Life Sciences Commons^™

Farmers’ Perceptions On Different Forage Types In Southern Highlands Of Tanzania, B. Nzogela, S. W. Mwendia, A. J. Mwilawa, J. Kizima, J. Bwire, A. O. Notenbaert

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Feed and forages take the bulk of inputs required in livestock production. Inadequate forages in quality and quantity in sub-Saharan Africa is responsible for low livestock productivity. Addressing livestock feed requirements presents quick wins in livestock productivity compared to breeding and health. In a Climate Smart Dairy project implemented in Tanzania, we demontrated several forage options to farmers including, two cultivars of Pennisetum purpureum, two Urochloa hybrids, Chrloris gayana and Tripsacum andersonii (control). Where applicable, the grasses were intercropped with either one of the following forage legume, Desmodium intortum, Lablab purpureus or Stylosanthes guiyanensis. Fourteen forage treaments …

Effect Of Native Grassland Intensification Over Cattle Performance, N. Caram, F. Casalás, M. Cadenazzi, R. Zanoniani, P. Boggiano

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The objective was to evaluate the effect of different levels of intensification in native grassland over cattle live weight gain (LWG), stocking rate (SR) and average daily gain (ADG) in Uruguay. The study was carried out in 7.8 ha in Paysandú, between winter 2015 and autumn 2019. Experiment was a randomized complete block design, with 4 replicates. The four treatments applied were native grassland (NG), NG overseeded with Trifolium pratense (6 kg.ha^-1) and Lotus tenuis (6 kg.ha^-1) + 40 kg.ha^-1 of P₂O₅ (NGO), NG fertilized with 60 kg.ha^-1 of N + …

Mapping Nitrogen Fixing Shrubs In Dry Unimproved Tussock Grassland, C. C. Boswell, W. L. Lowther, P. D. Espie

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Global Positioning System (GPS) was used to both map the positions of individual nitrogen-fixing shrub plants and record individual plant height and breadth dimensions, within a small catchment of dry sub-humid unimproved short tussock grassland. The distributions of different species of shrubs varied with different landscape units within the catchment. The information will provide the base data for a first approximation of the role of the shrubs in the nitrogen balance of the ecosystem, which is pivotal to the sustainability of pastoral farming in the tussock grasslands.

Importance Of Haresfoot Clover (Trifolium Arvense) As A Nitrogen Fixer In Semi-Arid Grasslands Of New Zealand, C. C. Boswell, W. L. Lowther, P. R. Espie

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The aim of the study was to determine the distribution of annual haresfoot clover (Trifolium arvense) in a depleted indigenous short tussock grassland catchment in the dry subhumid MacKenzie Basin, South Island, New Zealand. Haresfoot clover was present on all landscapes, and widely distributed on lower sunny aspects, suggesting that it is an important component of the nitrogen cycle in these environments even in the absence of fertiliser application. The study was conducted during an atypically moist summer when a bloom of the annual clover occurred. Nitrogen inputs will vary with landscape and spring/summer rainfall and it is …

Herbaceous Vegetation Dynamic After Cut And Burn Shrub Plants In Southern Brazil, A. M. Girardi-Deiro, M. L. Porto, J. Riboldi

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A savanna area at "Serra do Sudeste" in southern Brazil, was studied during four years to evaluate the influence of cutting and burning shrub plants on dynamic of herbaceous vegetation. The cover of each species in 44 permanent quadrats (0,25 m²) and in each area (cut and burned) was evaluated. The results suggested that grasses and legumes were favored by cutting shrub plants. Burning favored forbs in the first years after disturbance and retarded the development of native forage species desirable for grazing.

The Role Of Forages In Sustainable Cropping Systems Of Southern Australia, William D. Bellotti

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The historical context, recent trends, and possible future role of forages in cropping systems are reviewed. Three recent themes will be developed: 1) The successful exploitation of genetic diversity resulting in commercial development of new legume species as pasture cultivars with specific traits better suited to the needs of current farming systems. 2) Improved understanding of key soil processes under grazed pastures, particularly soil water and soil nitrogen, and how these processes impact on indicators of sustainability like deep drainage and nitrate leaching. 3) An emerging capacity for predicting the effect of pasture-crop sequences on soil processes, crop growth and …

Ensiling Of Different Legumes Compared To Grass, S. Slottner, C. Rammer

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The objective of this study was to examine the ensiling characteristics of four different forage legumes: galega (Galega orientalis), lucerne (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover (Trifolium pratense), and compare these with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), using different additives. The crops were mowed using a sickle bar mower and chopped using a precision chop harvester. The crops were ensiled either direct cut or wilted to 35-45% DM. Wilting took place on a barn drier. Forages were ensiled either untreated or with addition of formic acid, Promyr or …

Integrating Pastures Into The Traditional Slash-And-Burn Cycle In Northeastern Pará, Brazil, S. Hohnwald, B. Rischkowsky, R. Schultze-Kraft, J. M. King, A. P. Camarão

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A project to test possibilities to integrate pastures into the traditional slash-and-burn cycle of small farmers in the Bragantina region in northeastern Pará, Brazil, is presented. Whereas in practice the traditional grass-only pasture is managed separately from the crop/fallow cycle, two options for integration are tested: a Brachiaria humidicola pasture enriched with two bushy and one herbaceous legume, Cratylia argentea, Chamaecrista rotundifolia and Arachis pintoi, and a B. humidicola pasture allowing a controlled regrowth of secondary vegetation ("Capoeira"). The regeneration performance of these pastures for a subsequent cropping period is compared with plots of undisturbed regrowth of Capoeira …

Achievements And Perspectives In The Breeding Of Temperate Grasses And Legumes, Kenneth H. Quesenberry, M. D. Casler

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This paper will focus on a historical perspective on cool season forage production, plant breeding methods for cool season forages, major cool season forage selection criteria, some examples of significant achievements, and a future perspective. Topics similar to ours have been discussed at recent previous meeting of this Congress (Humphreys, 1997; Van Wijk et al., 1993); however, we will strive to avoid “plowing the same ground twice”. In an attempt to prevent duplication of content with other sections of this Congress, only limited attention will be given to genetic resource acquisition and conservation. Additionally, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), one …

Advances In Forage Legumes: Shrub Legumes, M. H. Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Forage tree legumes benefit agriculture through their multi-purpose contributions to livestock feeding, to productivity of farming systems, and to protection of the environment.

Of the several hundred forage tree legume species regarded as having potential for forage only c. twenty are in common use. These are listed together with their agroecological range and tolerance of adverse environments including acid soils, cool temperatures, low rainfall, poor drainage and high salinity. The value of many species to ruminants is limited due to low nutritive value arising from low protein availability and low acceptability caused principally by high condensed tannin content. Only 10 …

Dry Matter Production Of Shoots And Root Density Of Two Cultivars Of Lablab Purpureus (L.) Sweet, L. R. De A. Rodrigues, T. J. D. Rodrigues, A. K. B. Ramos, D. G. De Quadros

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This experiment was conducted in green house conditions to evaluate the DM accumulation in the shoots and in the roots of two cultivars of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet. A 2x3 factorial (two cultivars and three evaluation dates) was conducted according to a randomized complete block design with four replications, being the cultivars Highworth and Rongai evaluated at 42, 56, and 70 days after seedling emergence (DASE). The results indicated that the cvs. Highworth and Rongai have the same pattern of DM accumulation in the shoots. In the upper layer of the soil (0-0.20 m) it was found 38.83% and 43.64% …

Forage Quality And The Environment, C. E. Lascano, A. Schmidt, R. Barahona

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The influence of environmental factors on forage quality of temperate and tropical grasses has been reviewed by several authors, who summarized how light, temperature, drought and soil nutrients influence chemical composition, and digestibility of forages grown in contrasting areas of the world. The effects of season of the year on forage growth, grazing behavior and animal performance have also been the subject of numerous papers and reviews. However, there are few recent reviews that summarize how changes in climatic and edaphic factors influence forage quality of legumes with variable levels of condensed tannins (CT), which are important secondary compounds in …

Genetic Resources For Temperate Areas - Achievements And Perspectives, Mónica Rebuffo, T. Abadie

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The processes of natural evolution and domestication of temperate forage genetic resources resulted in a build-up of genetic diversity, being remarkable in natural populations of grasses and legumes from Central Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Worldwide utilization of few species caused further increment in intraspecific genetic differentiation, meanwhile landraces became adapted to local agricultural production systems. Highlights are given to the risk of genetic erosion of indigenous grasslands as a consequence of the ecosystem modifications imposed by agriculture, as well as the drastic reduction of intraspecific genetic diversity caused by the process of plant breeding and environmental leveling in modern …

Nutrient Return From Plant Litter And Cattle Excretion Grazing On N-Fertilized Grass Or Grass-Legume Pastures In North Florida, Liza Garcia, D. M. Jaramillo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Lynn E. Sollenberger, João M. B. Vendramini, N. Dilorenzo, E. R. S. Santos, M. Ruiz-Moreno, L. M. D. Queiroz

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Nutrient recycling via plant litter and livestock excreta is an important ecosystem service provided by grasslands. This study determined nutrient return via these pathways in three grazing systems. The experiment was conducted from May to October (2016 and 2017) and treatments were: 1) Nitrogen fertilized bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures (112 kg N ha^-1) during the warm-season, overseeded with a mixture (56 kg ha^-1 of each) of ‘FL 401’ cereal rye (Secale cereale, L.) and ‘RAM’ oat (Avena sativa, L.) during the cool-season (BGN); 2) Ecoturf Rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.)/bahiagrass …

Tree Legumes As Sustainable Ecosystem Services In Livestock Systems, James P. Muir, C. E. Cooper, V. Corriher-Olson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Arboreal legumes provide multiple uses in pastures and rangelands. Trees directly and indirectly feed, house, doctor, and warm humans at minimal environmental cost through forage (fodder), timber, biofuel, medicines, as well as edible leaves, pods, and seeds. Leguminous trees, because they foster biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and acquire deep-soil nutrients and moisture, compete less with herbaceous plants for shallow-horizon soil moisture and nutrients. Their ecosystem services (ES) are generally less obvious and quantifiable. These include converting CO₂ to sequestered C and released O₂ in N-poor soils where trees without BNF do not thrive. Other ES include shade for …

The Importance Of Forage Legume Inclusion In Agricultural Swards To Enhance Earthworm Activity And Water Infiltration Rates, A. Shnel, S. Tracy, O. Schmidt, P. Murphy, M. B. Lynch, C. Grace, T. M. Boland, H. Sheridan

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Increased grassland productivity in temperate regions has largely been achieved through perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne (PRG), coupled with large quantities of nitrogen fertiliser. However, concern is growing regarding the negative implications of excessive dependence on nitrogen fertilisers. Research has demonstrated the benefits of legume inclusion on primary productivity, however, their potential to influence other processes is less well established.

Sampling was undertaken in autumn 2017 on twenty randomised plots representing five sward types, replicated four times. These had been established and managed by cutting since 2013. Sward types included: 1) PRG (250kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 ); 2) PRG; …

Legumes As A Strategy For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Of Forage-Livestock Systems, N. Dilorenzo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., L. Garcia, R. D. Guevara, S. Lagrange, J. Macadam, J. J. Villalba

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Incorporation of legumes into forage systems has been a widely adopted strategy to increase pasture productivity and forage nutritive value, while reducing N inputs. Considering the population growth, and the diminishing land resources for food production, the need to increase the food supply will have to be balanced with the environmental impact of these systems, particularly their carbon footprint. Enteric methane production represents the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Certain forage legumes have evolved plant secondary compounds, such as tannins and other polyphenols, which have been associated with reductions in enteric methane emissions. Studies were conducted at …

Forage Genetic Resources In Brazil, Liana Jank, Mateus F. Santos, Cacilda B. Do Valle, Sanzio C. L. Barrios, Rosangela M. Simeão

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

To maintain the largest herd in the world, 214 million heads of beef cattle grazing exclusively on pastures (only 14% finished in feed-lots), Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) in Brazil, has intensely invested on forage breeding programs since the 1980s. Nowadays, there are circa thirteen forage grass and legume species being bred at different Embrapa Units around the country and other six Units focusing on collection and research of regional native forages. Breeding depends on good germplasm sources. Therefore, breeding activities in Brazil will remain highly dependent on exotic and native genetic basis maintained in the Germplasm Banks. Despite the …

Adapting Tropical Forages To Low-Fertility Soils, Idupulapati M. Rao

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tropical forages growing in low-fertility acid soils usually increase the amount of dry matter partitioned to roots at the expense of shoot growth, but substantially different adaptive attributes to such soils have been found, both between and within species. By possessing the C₄ pathway of photosynthesis, grasses are more efficient than legumes in using N, Ca, and P, whereas legume roots are more efficient in extracting nutrients from low-fertility soils. Phosphorus uptake efficiency (mg of P uptake in shoot biomass per unit root length) of the legume Arachis pintoi is several times higher than that of the grass Brachiaria …

Evaluation Of Fertilizing Methods On The Establishment Of Pasture Species On Native Pasture By Direct Sowing, O. L. P. Oliveira, S. S. Gonzaga, J. O. N. Gonçalves, E. N. Muniz, T. M. S. Freitas, L. P. Grando

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The experiment was carried out in the southern of Brazil, by direct sowing ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), white clover (Trifolium repens), birds foot trifolium (Lotus corniculatus) and red clover (Trifolium pratensis) on native pasture. Herbicide Glyfosate was previously applied on this native pasture. The treatments were T1 -seed sowing in row with half fertilizer in row and half broadcasting; T2 – seed sowing in row with all fertilizer in row; T3 – seed sowing in row and all fertilizer broadcasting; T4 – seed and fertilizer broadcasting. The pasture was evaluated by two cuts …

Storage Of Seeds From Tropical Legumes Used In Cuban Livestock Production Systems, Marlen Navarro, Arístides Pérez, Yolanda González, Juan Carlos Lezcano

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Content And Seed Toxicity In Crotalaria Species, J. A. Mosjidis, I. Khan, J. Hess

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Agroforestry Production Systems With Ruminants In Cuba, M. Milera, S. Sánchez, G. Martín, J. Iglesias, J. Arece, G. Pentón, O. Alonso

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Long‐Term Phosphorus Fertilization And Perennial Legumes Addition Impacts On A Temperate Natural Grassland: Ii. Total And Particulate Soil Organic Carbon, Lucía Salvo, José A. Terra, Walter Ayala, Raül Bermudez, José Correa, Paola Avila, Jorge Hernández

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Including Arachis Pintoi In Tropical Forages Diets Megathyrsus Maximus And Brachiaria Humidicola On In Vitro Methane Production, Diana Marcela Valencia Echavarría, Luis Alfonso Giraldo Valderrama, Alexandra Torres, Alejandra Marín Gomez

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Ruminants have the capability to ferment structural carbohydrates found in forages and obtain from them a usable form of energy to produce high quality food, i.e milk and meat (Kamra et al., 2012). However, as a gaseous by-product from the enteric fermentation of those carbohydrates, methane is produced in a significant proportion, being considered as one of the most important greenhouse gases (GHG). In Colombian tropical livestock, inclusion of legumes in on poor quality grasses diets based have allowed an improvement of their nutritive quality, besides enteric methanogenesis reduction because their content of condensed tannins (CT); however, this is not …

Evaluation Of Tropical Herbaceous Legumes For Drought Resistance In Myanmar, Jue Jue, Nang Khan Hline, Khin San Mu, Moe Thida Htun, Lwin Naing Oo, Soe Min Thien, Dezin Soe Lwin, Jenny Hanks, Ganda Nakamanee, Werner Stür, Aung Aung

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Animal nutrition systems in the tropical and subtropical countries utilize a wide range of feedstuffs, mainly the crops and agricultural by-products, grasses, legumes, trees and shrubs. During the dry season, the crude protein concentration in the native grasses can drop below 3% crude protein (Atta-Krah and Reynolds, 1989). Fodder tree is not sufficient and is of low quality in Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). Shrubs represent an enormous potential source of protein for ruminants in the tropics (Devendra, 1992). Browses are rich in nitrogen and minerals which are low in other conventional feeds of tropical regions. Herbaceous legume species play …

Legumes Of Forage Value: Their Diversity And Priority For Collection In India, E. Roshini Nayar, Anjula Panndey, K. Pradheep, Rita Gupta

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Indian subcontinent is a megacentre of agro-diversity. Legumes have a special place with several native crops and economically important species occurring along forest margins and openings, pastures, grasslands and grazing lands. Several are dual-purpose species for food and feed. However, herbage legumes though major components of grasslands and with a major role in their quality and improvement lack persistence as compared to grasses and their collection, maintenance and conservation assumes importance in the wake of change and loss of habitats of native species and introduction of new germplasm with forage potential. Establishing the correct identity of species is therefore a …

Forage From Trees And Grasses Of Silvipasture System In Degraded Land Of Semiarid India, R. V. Kumar, Harsh Vardhan Singh, Sunil Kumar, Ajoy K. Roy, P. K. Ghosh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Rainfed agro-ecosystem has a distinct place in Indian Agriculture, occupying 67% of the cultivated area and supporting 65% of the livestock population (Venkateswarlu, 2005). The silvipasture systems involving suitable multi-purpose trees specially fodder trees and range grass species provide resilience by ensuring continued and multiple outputs such as, forage, fuelwood, fodder, fibre and industrial raw material, besides other positive environmental effects. Incorporation of fodder trees with grasses is perceived as a climate change-resilient cropping system for farmers linking climate change mitigation with adaptation (Mbow et al., 2014). The synergies of tree-grass association need to be explored and exploited by …

Improving Grassland Quality In Communal Arable Lands In The Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, Theunis L. Morgenthal, Pieter W. Conradie, Gideon Jordaan, Unathi Gulwa, Neil Ballard, John Howieson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Overgrazing and shifting cultivation practise have severely degraded communal lands in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Methods need to be developed to improve forage quality of grazing land, especially previously cultivated lands. The aim of the study was to investigate legume species to rehabilitate arable lands abandoned from cropping, to enhance their forage quality, productivity and ecological integrity. The study was conducted in seven communities within the Eastern Cape Province. This study showed that within the communal lands studied extensive areas have been cultivated and the majority of this land is now poorly utilised. Natural grasslands ploughed for cropping …

Macro Mineral Concentrations Of Five Contrasting Temperate Grassland Species Grown In Pure Stands Or Mixtures, Bodil E. Frankow-Lindberg

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Mixtures of grassland species often results in over-yielding (Finn et al., 2013). This may be due to complementarity in traits above- and below-ground. Here I report the concentrations of macro minerals in five grassland species grown as pure stands or in mixtures in a field fertilized with moderate amounts of nitrogen (N).