiversitas 24: 3916-3923. In recent years, extensive degradation of pastures has been observed all over the world as a result of drastic changes in climate and the increase of anthropogenic factors. As a result, the biological diversity of plant communities in pastures decreases, and specific changes occur in dry mass productivity, nutritional value, and other indicators of plant biomass. Therefore, studies aimed at assessing the condition of the vegetation in pastures are important. This research is one of the first studies of this type aimed at determining the biomass yield of pastures dominated by Artemisia diffusa Krasch. ex Poljako and Cousinia resinosa Juz. at varying elevations in arid areas of the southwestern regions of Uzbekistan, analyzing the chemical composition and nutritional value contained in the plants and evaluating the yield and quality of milk of goats fed with such plants. The results showed that dry mass yield, chemical composition, amount of substance, and nutritional value of the biomass produced by the plants in the pastures were directly influenced by the type of plants that make up the pasture, the elevation of the pastures, and climate factors (i.e., season). Our analysis also showed that the resiproductivity, chemical composition, and nutritional parameters were the highest in the mountain pastures compared to those in the hill and desert pastures. Goats fed by grazing in the pastures produced a higher yield and quality of milk compared to goats fed with conventional rations. The findings of this study explain the diversity of the productivity, chemical composition, nutritional value, and potential of the biomass produced by plants in pastures with dominant species A. diffusa and C. resinosa in increasing goat milk production in arid regions.

Mapping groundcover of clover species in hill pastures in Wairarapa

Tokaroa Farm (608 ha) with sheep and beef in the Wairarapa has predominantly sunny, north-facing slopes. Average annual rainfall is 810 mm with three months summer-dry. High quality pasture is needed in late winter/early spring for lactating stock and in spring to finish stock early. The survey mapped the distribution of resident subterranean (sub) and white clovers across four land classes based on slope and aspect. ArcGIS identified 60 GPS points that were visually assessed in December 2019 and November 2021. At the majority of points in both years, both white and sub clover were present. In 2019, white clover groundcover was 18.1% and higher (P<0.05) than sub clover at 12.6%. Management class had no effect. In 2021 there was no species effect (both ~11%) but there was a trend (P=0.062) for less white clovergroundcover in the ‘shady’ class (6.7%) than the ‘flat’ class at 17.5%. Pasture management was focused on promoting early season sub clover, but the unexpectedly high groundcover of white clover provided feed during wetter than average summers. Understanding the continuum from summer-dry annual sub clover areas to summer-wet perennial white clover dominance across New Zealand pastures provides tools for the selection and management of appropriate legumes.

Low N2O emissions associated with sheep excreta deposition in temperate managed lowland grassland and extensively grazed hill pasture

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) whose emission from soil can be enhanced by ruminant excretal returns in grasslands. The default (Tier 1) emission factors (EF3PRP; i.e. proportion of deposited nitrogen emitted as N2O) for ruminant excreta deposition are associated with a wide range of uncertainties and the development of country-specific (Tier 2) EF3PRP is encouraged. In Ireland, a Tier 2 EF3PRP has been developed for cattle excreta but no data are available for sheep. The aim of this study was to generate data to contribute to the derivation of a Tier 2 EF3PRP for sheep excreta, while assessing the effect of excreta type, grassland type and season of deposition on N2O emissions. An experiment was carried out on two sites in the west of Ireland: a managed lowland grassland (LOW) and an extensively grazed hill pasture (HILL), characterised by mineral and acid peat soils, respectively. For each season, four treatments were applied to the soil in a fully randomized block design: control (C), sheep urine (U), sheep dung (D), and artificial urine (AU). Nitrous oxide fluxes were assessed over a full year following each application of treatments, using a static chambers methodology. Results showed a brief initial peak following each application of U/AU in LOW but not in HILL. Cumulative N2O emissions were significantly higher from the lowland site. Average EF3PRP for combined excreta was negligible on both sites, thus lower than the IPCC Tier 1 EF3PRP. Causes of low emissions are likely to depend on site characteristics (e.g. soil acidity in HILL) and season of application (i.e. ammonia volatilisation in summer). This study showed very low N2O emissions from sheep excretal returns in Irish grasslands and highlighted the importance of developing Tier 2, animal-specific EF3PRP. More experimental grasslands should be assessed to confirm these results.

Review and update of a Nutrient Transfer model used for estimating nitrous oxide emissions from complex grazed landscapes, and implications for nationwide accounting.

In New Zealand, nitrous oxide emissions from grazed hill pastures are estimated using different emission factors for urine and dung deposited on different slope classes. Allocation of urine and dung to each slope class needs to consider the distribution of slope classes within a landscape and animal behavior. The Nutrient Transfer (NT) model has recently been incorporated into the New Zealand Agricultural GHG Inventory Model to account for the allocation of excretal nitrogen (N) to each slope class. In this study, the predictive ability of the transfer function within the NT model was explored using urine deposition datasets collected with urine sensor and GPS tracker technology. Data were collected from three paddocks that had areas in low (<12°), medium (12-24°), and high slopes (>24°). The NT model showed a good overall predictive ability for two of the three datasets. However, if the urine emission factors (% of urine N emitted as N2 O-N) were to be further disaggregated to assess emissions from all three slope classes or slope gradients, more precise data would be required to accurately represent the range of landscapes found on farms. We have identified the need for more geospatial data on urine deposition and animal location for farms that are topographically out of the range used to develop the model. These new datasets would provide livestock urine deposition on a more continuous basis across slopes (as opposed to broad ranges), a unique opportunity to improve the performance of the NT model.

Legumes are the key to increasing productivity at “Inverary”, a summer moist hill / high country farm in mid-Canterbury

About half the 4250 ha of Inverary is undevelopedmountain land above 750 m a.s.l. There are 300 haof river flats, where lucerne and winter feed cropsare grown, and 300 ha conventional grass/cloverpastures. Limited areas of clover/plantain and winterfeed crops have been established at ~700 m a.s.l. oneasy rolling country. The 1600 ha of steep country,dominated by browntop, gives low spring and highsummer production that is difficult to manage. In2009, there were no lucerne or legume rich pastures.The legume emphasis increased animal productivitythrough improved lambing and lamb weight sold perewe. Total lamb meat production lifted from 230,113kg in 2009 to 245,039 kg in 2020, despite 1000 fewerewes. The current sheep to cattle ratio is 60:40 with13,000 stock units being wintered. Pre-development,a major shortage of nutritious forage in early springwas compounded by difficulty controlling reproductivegrass in summer and autumn. In 2016, total productionof legume dominant pastures was 40% more than sowngrass/clover pastures with limited nitrogen fertiliser(15 vs. 11 t DM/ha/year). In early spring, legumeshad higher growth rates of conventional grass/cloverpastures (90 vs. 44 kg DM/ha/day), whereas browntopdominant hill pastures grew 10 kg DM/ha/d and 5 tDM/ha/yr.

Low N2o Emissions Associated with Sheep Excreta Deposition in Temperate Managed Lowland Grassland and Extensively Grazed Hill Pasture

Low N2o Emissions Associated with Sheep Excreta Deposition in Temperate Managed Lowland Grassland and Extensively Grazed Hill Pasture

Resilient pastures and sediment: a case study in Hawke's Bay

For many hill-country farms sediment will be a bigger regulatory issue than nitrates over the next decade. A dense, resilient pasture can reduce the risk of insidious sediment loss. Any ecosystem that relies on a few species is fragile. Sowing a single species leads to repeated re-sowing and increasing bare ground to remove competition, increasing the risk of sediment flows. An important issue during regulatory consultation will be establishing a natural, pre-human baseline for forest cover and documenting more recent changes in sediment flows. Hill country cropping and pasture renewal is incompatible with resilient pasture. This is a farmer’s perspective on a diverse and persisting hill country pasture-based system that can make a good return on capital without re-grassing or fodder cropping. Funding of independent research on pasture and fodder systems is essential if farmers are to make good decisions.

Pasture production, persistence of legumes and lamb growth in summer‐dry hill pastures

AbstractPasture legumes that persist under challenging agroecological conditions are crucial to ensure high lamb growth rates in dryland pastures. Pasture and lamb production from binary and diverse mixtures (Mix) of tall fescue (TF) with white clover (Whc), balansa clover (Bc), subterranean clover (Sc) and birdsfoot trefoil (Bft) were compared in a summer‐dry hill site in Corvallis, Oregon over a two‐year period. In 2018, all pasture combinations provided similar lamb liveweight gains (LWG, mean 177 g/day) in the first half of spring. Lambs in TF‐Bc and TF‐Mix pastures grew 31 to 41 g/day faster than those grazing TF‐Sc, TF‐Whc and TF‐Bft in the second half of spring (p &lt; .05). Overall, TF‐Bc and TF‐Mix had higher (p &lt; .05) legume contents (32% and 37% respectively) compared to other pasture combinations. In spring 2019, lambs that grazed the TF‐Mix and TF‐Whc pastures had higher LWG than those on other pastures (p &lt; .05). The superior lamb growth rates were associated with the higher legume content and pasture quality maintained into the late spring period. Overall, the legume content of all pastures decreased over the course of the two‐year trial, with the decline being substantial for balansa clover. The present study confirmed that a high legume content of pastures leads to greater lamb growth rates. Total annual yields of pastures that had greater legume contents were superior to others (p &lt; .05). Thus, a combination of self‐regenerating annual clovers with perennial legumes in pasture mixtures may ensure a higher legume content and longer persistence in dryland hill pastures.

Causes of leaf reddening in subterranean clover cultivars

ABSTRACT Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an important legume in dryland hill pastures in New Zealand. In this environment plants adapt to low temperatures (<10°C) through a series of physiological mechanisms, such as the foliar biosynthesis of pigments, to protect vulnerable tissues. The biosynthesis of anthocyanins is one of the most important physiological responses for cold acclimation in plants. In this study we investigated anthocyanin concentration by accessing leaf reddening in 14 cultivars from three subspecies (yanninicum, brachycalycinum or subterraneum) during winter growth. The effect of anthocyanin production on spring herbage productivity was further quantified in the field and in the glasshouse. Leaf concentration of anthocyanins increased 10-fold as a consequence of cold exposure (mean daily air temperature was below ∼7°C) in red leaves compared with green leaves. There were large cultivar differences with yanninicum ssp. cultivars having the highest leaf reddening at >60%. Lowest values were observed in ‘Antas’ (brachycalycinum ssp.) and ‘Denmark’ (subterraneum spp.) at <20% of leaf reddening. Australian subterraneum ssp. cultivars had 13% higher leaf reddening values than Italian cultivars. Leaf reddening was a temporary, cold induced, anthocyanin response that did not affect subsequent subterranean clover plant growth.

High mortality in a sheep flock caused by coinfection of louping ill virus and Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Fifty-three of a mixed flock of 180 one-year-old lambs (hoggs) and older, barren ewes (ewes that were non-pregnant or had not lambed that spring) died in May 2019 following introduction...

A review of research on the fertiliser and lime requirements of pasture on the eastern coast of the North Island

The soils on the eastern region of the North Island (Wairarapa, Tararua, Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, East Coast) are mainly of the Brown, Pallic, Recent (Sedimentary) and Pumice orders and are most are farmed with sheep and cattle on hill pastures. Several field trials have been carried out to determine the pasture growth requirements for phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), potassium (K), nitrogen (N), lime and molybdenum (Mo) in this region since the 1960s and the results published in various papers. This review considers the results of these studies collectively and in relation to national datasets. Sedimentary and Pumice soils with Olsen P levels of less than 12 µg/mL required annual application of P. Significant pasture production responses to S were measured where initial soil sulphate-S levels were less than 6 ppm. Additional K for sheep and beef pastures was required mainly on Pumice and Brown soils with soil QTK levels of 6 or less. Large pasture DM responses to N were measured in most trials, especially on steep slopes and sunny aspects with low legume content. Lime is needed to maintain soil pH once it decreases to 5.4 on hill soils. Molybdenum deficiency in legumes can occur on sedimentary soils and should be monitored by clover-leaf analysis.

Ground-dwelling spider assemblages in contrasting habitats in the central South African Grassland Biome

Background: Ground-dwelling spider assemblages in shrublands and cultivated pastures in the South African Grassland Biome have never been comprehensively studied.Objectives: Epigeic spiders were collected in eight different habitats in the Amanzi Private Game Reserve in the Free State to determine assemblages of different vegetation types.Methods: Three of the sampled habitats were contrasting low-lying shrublands; three were contrasting hill aspects (northern slope, southern slope and plateau) in the Buddleja saligna–Searsia burchellii–Olea europaea africana subcommunity; one habitat was cultivated Digitaria eriantha pastures, and the last habitat was an area in and around a freshwater dam. Spiders were sampled by pitfall trapping in early spring (Sept. 2012), mid-summer (Jan. 2013), mid-autumn (Apr. 2013) and mid-winter (July 2013).Results: A total of 2982 adult spiders were collected, representing 129 species and 33 families. Ammoxenidae was the most abundant family (40.85%), followed by Gnaphosidae (21.26%), Zodariidae (10.80%) and Salticidae (10.26%). Gnaphosidae was the most species-rich family (24.81%), followed by Salticidae (13.18%), Lycosidae (11.63%) and Zodariidae (6.20%). Spider activity densities and species richness did not differ significantly between habitats, although significant seasonal fluctuations were detected. The three hill aspects and cultivated D. eriantha pastures had the most distinct assemblages, while those of the three low-lying shrublands and freshwater dam showed considerable overlap.Conclusions: Our results indicate that the aspect of hills has a significant effect in shaping spider assemblages, while the vegetation composition of shrublands is not strongly influential. The unique spider assemblages of cultivated D. eriantha pastures can be attributed to the absence of woody plants.Conservation implications: This was the first study to investigate ground-dwelling spider assemblages in shrublands and cultivated pastures in the South African Grassland Biome. Our study confirms that hill aspects, shrublands and pastures harbour very different spider faunas. When identifying land for potential expansion or establishment of protected areas, conservation planners should ensure that the greatest diversity of vegetation units are included to optimise the conservation of biodiversity.

Plant mortality and seedling recruitment responses to flupropanate in grassland populations of &lt;i&gt;Nassella trichotoma&lt;/i&gt;

Flupropanate (sodium 2,2,3,3 tetrafluoropropanate), a slow-acting lipid bio- synthesis-inhibiting herbicide, was recently registered in New Zealand as Taskforce (745 g/L flupropanate as the sodium salt) for the selective and long-term control of Nassella trichotoma (nassella tussock) in pastures. In five dose-response experiments in permanent hill pastures in Canterbury, conducted between 2012 and 2016, we measured the efficacy of the herbicide against established plants of N. trichotoma and its residual activity against recruiting seedlings. Mortality, as an average across the five sites, was 93% 1.5 years after applying 1.49 kg flupropanate/ha (the label-recommended rate), and 100% at 2.98 kg/ha. This indicates that an application rate higher than the label rate will be necessary for complete control of a N. trichotoma infestation. The presence of 1,000 and 6,250 visible seedlings of N. trichotoma/ha in the autumn 3.2 and 2.1 years after applying 1.49 kg flupropanate/ha (at a Greta Valley and Scargill site respectively) indicates that the herbicide’s soil residues had decayed within 12 months to a concentration lower than necessary to kill the germinating seedlings of N. trichotoma.

FORMATION CONDITIONS, GENESIS, EVOLUTION, CLASSIFICATION AND SOME FEATURES OF SOILS FORMED ON GYPSUM ROCKS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

The current paper studies the formation conditions, genesis, evolution, classification, morphological features, mechanical composition and chemical properties of soils formed on gypsum rocks in the Republic of Macedonia. The soils have been formed on mountain relief with steep slopes upon gypsum and anhydrite. Warm continental climate with inconsiderable impact of the Mediterranean climate prevails in the area. The soils occur underneath hill pastures, which are rather poor from a floristic point of view and they are characterized by minor canopy closure. Destruction of the natural forest vegetation and intensive grazing on the hill pastures that have remained following the destruction thereof have caused heavy soil erosion. Our research has ascertained that gypsic rendzic leptosol and gypsic pararen-dzina have been formed on gypsum rocks. Both soil types are distinguished by a light mechanical composition domi-nated by physical sand. Carbonates are present in both soil types in all soil assays while in certain soil assays the gyp-sum has been fully washed.

The value of legumes to a Whanganui hill country farm

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

The relative strengths of phosphate fertiliser application and white clover cultivar introduction for hill pasture improvement

Abstract Combinations of four phosphorus (P) fertiliser rates (0, 8.5, 22.5 or 26.5 kg/ha/year of citrate-soluble P) and three pasture types with different white clover germplasm, 'resident' cv. Huia and cv. Tahora were compared in self-contained, replicated farmlets grazed by sheep over 4 years. Fertiliser increased white clover herbage accumulation (HA) 3- to 4-fold compared with the control treatment, and increased total sward HA by 50%. Introduction of Tahora white clover significantly increased white clover and total sward HA and nitrogen fixation compared with the resident and Huia-sown swards. Sheep liveweight gain was significantly greater in all systems fertilised with P (438 versus 243 kg/ha for the unfertilised control) and in systems sown with Tahora (425 versus 372 kg/ha for resident and Huia). Keywords: phosphorus fertiliser, white clover, cultivars, herbage accumulation, animal production

Slope class and grazing intensity effects on microorganisms and nitrogen transformation processes responsible for nitrous oxide emissions from hill pastures

Nitrous oxide emissions are a product of soil microbial transformations such as nitrification and denitrification that are regulated by a range of biophysical factors. As the majority of farmed land in New Zealand is grazed hill country, this represents a potentially large source area for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions nationally. In this study we investigated the impact of slope class and grazing intensity on hill soil biogeochemistry with a focus on processes leading to N2O emissions. Soils under permanent grass/legume sheep-grazed pasture on hill country in the North Island (temperate climate) of New Zealand were studied. Soil samples were collected from experimental pastures representing 3 slope gradient classes: low (0–12°), medium (13–25°), and high (>25°) slope and 2 grazing intensities which we define as extensive and intensive (mean annual standing biomass of 1900 vs.1475kgDMha−1). Soil properties, nitrifying and denitrifying enzyme activity, and abundance of soil microbial functional genes were determined.Soil physicochemical properties, nitrifying and denitrifying enzyme activity, and abundances of soil microbial functional groups were higher in the low compared to medium and high slope classes. In contrast, heterotrophic nitrification enzyme activity was marginally higher in soils from medium and high compared to low slopes. In general there were no significant effects of grazing intensity on the soil properties studied, or on autotrophic/heterotrophic nitrification enzyme activity. However, in low slopes only soil nitrate content, nirK (nitrite reductase) gene abundance and total denitrification enzyme activity were significantly higher under more intensive grazing pressure.Our results suggest that the potential for N2O emissions is higher in low compared to medium and high slope areas. At our experimental site, three years of comparatively more intensive grazing pressure did not show conclusive evidence for grazing-induced impacts on N2O emission potential. Of the microbial functional units assessed, the abundances of nirK were most closely linked with function. Our work indicates the importance of taking into consideration the effect of slope class when accounting for N2O emissions in hill country pastures in New Zealand.

Mapping Herbage Biomass on a Hill Pasture using a Digital Camera with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System

data. Recent developments in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology provide cost effective and real time applications for site specific data collection. For the mapping of herbage biomass (BM) on a hill pasture, we tested a UAV system with digital cameras (visible and near-infrared (NIR) camera). The field measurements were conducted on the grazing hill pasture at Hanwoo Improvement Office, Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do Province, Korea on May 17 and June 27, 2014. Plant samples were obtained from 28 sites. A UAV system was used to obtain aerial photos from a height of approximately 50 m (approximately 30 cm spatial resolution). Normalized digital number (DN) values of Red and NIR channels were extracted from the aerial photos and a normalized differential vegetation index using DN (NDVIdn) was calculated. The results show that the correlation coefficient between BM and NDVIdn was 0.88. For the precision management of hilly grazing pastures, UAV monitoring systems can be a quick and cost effective tool to obtain site-specific herbage BM data.

Estimating direct N2O emissions from sheep, beef, and deer grazed pastures in New Zealand hill country: accounting for the effect of land slope on the N2O emission factors from urine and dung

Nearly one-half of New Zealand’s ruminant livestock graze on hill country pastures where spatial differences in soil conditions are highly variable and excretal deposition is influenced by pasture production, animal grazing and resting behaviour that impact the nitrous oxide (N2O) emission factor from excreta (EF3). New Zealand currently uses country-specific EF3 values for urine and dung of 0.01 and 0.0025, respectively, to estimate direct N2O emissions from excreta. These values have largely been developed from trials on flat pastoral land. The use of the same EF3 for hill pasture with medium and steep slopes has been recognised as a possible source of overestimation of N2O emissions in New Zealand. The objectives of this study were to develop and describe an approach that takes into account the effects of slope in estimating hill country N2O emissions from the dung and urine of ruminant animals (sheep, beef cattle, and deer) across different slope classes, and then compare these estimates with current New Zealand inventory estimates. We use New Zealand as a case study to determine the direct N2O emissions between 1990 and 2012 from sheep, beef cattle and deer excreta using updated estimates of EF3 for sloping land, the area of land in different slope classes by region and farm type, and a nutrient transfer model to allocate excretal-N to the different slope classes, and compare the changes between these hill pastures-specific and current inventory estimates. Our findings are significant – the proposed new methodology using New Zealand specific EFs calculated from a national series of hill country experiments resulted in 52% lower N2O estimates relative to using current inventory emission factors, for the period between 1990 and 2012 and reduces New Zealand’s total national agricultural N2O greenhouse inventory estimates by 16%. The improved methodology is transparent, and complete, and has improved accuracy of emission estimates. On this basis, the improved methodology of estimating N2O emission is recommended for adoption where hill land grasslands are grazed by sheep, beef cattle and deer.

Traditional vs modern: role of breed type in determining enteric methane emissions from cattle grazing as part of contrasting grassland-based systems.

Ruminant livestock turn forages and poor-quality feeds into human edible products, but enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants are a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs) and hence to climate change. Despite the predominance of pasture-based beef production systems in many parts of Europe there are little data available regarding enteric CH4 emissions from free-ranging grazing cattle. It is possible that differences in physiology or behaviour could influence comparative emissions intensities for traditional and modern breed types depending on the nutritional characteristics of the herbage grazed. This study investigated the role of breed type in influencing CH4 emissions from growing beef steers managed on contrasting grasslands typical of intensive (lowland) and extensive (upland) production systems. Using the SF6 dilution technique CH4 emissions were estimated for a modern, fast-growing crossbred (Limousin cross) and a smaller and hardier native breed (Welsh Black) when grazing lowland perennial ryegrass (high nutritional density, low sward heterogeneity) and semi-improved upland pasture (low/medium nutritional density, high sward heterogeneity). Live-weight gain was substantially lower for steers on the upland system compared to the lowland system (0.31 vs. 1.04 kg d−1; s.e.d. = 0.085 kg d−1; P<0.001), leading to significant differences in estimated dry matter intakes (8.0 vs. 11.1 kg DM d−1 for upland and lowland respectively; s.e.d. = 0.68 kg DM d−1; P<0.001). While emissions per unit feed intake were similar for the lowland and upland systems, CH4 emissions per unit of live-weight gain (LWG) were substantially higher when the steers grazed the poorer quality hill pasture (760 vs 214 g kg−1 LWG; s.e.d. = 133.5 g kg−1 LWG; P<0.001). Overall any effects of breed type were relatively small relative to the combined influence of pasture type and location.