Digital Commons Network^™

Production And Resource Use Of Winter Feed Crops In New Zealand, John De Ruiter, E. Chakwizira, S. Maley

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the South Island of New Zealand (NZ), dairy cow numbers have increased from 1.4 to 2.1 million since 2005 (Statistics, New Zealand, 2014). This has led to a strong demand for winter feed crops in place of pasture, and also for supplementing pasture during lactation. Yields of 19–35 t DM/ha are reported for fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in NZ (Chakwizira et al., 2014) compared with 14–25 t DM/ha for forage kale (Brassica oleracea L.) (Chakwizira et al., 2009) and 18–25 t DM/ha for maize (Zea mays L.). Fodder beet has only recently been …

Animal Production In A Subtropical Region Of Mexico: Rangeland´S Productive Characteristics, Benito Albarrán-Portillo, C. M. Arriaga-Jordan, Isela G. Salas Reyes, Fernando Vicente Mainar, Adela Martinez Fernandez, Francisca Aviles Nova, Rolando Rojo Rubio

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dual-purpose cattle farms (DP) in México and in particular in the south west of the State of México are low input, based on tropical pastures under extensive management combined with fodder trees and shrubs that contributes to forage production during the dry season, where grasses are scarce. Farms land extension ranged from 30 to 300 hectares. The stoking rate is low with less than a cow per ha. There is only a perimetral fence, there is no pasture´s subdivision. Cows browse freely within the rangeland 24 h/d all year round. Cattle are predominantly Brow Swiss with small proportion of zebu …

Performance Of Improved Forage Species Under Dry Temperate Conditions Of North Western Himalayas, Naveen Kumar, B. R. Sood, Sunil Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The dry temperate region of Himalayas is characterized by low precipitation, low temperature and high snowfall. In this region generally, all the areas excluding the intensively cultivated one are used as pasture and grasslands. The area is characterized by sloppy desert mountains with crop growing season of 5-6 months (April to September). In the region due to continuous heavy grazing and lack of management indigenous grass species presently represent the third or fourth stage of degradation. In north western Himalayas livestock plays a significant role in sustaining the livelihood of people, but in the region all forage resources are hardly …

Productive Longevity Of Fodder Galega-Grass Swards, Aleksandrs Adamovics, Olga Adamovica, Iveta Gutmane

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Red clover, alfalfa and white clover are traditional forage crops in Latvia. In Latvian agricultural practice, fodder galega (Galega orientalis Lam.) is grown for a relatively short period. Recently introduced into Latvia, it is rousing evergrowing interest due to its persistency and high yielding ability. Experiments on fodder galega show that this longlived legume survives in pure stands for 25 and more years and provides annual DM yields from 9.56 to 11.0 t ha^-1 (Adamovics and Auzins, 2006; Slepetys, 2000; Slepetys and Adomovics, 2011). Pure fodder galega stands, compared to other legumes, are not thinning out during harvest …

Fodder Yield And Quality Of Egyptian Clover (Trifolium Alexandrinum L.), Annual Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum Lam.), And Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) Monocultures As Affected By Organic And Mineral Fertilization, Heba Sabry Attia Salama

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is the most important forage legume crop in Egypt. Despite the fact that its yield and protein content are high, it is characterized by low dry matter content especially in the 1st cut, in addition to its limited energy supply, attributed to the low carbohydrate content. Therefore, there is a pressing need to introduce some promising winter annual forage grasses, like barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), and investigate their performance under the Egyptian agricultural conditions. This would enhance the Egyptian animal production systems by providing a high-quality feed …

Rejuvenation Of Wild Ber (Zizyphus Species) Through Budding At Farmer’S Field, Ravi Pratap Singh, Satendra Kumar, Rajiv K. Agrawal, Sunil Kumar, M. M. Das, J. B. Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ber is mainly cultivated for its fresh fruits, which are rich in vitamins C, A and B complex. Due to its nutritional qualities it is called poor man’s apple (Gajbhiya et al., 2003). A large number of wild ber shrubs (Zizyphus mauritiana, Z. rotundifolia and Z. nummularia) were seen growing on the neglected lands, uncultivated lands, roadsides and farm boundaries in Kadesara Kala Village in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh (India). Production potential of this species is very low because of poor upkeep and inferior genetic makeup. But they have extensive root system which can withstand …

Improvement Of Grazing Lands For Better Livestock Production--A Case Study From Chitradurga District In India, K. Girdhar, A. V. Elangovan, H. S. Shivaramu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Chitradurga is a highly drought prone district in the central dry zone of Karnataka, India, with a normal rainfall of 530 mm per annum. Over 85 per cent of cultivable area is rainfed and the livestock plays a vital role in rural income generation in this district. Improper management and overgrazing have resulted in most of the grazing resources declining to a poor, degraded condition. Regeneration of pasture land was vital in the villages due to three reasons - a) people's livelihood dependency on livestock was considerable b) small ruminants played a vital role for landless farmers and c) lack …

Application Of Pastoralists' Knowledge To Natural Resource Management In Spain, Elisa Oteros-Rozas, María Fernández-Giménez, Ricardo Ontillera-Sánchez, José A. González, Federico Fillat-Estaque

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Extensive livestock rearing has been acknowledged as an important tool for sustainable management of social-ecological systems and biodiversity conservation. In the Mediterranean Basin this relationship has been highlighted in mountainous and rural areas, where the co-evolved assemblages and dynamics of plant communities and grazing practices and patterns are mutually reinforcing. Among extensive livestock rearing systems, mobile pastoralism is a typical adaptation in semi-arid areas and mountainous regions where pasture availability is especially variable in time and space. In Spain, mobile pastoralism dates back to Neolithic and has survived until our days in different ways. An outstanding example of mobility is …

Barriers And Opportunities For The Use Of Forage Tree Legumes In Smallholder Cattle Fattening Systems In Eastern Indonesia, Debora Kana Hau, Tanda Panjaitan, Jacob Nulik, H. Dahlanuddin, Elske Van De Fliert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage tree legumes (FTL) have existed in the Eastern Indonesian landscape since colonial traders introduced several species in the late 1800s. A specific effort was made to establish leucaena (Leucaena leucoephala) and sesbania (Sesbania grandiflora) for use as forage for cattle fattening at Amarasi in East Nusa Tenggara Province and Central Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara, in the 1970s (Yuksel et al. 1999; Dahlanuddin et al. 2005). Its spread within these provinces as potential forage to intensify cattle fattening systems, however, has been slow if not stagnant. In preparation for intensified efforts to encourage …

A Guide To Evaluate And Diagnose Range Management Programs In Extensive Cattle Ranches, Ricardo Vásquez, Silverio G. Pérez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Commonly, range managers and ranchers apply range management principles and practices without a guide, conventional protocol, or a reference frame. This happens because knowledge in education and even in extension or consultant programs is obtained over time in a diversity of ways and, in turn, transmitted or applied in a diversity of methods, according to the experience, academic degree, or organization sense of the rancher himself, or his technician. Existing range management knowledge should be organized and applied in a systematic and conventional way. Medical science provides a good example of systematic management. Patients are “inventoried”, evaluated, diagnosed and treated …

Ewe Body Condition: Does Farmer Practice Meet Research Guidelines?, Marie J. Casey, John S. Scandrett, David R. Stevens

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A group of sheep farmers in the Southland region of New Zealand were surveyed in the winter of 2011 to determine their current winter management practices and ewe performance. This followed a 3 year Sustainable Farming Fund project to investigate if there was a relationship between maintaining an even ewe body condition score (BCS) during pregnancy and the incidence of vaginal prolapse (bearings). The program included a series of workshops to help farmers improve their ewe winter management and it became apparent that the actual winter feeding practice and ewe performance was relatively unknown.

The research was done to document …

Using E-Learning To Aid Technical Uptake Of Goat-Based Technologies By Small Livestock Producers In The Philippines, Anna Marie P. Alo, Jose Rey Y. Alo, Francisco G. Gabunada Jr., Emilio M. Cruz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The improvement of goat raising in the Philippines by achieving a stable supply of good quality breeders and highly uniform slaughter goats by 2020 is the aim of an Industry Strategic Plan. While a number of ways of promoting science-based technology have been offered to farmers, countless small to medium-scale farmers are almost impossible to reach. Online FLS or e-learning courses on goats have been developed where learners can take the courses from any place, at their own pace, and in their own convenient time. Internet cafes are available throughout the Philippines, where goat raisers are able to access the …

The Role Modelling And Farming Systems Research Can Play In Redesigning Grazing Systems For Improved Productivity And Environmental Sustainability, Angela Avery, Kate Sargeant, Michael A. Friend, Ralph Behrendt, Paul Sanford, Craig Beverly, Cameron Allen, David L. Michalk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Achieving production and natural resource outcomes from farming systems is critical with growing demand for livestock products, increasing pressure on land and water resources and the desire of farmers to improve profit and standard of living. In many countries this brings to the fore a number of policy dilemmas and conflicts in terms of pastoral household livelihood, regional economic growth and development, as well as natural resource management. By using two case studies; (1) Temperate Grasslands in Southern Australia (EverGraze project); and (2) Western Grasslands in North West China (ACIAR project), this paper considers how farming systems can be redesigned …

Range Management Program: “Los Ángeles” Experimental Cattle Ranch In Northern México, Ricardo Vásquez, Silverio G. Pérez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The arid and semi-arid grasslands of both the ejidos (farming communities) and extensive (private) cattle ranches in northern México face serious degradation problems. This is visibly evident in the extent of soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and invasion of undesirable species (Ceballo et al. 2009). Severe impact of drought and over-grazing are important causes for the declining productivity now common place throughout these north Mexican grasslands. Two important contributing factors to this grassland degradation are: (1) the lack of continuous and well integrated education programs on the range and ranch management; and (2) a scarcity of government and private …

Development Of A Forage Evaluation System For Perennial Ryegrass Cultivar And Endophyte Combinations In New Zealand Dairy Systems, Jeremy R. Bryant, David F. Chapman, Elizabeth Leonard, William H. Mcmillan, Graham A. Kerr, Glenn Judson, Tim Cookson, Grant R. Edwards

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An economic index for perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars is a relatively new concept, although recently introduced in Ireland (McEvoy et al. 2011). By contrast, in dairy cattle breeding, the concept of an economic index rating animals and economic values underlying that index is well entrenched (Philipson et al. 1994; Veerkamp, 1998). Historically, forage evaluation data for individual cultivars were either displayed using absolute numbers for seasonal dry matter production within a season or across all seasons with a notation to indicate statistical differences, or percentage values where a reference cultivar is 100. The adoption of …

Demonstration Farms To Improve Grassland And Household Incomes In Western China, Jing Wang, Mengli Zhao, David R. Kemp, Gemma Turnbull

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Western China is the less developed area of China, of which about 3.31×10⁹ ha is grassland. The livelihoods 40 million people, the majority ethnic minorities, are supported by this grassland. To achieve balanced growth while reducing economic disparities is one of the major challenges that China faces to maintain both its current GDP growth rate and social stability. The development of demonstration farms is an efficient way to alleviate or ideally to solve this challenge. Recent studies conducted on the desert steppe in Inner Mongolia have shown, that under current conditions, stocking rates can be reduced to get both …

Dutch Dairies Reward Grazing, Anjo Elgersma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Changing societal drivers and consumer demands require systems that provide desired human foods produced through sustainable production systems. The aim was to show effects of grazing system on milk fatty acid (FA) composition in Dutch farming practice and to analyse current developments in grassland utilization and dairy payments. Milk conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration was a function of hours cows spent at pasture, both at a regional and at a farm scale. Despite beneficial effects of fresh herbage in the dairy production chain on unsaturated FA in milk, the trend in The Netherlands is that cows are more indoors and …

Fodder Seed Bank–An Initiative For Green Fodder Production During Lean Period By Kvk, Jehanabad Under Nicra Project, Shobha Rani, R. K. Sohane, Dinesh Mahto, Basant Kumar Sharma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fodder production is an often-overlooked aspect of livestock rearing. The scarcity of fodder during lean period poses great problem before the livestock owners. The case with availability of green fodder is even more serious. Green fodder is essential for feeding of the dairy animals as poor nutrition is the biggest constraint in animal production, especially in dairy cattle production. This problem arises mainly due to the fact that ruminants are basically fed with fibrous forages and low quality roughages such as straws, especially during the lean seasons. The fodder seed availability is a major constraint apart from the interest of …

Sustainability Of Grassland Resources In Afghanistan: A Review, Yashpal Singh Saharawat, Hyatullah Esmati, Abdul Rahman Manan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Afghanistan is land locked country with arid and semi-arid climatic conditions. Out of 65 million ha of its land area, grassland and pastures cover 30 million ha. The grassland is reducing significantly from last six decades mainly due to poor governance in the last three decades of war and conflict, non-existence of scientific capacity and capability, land encroachment, increasing population, urbanization, poor policies and support from the Government, consistent increase in the population of cattle (291%), goats (160%) and (donkeys 290%) during the last two decades (World Bank, 2011).

Adaptation To Changing Institutional, Market And Bio-Physical Environments: The Case Of China’S Grasslands, Colin G. Brown, Scott A. Waldron, John W. Longworth

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the modern world, small pastoral herder households living on grasslands in countries such as China face major challenges in adapting to changes in their institutional, market and bio-physical environments. In China, these changes have been profound over the last 30 years. Herders, their communities and others dependent on the grasslands have responded to these developments but not always as might be expected. In this paper, the sources of the macro-forces in China that have created the pressure for change at the grass roots are outlined and the micro-adjustments made by herders and others in response to these pressures are …

Pasture Reform And Its Implementation In Kyrgyzstan, А. Egemberdiev, K. Ismailov, M. Bayaliev

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Presently the determination of mechanisms for effective management and sustainable use of pasture resources rely heavily on agricultural policy development. This is not only the case in the Kyrgyz Republic but also in other countries because grasslands are a significant resource covering about half of the earth’s surface. The success of developing and implementing policy goals on grassland use often has direct impact on vital national issues as: the welfare of the people; food safety; preservation of the ecological integrity of natural ecosystems, as well as greenhouse gas sequestration in each country where pasture use is critical in the economic …

Food Insecurity Among College Students With And Without Medical Disorders At A University In Appalachia, Laura Mcarthur, Melissa D. Gutschall, Kimberly Fasczewski, Anna Jackson

Journal of Appalachian Health

Objective: This study compared severity of food insecurity, characteristics, and behaviors of college students with and without diagnosed medical disorders.

Design: Data were collected using a cross-sectional online questionnaire. Variables measured were food security status, disorders, coping strategies, and perceived barriers to food access. Descriptive and inferential statistics examined associations and compared groups. Statistical significance was p≤0.05.

Setting: Data were collected at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

Participants: The sample was 247 food insecure students, of whom 60% were females, 50% 3rd- and 4th-year students, and 75% whites.

Results: Medical disorders were reported by 67.2% of food insecure students, …

A Nutritional And Environmental Analysis Of Local Food Pantries Accessible To College Students In Rural North Carolina, Emily E. Frymark, Jonathon Stickford, Alisha Farris

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Food insecurity is a growing concern among college students and is especially prevalent in rural areas. Food pantries often serve as a resource to food insecure individuals yet, their policies, standards, and nutritional quality vary due to the unpredictability of food donations.

Purpose: To examine the nutritional quality of food items and adherence of best practices at local food pantries accessible to college students near a university in rural Appalachia.

Methods: Three food pantries in North Carolina were selected due to their proximity to a local, rural university. Food items were analyzed for nutrient and food …

Use And Perceptions Of A Campus Food Pantry Among Food Insecure College Students: An Exploratory Study From Appalachia, Laura Mcarthur, Kimberly S. Fasczewski, Alisha Farris, Miranda R. Petrone

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Food insecurity has emerged as a public health problem among college students in Appalachia, jeopardizing their physical, mental, and emotional health and academic success. Campus food pantries have been established in this region, but no data are available concerning student use or perception of services.

Purpose: This study measured use and perceptions of a campus food pantry by students at a mid-sized university in rural North Carolina.

Methods: An online questionnaire collected behavioral and perceptual data, and follow-up interviews explored these variables. Descriptive statistics with significance at p<0.05 and thematic analytical procedures were used.

Results: Questionnaires were submitted by 896 of 6000 recruited students (14.9%), …

The Need For Evidence-Based Interventions To Reduce Food Insecurity Among College Students, Sarah Brothers, Stephanie Jilcott-Pitts Phd

Journal of Appalachian Health

Food insecurity is defined as insufficient resources to meet food needs. This is a global problem but is not confined to those countries identified as poor. One group of Americans who are particularly affected, and for whom the effects are particularly severe, is college students.

Understanding Factors Influencing Farmers’ Intention For Adopting Improved Grassland Using The Theory Of Reasoned Action, In The Highlands Of Central Mexico, Carlos Galdino Martínez-García, Carloss Manuel Arriaga-Jordan, Adolfo Armando Rayas-Amor, Peter Dorward, Tahir Rehman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Low adoption of improved grassland among small-scale dairy farmers has been attributed to different factors such as farmers and household characteristics, farm characteristics, institutional characteristics and capital constraints (Martínez-García et al., 2012). Several researchers illustrate the importance of farmers’ attitude, beliefs and social pressure from the salient referents in the adoption of innovations (Rehman et al., 2007; Rossi Borges et al., 2014). Regarding Mexico, there is a lack of information about understanding of attitudes, beliefs and social pressure underpinning farmers’ intentions to adopt agricultural innovations. In contrast to many adoption studies, it focuses on an innovation that …

Using On-Farm Demonstrations To Evaluate Newly Developed Cool-Season Forages In The Southeastern Usa, Tim Wilson, Mark Warren, Ann R. Blount, Cheryl L. Mackowiak, Jose C. B. Dubeux, James Devalerio, Barton Wilder, Derek Barber, Sydney Hayter

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Multiple demonstration sites throughout Florida were designed to evaluate and provide hands-on producer and county faculty access to newly developed cool-season winter forage crops that can be grown in the southeastern United States. Research funding for these projects was provided by the Dairy Research and Education Project, supported through the Georgia/Florida Dairy Industry check-off dollars. Early adopter producers interested in evaluating forages were identified for this cooperation. Long-term goals are to have the early adopter producer aid in the trialing and dissemination of information about improved varieties.

Cool-season forages for use on southeastern US livestock operations benefit the producer in …

An Overview Of Current Status And Future Prospects Of Grassland Resource In Sri Lanka, Disna Ratnasekera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Sri Lanka, nearly 12,000 km² of the total land area is under grass (Pemadasa, 1990). Use of grassland for livestock through traditional way goes back a number of centuries. Almost 20% of the countryside of the earth is covered by grassdominated flora, which includes numerous communities (Pemadasa, 1990).The cohesiveness of traditional societies and social groups in livestock rearing led to complete approaches that resulted in appropriate, environmentally sound sustainable technologies in sustainable grassland management. However, due to growing population and mismanagement, Sri Lankan grasslands are deteriorating. Moreover grasslands play key role in livestock production and environment stability. There …

Performance Of Acacia Senegal L.: Untapped Wealth Of Gum Arabic In Rangelands And Grasslands In Arid And Semi-Arid Region Of India, Rajendra Prasad, Vishva Deepak Tripathi, S. K. Dhyani, A. K. Handa, Badre Alam, Ajit, Ramesh Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Acacia senegal (Linn) Wild a member of Mimosaceae is a small tree of 3-6m in height with umbrella-shaped crown. It is a typical tree of Sahel in Africa from Senegal to red sea and essentially limited to the area between 11⁰ and 16⁰ North, with a wide range of rainfall 100 to 800mm. It spread widely in tropical Africa from Mozambique, Zambia to Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, and in South Asia in India and Pakistan. In India it is a typical tree of arid regions with a low rainfall of 100-250mm. It is drought resistant …

Valuation Of Forage Production Function Of Rangeland Ecosystems In North Of Iran–East Alborz Mountains, Shafagh Rastgar, Seyed Mojtaba Mojaverian

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Rangeland ecosystem has 11-17 goods and services that most of them are public and non‐market in nature; meaning they are non‐rival and non‐exclusive and are typically not sold in a traditional; such as climate regulation, soil conservation, biodiversity, etc. (Croitoru, 2007; Wu et al., 2010). Forage is the main product of rangelands. According to the heterogeneity of range forages in terms of economic and lacking organized market for transaction, despite of imagine of ecological economists, it's a public good. So, determining its economic value as one of the main important nonmonetary functions of rangelands ecosystems can help managers to …