Life Sciences Commons^™

Sustainable Grazing Systems- A Program To Develop And Deliver Improved Temperate Pastures In Australia, W K. Mason, G Kay, G Lodge

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The Sustainable Grazing Systems Program aims to combine the efforts of producers, researchers and extension agents into a focused partnership to develop, manage and implement grazing systems that are more profitable and more sustainable. Rather than the traditional approach of undertaking the research and then developing extension packages for livestock producers, this Program has set up a network with producers, researchers and extension agents to collectively develop and test improved systems. The process is described as colearning. Compared with more traditional approaches, producer input is greatly increased as the role of researchers and extension agents is modified, but not decreased. …

Performance Of Finishing Nellore Beef Steers In Intensively Managed Pastures And Silvopastoral Systems In Southeast Of Brazil, P. P. A. Oliveira, Neto R. Pasquini, G. S. Pádua, L. H. C. Junior, R. Vechi, A. J. Furtado, G. V. Silva, A. A. Lobo, A. L. Abdalla-Filho, A. F. Pedroso, P. H. M. Rodrigues

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This study evaluated the average daily weight gain (ADG), stocking rates, and live weight gain per hectare (LWG) in different intensified animal production systems. The experiment was carried out from September 2020 to September 2021 at Embrapa Southeast Livestock, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. Thirty Nellore steers (285±21 kg of live weight and 12±13 months old) were randomly distributed into five treatments, with two replicates: 1) intensively managed and irrigated Megathyrsus maximus cv. Tanzânia pasture overseeded in the dry season with Avena byzantina and Lolium multiflorum (IHS); 2) intensively managed rainfed M. maximus cv. Tanzânia pasture (RHS); 3) intensively managed rainfed …

Agricultural Performance Of Diverse Pastures Of Complementary Species And Monoculture Pastures Defoliated According To The Leaf Regrowth Stage Window Of Opportunity Criterion, B. A. Oliviera, I. F. López, L. M. Cranston, D. J. Donaghy, P. D. Kemp, J. Dörner

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In a diverse pasture of complementary species (DPCS), individual species fulfil agro-ecological functions that confer growth asynchrony and complementarity of ecosystem functions. These attributes provide yield consistency with a more even forage supply pattern across the year compared to monocultures. A common leaf regrowth stage window opportunity (LSWO) for the diverse species enables pasture defoliation that stimulates growth and persistence. The study assessed seasonal and annual growth traits of Lolium perenne (Lp), Bromus valdivianus (Bv) and Dactylis glomerata (Dg) as single grass species (Mono) sown with Trifolium repens (Tr) and as DPCS with the four species (Lp+Bv+Dg+Tr=Mix). The defoliation criteria …

Grazing Management For Alfalfa Persistence And Productivity In Warm-Climate Regions, D. Basigalup

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Alfalfa is the most important cultivated forage crop in Argentina, where about 3 million hectares are grown. Even though the use of direct grazing is coming down during the last 15 years, it is still important for both beef and dairy production. Alfalfa grazing can play an important role in reducing operative costs and decreasing quality loss due to forage conservation (hay or silage). In this paper, the main concepts necessary to implement adequate and practical rotational grazing systems are briefly discussed. Particular attention is given to issues such as grazing frequency, grazing period, pasture use efficiency, and alfalfa quality …

Grass-Next – A Process-Based Model To Explore Nutrient And Carbon Dynamics In Topographically Complex Grazed Grasslands, F. Bilotto, Ronaldo Vibart, Alec D. Mackay, M. Harrison

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Topographical features such as slope and aspect influence primary production, animal behavior and nutrient return to grazed grasslands. A new model was developed based on data collected during 40+ years of research in hill country landscapes, a long-term experiment on varying phosphorus (P) fertilizer rates and associated sheep stocking regimes. The Grass-NEXT model was able to simultaneously simulate total soil P (TSP), soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) stock change and distribution in a topographically complex (hill country) landscape from 2003 to 2020. This model provided a basis for exploring, accounting, and reporting on changes in TSP, …

Development Of A Model Simulating The Impact Of Management Strategies On Production From Beef Cattle Farming Systems Based On Permanent Pasture, M. Jouven, R. Baumont

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grazing systems in Europe increasingly have to meet environmental objectives, which influence management strategies. A deterministic model describing farming system dynamics is being developed in order to elucidate interactions between nature-friendly management practices, as for example late (after flowering) hay harvest or moderate stocking rate, and agricultural output.

Enhancing Grasslands Education With Decision Support Tools, Helen G. Daily, J. M. Scott, J. M. Reid

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

We have successfully used Decision Support Tools (DST) relevant to the management of grazing enterprises to enhance problem solving skills of undergraduates in Australia. Tools such as GrassGro^tm (Moore et al., 1997) and GrazFeed^tm (Freer et al., 1997) are accessed from a central server by authorised users at many widely dispersed Universities across Australia using remote access to thin-client technology via an Internet portal. This has been supplemented with training for lecturers. Experience in developing appropriate teaching and learning materials and the reliable delivery of simulation software to many clients has enhanced learning outcomes at tertiary …

Sustainable Semi-Arid Grazing Management Based On Indigenous Shona Practices Prior To Introduction Of Western Ideas In Zimbabwe, O. Mugweni, R. Mugweni

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the Shona culture the land, i.e. the plants, animals, soil, water, air and others, evolved with herding animals. Hence, the absence of one results in the destruction of the other. It is argued that the conventional grazing management belief that too many animals cause overgrazing is a misconception of the semi-arid savanna environments of Southern Africa where these environments evolved with thousands of herding grazers and mega-faunas such as elephants, wildebeests and buffalo. The objective of the research is to establish that grazing with an adequate recovery period for grazed plants, as a result of domesticated animals being managed …

A Comparison Of A Full Time Grazing And A Partial Storage Feeding System, For Dairy Cows, C. P. Ferris, D. C. Patterson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Partial storage feeding has been adopted by a number of Northern Ireland dairy farmers in recent years. This is due in part to increasing cow numbers, and as such, insufficient pasture close to the milking parlour to permit full time grazing. Partial storage feeding may also have environmental benefits, as well as reducing labour requirements associated with 'droving' and pasture management. In view of this, a study was undertaken to examine animal performance with either a full-time grazing, or a partial storage feeding regime.

Sustainable Semi-Arid Grazing Management Based On Indigenous Shona Practices Prior To Introduction Of Western Ideas In Zimbabwe, O. Mugweni, R. Mugweni

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the Shona culture the land, i.e. the plants, animals, soil, water, air and others, evolved with herding animals. Hence, the absence of one results in the destruction of the other. It is argued that the conventional grazing management belief that too many animals cause overgrazing is a misconception of the semi-arid savanna environments of Southern Africa where these environments evolved with thousands of herding grazers and mega-faunas such as elephants, wildebeests and buffalo. The objective of the research is to establish that grazing with an adequate recovery period for grazed plants, as a result of domesticated animals being managed …

Development Of A Model Simulating The Impact Of Management Strategies On Production From Beef Cattle Farming Systems Based On Permanent Pasture, M. Jouven, R. Baumont

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grazing systems in Europe increasingly have to meet environmental objectives, which influence management strategies. A deterministic model describing farming system dynamics is being developed in order to elucidate interactions between nature-friendly management practices, as for example late (after flowering) hay harvest or moderate stocking rate, and agricultural output.

Enhancing Grasslands Education With Decision Support Tools, H. G. Daily, J. M. Scott, J. M. Reid

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

We have successfully used Decision Support Tools (DST) relevant to the management of grazing enterprises to enhance problem solving skills of undergraduates in Australia. Tools such as GrassGro™ (Moore et al., 1997) and GrazFeed™ (Freer et al., 1997) are accessed from a central server by authorised users at many widely dispersed Universities across Australia using remote access to thin-client technology via an Internet portal. This has been supplemented with training for lecturers. Experience in developing appropriate teaching and learning materials and the reliable delivery of simulation software to many clients has enhanced learning outcomes at tertiary level. We …

Decision Support For Temperate Grasslands: Challenges And Pitfalls, J. R. Donnelly, L. Salmon, R. D. H. Cohen, Zl. Liu, Xp. Xin

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Key points

1. Successful adoption of decision support tools (DS tools) to address grassland management issues requires careful attention in design to ensure ease-of-use, accuracy in prediction and the flexibility to simulate actual practices.

2. DS tools must handle spatial variability and where possible include facilities for automatic sourcing of essential information for initialisation.

3. Advances in the development of DS tools will depend on resolution of scientific issues in grassland biology including investment in dedicated experiments to determine parameter values for model equations.

4. The use of mechanistic models, the integration of remote sensing technology and cooperation between research groups to develop modular …

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Range-Based Livestock Production In Turkmenistan, R. H. Behnke, G. Davidson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Turkmenistan retains a centralized system of livestock production in which many critical assets are owned by the state. Though technically in the temperate zone, the country's climate is harsh and unstable. Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed, leaving many potential grazing areas seasonally inaccessible due to lack of drinking water for livestock. This paper summarizes the results of a three-year study of rangelands, livestock production, flock economics and land tenure at two study sites, one in central and the other in eastern Turkmenistan. The results of this study suggest that pastoral communities in Turkmenistan have coped remarkably well with the institutional …

Ruminant Livestock Production Systems And Imperatives For Sustainable Development, J. W. Smith

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Forage Production And Grazing Behaviour Of Beef Cattle In Agrosilvopastoral Systems In Brazil During The Dry Season, M. Pereira, P. Zawada, J. Werner, M. M. Macedo, R. G. Almeida, U. Dickhoefer

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

We aimed at evaluating the microclimate, canopy structure, and grazing behaviour of cattle on Brachiaria sp. pastures within continuous pasture (CON), integrated crop-livestock (ICL), and crop-livestock-forestry (ICLF) systems in Brazilian dry season. Forage accumulation was monthly assessed in four paddocks per system from May to August 2019. To characterize the microclimate, air temperature and relative humidity were measured every hour and temperature-humidity index calculated. Grazing behaviour of 12 Nellore heifers per system (mean bodyweight 355 standard deviation±32.6 kg) was recorded by chewing sensors on nine continuous days (1 d adaptation + 8 d measurement) of three 15-d periods. Four animals …

Effect Of Winter Grazing Management Of Stockpiled Native Pastures Of Basaltic Soils Of Uruguay On Daily Gains Of Heifers, G. Pigurina, R. Castells, G. Reyes, E. J. Berretta

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The effect of three grazing systems of fall stockpiled native pastures on the winter gains of 66 Hereford heifers (135 kg) was studied. Treatments were: continuos grazing (CG); (C7) the plot was divided in 12 and each was grazed for 7 days and (C28), the plot was divided in 3 and each were grazed for 28 days. Heifers were weighed every 14 days and grazing behaviour was recorded. Stockpiled HM was greater (P< 0.05) in C7 and C28 than in CG (988, 912, and 604 kg DM/ha, respectively). Herbage allowance (HA) was greater (P< 0.01) in CG followed by C28 and C7 (11.7, 6.6 and 5.9 kg DM/100 kg LW, respectively). Post-grazing HM was greater (P0.05) in all pastures (CP 10.2%, NDF 71.2%, ADF 41.3% and ash 14.4%). Final LW of heifers were similar (P> 0.05) (167, 162 and 160 kg for CG, C7 and C28, respectively). A very mild winter favoured exceptional gains which tended to be higher in CG (0.353 …

Adoption And Influence: Industry Evaluation Of The GrassgroTm Decision Support Tool, E. M. Salmon, A. D. Moore

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The GrassGro Decision Support tool (DS tool) (Donnelly and Moore, 1999) was released for commercial use in Australia with a training package in late 1997. An assessment of its adoption was made by a survey of 53 registered users in March 1999. An evaluation of the software and training package was made at training workshops by 92 users between 1997 and December 1999. The response rates to the survey and the evaluation were 62% and 82% respectively. Seventy six percent of survey respondents had analysed at least one problem with GrassGro and 27% had applied GrassGro to five or more …

Cattle Producer Perceptions Of Their Grazing Systems In The Rangelands Of Northern Australia, Cristine Hall, Trevor Hall

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Rangeland Responses To Cattle Grazing Systems In Northern Australia, Trevor J. Hall, John G. Mcivor

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Grazing Management For The Tropical Savannas Of Northern Australia: Utilisation Rates And Timing Of Spelling, Andrew I. White, L. P. Hunt, S. R. Petty, Dennis P. Poppi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Rotational Grazing On Rangelands: An Assessment Of The Experimental Evidence, Justin D. Derner, David D. Briske, J. R. Brown, S. D. Fuhlendorf, Kris M. Havstad, R. L. Gillen, A. J. Ash, Walter D. Willms

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Can We Really Understand Our Grasslands With Short-Term Experiments?, Vivien G. Allen, David R. Kemp, David L. Michalk

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Ecosystem Response To Cell Grazing In Australian Rangelands, B. M. Alchin, M. Page, O. Bosch

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Non‐Co2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated With Winter Management And Farm Effluent Application In Grazed Grassland Systems In New Zealand, Jiafa Luo, Surinder Saggar, Sterwart F. Ledgard

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Faecal Nirs To Monitor Diet Quality Different Grazing Systems In Tropical Savannas, Andrew I. White, L. P. Hunt, S. R. Petty, Dennis P. Poppi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Identifying And Addressing Sustainable Pasture And Grazing Management Options For A Major Economic Sector–The North Australian Beef Industry, Neil D. Macleod, Joe C. Scanlan, Lester I. Pahl, Giselle L. Whish, Robyn A. Crowley

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Sustainable use of the northern grazing lands is a long-standing issue for management and policy, heightened by projections of increased climatic variability, uncertainty on forage supplies, vegetation complexes, and weeds and diseases. Meat and Livestock Australia has supported a large study to explore sustainable grazing management strategies and increase the capacity of the sector to address climate change. Potential options were explored by bio-economic modeling of ‘representative’ beef enterprises defined by pastoralists and supported by regional research and extension specialists. Typical options include diversification, infrastructure, flexible stocking rates, wet season resting, and prescribed fire. Concurrent activities by another team included …

Improving The Phosphorus Efficiency Of Temperate Australian Pastures, Richard J. Simpson, Graeme A. Sandral, Richard A. Culvenor, Megan H. Ryan, Hans Lambers, Phillip G. H. Nichols, Richard C. Hayes

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Phosphorus (P) is a key input necessary for high production in many temperate, grass-legume pasture systems in Australia because the pastures are situated on P-deficient and moderate to highly P-sorbing soils. A consequence of P-sorption in these soils is that much more P must be applied as fertiliser than will be exported in animal products. The P balance efficiency (PBE=100*P_export/Pi_nputs) of grazing enterprises (e.g. wool, meat, milk and live animal export) is about 10-30% and compares poorly with some other agricultural enterprises (e.g. 45-54% for grain production; McLaughlin et al. 1992; Weaver and …

Making Decisions To Identify Forage Shrub Species For Versatile Grazing Systems, Jason Emms, Philip E. Vercoe, Steve J. Hughes, Peter Jessop, Hayley C. Norman, Tanya Kilminster, Andrew Kotze, Zoey Durmic, Nathan Phillips, Dean K. Revell

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grazing systems in many parts of the world face large challenges, including a declining natural resource base (e.g. soil fertility), marked fluctuations in feed production across seasons and years, climate change (including the contribution of greenhouse gases from livestock), and market demands for sustainable and ethical production systems. The ‘Enrich’ project was established in Australia (Revell et al. 2008; Bennell et al. 2010) within this broad context of emerging challenges to explore the potential of using Australian native perennial shrub species as part of the feedbase for sheep and cattle in southern Australia. The underlying rationale was …

Can Grazing Behaviour Support Innovations In Grassland Management?, Paulo C. De F. Carvalho

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grazing is a fundamental process affecting grassland ecosystem dynamics and functioning. Its behavioural components comprise how animals search for feed, and gather and process plant tissues in different spatio-temporal scales of the grazing process. Nowadays, there is an increasing emphasis on grazing management and the role of the grazing animal on ecosystem services, concomitantly with a decreasing emphasis on grazing management generating animal production outputs. Grazing behaviour incorporates both approaches, which are not necessarily dichotomist. It would help in order to support innovation in grazing systems. However, it is unclear how the significant knowledge, developed in this research area since …