Agricultural Science Commons^™

Spider Fauna (Araneae: Araneomorphae) In Natural Grasslands Of Uruguay With Different Livestock Management, Álvaro Laborda, Rafael A. Tosi-Germán, Sebastián Donate, Oscar Blumetto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Uruguay natural grasslands sustain cattle ranching and are the country’s main renewable resource. This ecosystem not only serves a productive function, but also functions in geophysical processes of soils and sustaining the nation’s biodiversity through complex trophic webs (Berretta 2009). Increased pressure from human activities that exploit natural resources makes it necessary to possess tools for detecting disturbances in ecosystems and assessing their conservation status. Identifying indicator taxa is essential for evaluating the degree of impact on natural grasslands and for applying this in the development of management plans for this habitat type (Avalos et al. 2007; Cardoso …

Bird And Mammal Fauna Assemblages In Well-Preserved Natural Grasslands Of Uruguay With Different Livestock Management, Rafael A. Tosi-Germán, Álvaro Laborda, Sebastián Donate, Oscar Blumetto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this study is to assess the composition of mammalian and avian communities in sites under two different cattle management plans: one where sheep are present along bovine cattle and another where pastures are grazed solely by bovines.

Winter Forage Yield Of Signal Grass (Brachiaria Brizantha (Hochst. Ex. A. Rich) R.D. Webster) At Different Cutting Frequency And N Fertilization, Pedro Arturo Martínez Hernández, Erick A. López Rojas, Rogelio Montero Rodríguez, Enrique Cortés Díaz, Iban Mendoza Pedroza, José L. Zaragoza Ramírez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Signal grass (Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. Ex. A. Rich) R.D. Webster) is widely grown in sub-humid tropical environments. In winter, shorter photoperiod and lower rainfall and temperatures reduce grass forage yield. Cutting frequency and N fertilization might reduce this negative effect (Whitehead, 1995; Pereira et al., 2014). The objective of the study was to determine winter forage yield total and by components of Signal grass under different cutting frequency and N fertilization.

Yak Rearing On High Altitude Pastures Of Northeastern Himalaya Of India: Their Utilization Strategies And Rejuvenation, Vijay Paul, Sanjit Maiti, G. Krishnan, D. Medhi, S. M. Deb

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Yak rearing on alpine pastures is the main occupation of the highland pastoral nomads (Brokpa and Dokpas) of north-east (NE) India. These pastoral nomads living in the remote mountains solely rely on high altitude pastures for their nutritional and livelihood security because of virtual existence of agricultural activities in this area. They rear yaks under transhumance and utilize various pastures while migrating from low land winter pastures to high altitude alpine pastures during summer. Therefore, the temperate and alpine pastures are the major feed resources for the yaks. The indiscriminate use of pastures and impending climate change results …

Use Of Native Grassland In Small-Scale Dairy Systems In The Highlands Of Central Mexico. A Case Study, P. A. Sainz-Sanchez, Carloss Manuel Arriaga-Jordan, D. Heredia Nava, C. G. Martinez-Garcia, F. Vicente, L. R. Garcia-Winder, A. Martinez-Fernandez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Small-scale dairy systems in Mexico comprise 78% of specialized dairy farms and provide 37% of national production. They are small farms with herds 3-35 cows plus replacements, and rely on family labour (Posadas-Domínguez et al., 2014).

In the highlands, many farms have native grasslands, grazed during the rainy season, and supplemented with other feeds as maize straw, maize grain and maize ears. Native grasslands have not been studied in this context. This is a case study on the use of native grassland in a small-scale dairy farm. The objective was to determine how native grasslands are integrated in feeding …

Science-Based Decision Support For Formulating Crop Fertilizer Recommendations In Sub-Saharan Africa, Jairos Rurinda, Shamie Zingore, Jibrin M. Jibrin, Tesfaye Balemi, Kenneth Masuki, Jens A. Andersson, Mirasol F. Pampolino, Ibrahim Mohammed, James Mutegi, Alpha Y. Kamara, Bernard Vanlauwe, Peter Q. Craufurd

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is considerable spatial and temporal variability in relations between nutrient application and crop yield, due to varying inherent soil nutrients supply, soil moisture, crop management and germplasm. This variability affects fertilizer use efficiency and crop productivity. Therefore, development of decision systems that support formulation and delivery of site-specific fertilizer recommendations is important for increased crop yield and environmental protection. Nutrient Expert (NE) is a computer-based decision support system, which enables extension advisers to generate field- or area-specific fertilizer recommendations based on yield response to fertilizer and nutrient use efficiency. We calibrated NE for major maize agroecological …

Integrating The Bioenergy Production With Biodiversity Conservation On Semi-Natural And Riparian Grasslands, Tomasz Goliński, Piotr Goliński

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Semi-natural grasslands in Poland have been identified as having extraordinary biodiversity value. In the past, the species richness of these semi-natural landscapes has been managed through grazing. However, livestock numbers are now in decline, many grasslands are abandoned and consequently the diversity of these landscapes is under threat. In order to prevent these habitats from turning to scrublands, these areas have to be extensively harvested. Regulations dictate a late harvest time to allow reproduction of the flora and fauna. Many of semi-natural and riparian grasslands are protected under the European Habitats Directive and their management is financially supported by introduction …

Plant Species Diversity Along A Precipitation Gradient In Temperate Grasslands Of China And Mongolia, Yunxiang Cheng, Yi Sun, Mitsuru Tsubo, Takehiko Y. Ito, Fujiang Hou

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Variations in species diversity can be linked to several ecological gradients (Huston 1994). Plant functional type is characterized by an adaption of plants to certain ecological conditions (Galan de Mera et al. 1999). In addition, patterns of species richness along an environmental gradient might be more interpretable by considering both species richness of different functional types and total species richness (Pausas and Austin 2001). Water availability generally signifies total precipitation available to support plant growth (Adler and Levine 2007), and its temporal distribution is the main driver of species composition and species diversity in arid and semi-arid environments (Shmida …

What Is The Effect Of Long-Term Cutting Versus Abandonment On The Vegetation And Chemical Properties In The Soil And The Herbage Of A Mountain Hay Meadow (Polygono-Trisetion)?, Pavlů Lenka, Pavlů Vilém, Hejcman Michal, Gaisler Jan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Polygono-Trisetion meadow communities are endangered in Europe. These meadows are common in the Alps, but in the past, such meadows were also common in the western alpine regions of Central Europe. The aim of our experiment was to find a suitable management regime for the maintenance of these Polygono-Trisetion grasslands and its effect on the vegetation and chemical properties of the soil and in the herbage.

How Many Persian Gazelle (Gazella Subgutturosa) Can Graze On Golestan National Park Of Iran?, Elham Bagherirad, Norhayati Ahmad, Mansour Mesdaghi, Masoume Amirkhani

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Golestan National Park, with an area of 98,000 hectares and diverse fauna and flora is one of the famous national parks in the Middle East. Carrying capacity was analysed based on available forage and dry matter demand of Persian gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in spring and winter on steppe parts of Golestan National Park. The Persian gazelle is the most important ungulate species within the arid regions of Iran as well as other countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Western China (Farhadinia et al. 2009). This species currently categorized Vulnerable (VU) (IUCN Red List 2012). Although …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Rural Roads On Plant Diversity Of Roadsides In Arid Rangelands Of Iran, Anahita Rashtian, Mansour Mesdaghi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Roads are essential elements of human societies. Rural roads are clear indicators of rural development. Most rural roads in Iran are dirt roads and roadside vegetation is an important part of the ecosystem. Making roads can change the microclimate, including the light regime, pH and organic matter of soil, hydrological and sedimentation regimes (Karim and Mallik 2008; Hayasakaa et al. 2012). This can affect the composition of vegetation, with increased density and frequency of some fast-growing species close to the road for example (Parendes and Jones 2000). Road-building can also contaminate the air, soil, and water, with destruction of …

Plant Species Diversity On Protected And Non-Protected Areas Of Golestan National Park And Vicinity Areas, Masoume Amirkhani, Elham Bagherirad, Mansour Mesdaghi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

It is important to monitor the status of native rangeland vegetation in order to maintain existing grassland remnants which are valuable for wildlife. In the Steppe region, there has been concern that grazing of late-successional ecosystems may decrease plant species diversity on a local and regional scale and adversely affect rare, threatened, or endangered species. Native vegetation is the best indicator of the potential productivity of a specific location. Range-land herbage production is important for multiple land uses such as livestock production, wildlife food and cover, and protection against erosion. In eastern Oregon, variability in rangeland productivity is linked to …

Integration Of Biodiversity And Agricultural Production Across Australian Temperate Grasslands, Kerry L. Bridle, Jim Crosthwaite, Louise Gilfedder

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The transformation of Australian agriculture over the 20th Century saw the conversion of native pastures to improved pastures, largely through the application of artificial fertilisers. During this time biodiversity conservation was largely confined to iconic scenic reserves on public land. Today, nationally endangered temperate native grassland communities are largely confined to private land. The development of the Landcare Movement in the 1980s highlighted the role that agricultural land managers and agricultural landscapes play in maintaining biodiversity across the continent. Research into on-farm conservation was soon being funded by governments at state and commonwealth levels, as well as industry bodies. These …

Strategies To Ameliorate Pasture Production For Livestock In High Altitude Regions, M. M. Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The high altitude regions in India exhibit a diverse climate, topography, vegetation, ecology and land use pattern. The annual average rainfall varies from 80 mm in Ladakh to over 200 cm in some parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The vegetation varies from the scrub in the lower hills to arctic in the Greater Himalaya (GJK 2004). In this region, Ladakh is a unique land form encompassing distinct physical features, ecology, environment, ethnicity, agricultural systems and livestock rearing practices. This region experiences a very hostile climate and winter temperature may go as low as -30⁰ C. Summer temperature …

Local Use And Knowledge Validation Of Fodder Trees And Shrubs Resources Browsed By Livestock In Manipur (India), R. Joseph Koireng, Ansarul Haq, Kh. Priya Devi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

North Eastern states of India particularly in Manipur livestock rearing were being considered as one of the important homestead activities in the farm household. In the rural household economy, livestock is considered as an inseparable component in the whole farm business, as the production of milk and meat as well as manure, draught and transportation depends on it. It provides nutritional security to farm family and stabilizes farm income too.

As a major source of animal feeds in Manipur, fodder trees and shrubs are highly valued by farmers. They have deep root systems enabling the extraction of water and nutrients …

Framing Effect And Pastoralist Decision Making Behavior Regarding Lambing Time-An Analysis From Inner Mongolia, China, Yanting Yin, Xiangyang Hou, Xiangjun Yun, Xiliang Li

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland is the largest terrestrial ecosystem in China. However, it is seriously degraded. Lower stocking rates have been necessary for rehabilitating the degraded grassland. In order to rehabilitate the grassland the government proposed the “balancing animals and grass” policy. However, it has been resisted by pastoralists. (Brown et al., 2009). The reasons for the policy’s failure have been widely discussed. To date, there has been a lack of discussion on explicitly addressing the role of pastoralist behavior regarding stock numbers and lambing time. The pastoralists continue to maintain their traditional stocking rate, and take short-term adaptive measures to balance their …

Pasture Management For Sustainable Forage Production, Pijush Kanti Mukherjee, Putan Singh, S. S. Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the livestock management grazing was the major feed resources in the past and even today a significant portion of livestock is being sustained on grazing resources from pastures and other grazing lands like forest, fallow lands, cultivable waste lands etc.

During the last few decades ever increasing livestock population has created enormous grazing pressure on pasture resources leading to deterioration and destruction of pastures. This has led to the urgent need of improvement of pastures as well as judicious implementation of grazing management practices. There has been certain constraints on pasture development which include fragmentation and degradation of …

Production And Quality Assessment Of Pasture Crop In Red Lateritic Wasteland Of Central Chhattisgarh, Mahendra Nath Naugraiya, G. S. Tomar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The livestock constitutes a very important component in rural economy, as in agriculture. Our country largely depends on livestock for manure and power. The availability of fodder is short from the requirement and an estimate of several agencies, there is more than 300 per cent gap between availability and requirement (Anon, 1980). Most of the livestock depend either partially or completely on natural and developed pastoral system, but the existing practices of utilization of range lands, grasslands and forest areas natural resources and increasing land degradation. In the improved pastoral system in wastelands, the carrying capacity of grass-legumes pastoral field …

Herders’ Forage-Livestock Decision Behavior In Northern Grassland Regions Of China, Xiangyang Hou, Yanting Yin, Tingting Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

China has approximately 393 million hectares of grasslands, accounting for 41.7% of the national land area. However, 90% of useable grasslands are degraded because of human and natural reasons. Overgrazing was the dominant factor affecting grassland condition. In order to control the grassland degradation problems, the government has proposed the „forage-livestock balance‟ policy in 2002. A series of ecological policies were (Hou et al., 2013) and outcomes have been described as a “partial improvement amidst overall deterioration”. Reasons for apparent failure of the policy have been the subject of much discussion over the years. However, there has been a …

Basal Cover Of Perennial Native Grasses Increases Due To Seasonal Conditions, Meredith L. Mitchell, N. P. Linden, S. Norng, L. L. Slocombe

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Australian native pastures in the high rainfall zone (> 600 mm AAR) in northern Victoria and southern NSW are usually dominated by annual species, and occupy a considerable proportion of the landscape (Pearson et al., 1997; Hill et al., 1999). Productivity of native pastures can potentially be increased by using fertiliser (Lodge 1979; Garden and Bolger, 2001) but this nearly always comes at the expense of the native perennial grasses (Garden et al., 2000; Garden and Bolger, 2001). However, using a combination of fertiliser inputs and rotational grazing can provide increased productivity while maintaining the native perennial pasture base …

Steppes And Grasslands In Morocco: Diversity, Functional Ecology And Socio-Economic Role, Mohammed Sghir Taleb, Jalal El Oualidi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

With Morocco’s geographical situation (at the crossroads between Europe and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean), its diverse climate and habitats supports a varied natural vegetation. The floristic richness of the country is related to the heterogeneity of biotypes. From the desert to the high mountains and the littoral to the continental borders, Morocco offers varied ecological conditions that support many different plant species. Steppes and grasslands are important parts of the main plant associations encountered in Morocco. They contain a wealth of flora, play important ecological roles and, from a socioeconomic perspective, are highly significant.

Management Of Tall Wet Grasslands In Dudwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, Indian Terai Protected Areas–Conservation Implications, Harish Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tall wet grasslands in the northern alluvial flood plains of the river Ganges and Brahmaputra are popularly known as Terai grasslands. Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh,India, is a moist deciduous forest dominated by sal (Shorea robusta) interspersed with numerous swamps and tall, wet grasslands dominated by Saccharum, Narenga, Sclerostachya, Imperata and Typha species. Common management practices used by the Dudhwa National Park Management include: (1) grass cut and burned; (2) grass cut, removed, and burned; (3) grass harrowed and burned; and (4) grass burned for tall wet grasslands. In this study split plots of 100 …

Biodiversity Mainstreaming In South Africa’S Production Landscapes: Lessons And Achievements, Aimee Ginsburg, Anthea Stephens, Mahlodi Tau, Emily Botts, Stephen Holness

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

South Africa’s grasslands are critically threatened and many biodiversity priority areas lie in production landscapes. This is a challenge best addressed by an approach aimed at strengthening the enabling environment, and innovating, piloting and mainstreaming new models for biodiversity management into production sectors, namely agriculture, forestry, urban development and coal mining. The Grassland Programme (a 20-year partnership between government, conservation agencies, non-governmental organisations, and private sector) has implemented this approach to sustain and secure grassland biodiversity and ecosystem services for the benefit of current and future generations. In five years of implementation, notable achievements have been in shaping policies and …

Improving A Transhumance Livestock System Of India With Modern Technologies, Mounir Louhaichi, Arun Kumar Misra, Khem Chand, Mahesh Kumar Gaur, Douglas E. Johnson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Traditional livestock rearing systems in grasslands evolved in response to social, climatic, vegetative and technological conditions that existed scores, hundreds, or in some cases up to a thousand of years ago. Many of these systems involve vertical transhumance where flocks and herds are moved up elevation gradients for summer pasturage or horizontal transhumance in which livestock migrate across greater distances in response to regional rainfall patterns and the resulting availability of forage. In spite of the relatively low earnings of individual herders, these pastoral systems can contribute substantially to the national economies, while providing sustenance and food security to significant …

Influence Of Different In-Situ Soil Moisture Conservation Techniques In Aonla Based Hortipasture System On Water Yield In Semi-Arid Region Of India, Ramesh Singh, Sunil Kumar, A. K. Shuka, R. K. Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Land degradation, mainly because of lack of permanent vegetal cover, is major challenges to feed the ever increasing population of the world. As of now, one-sixth population is affected by land degradation. India is also suffering by land degradation as it’s having detrimental impact on production and productivity. The Bundelkhand region, located in Central India, is amongst the most degraded ecosystems characterized by undulating and rugged topography, highly eroded and dissected land, poor soil fertility and low water holding capacity, scarce ground water resources, erratic distribution of rainfall, lack of assured irrigation facilities, heavy biotic pressure on forests, inadequate vegetation …

Water Use Efficiency And Evapotranspiration Of Hybrid Napier (Pennisetum Purpureum X P. Americanum) Under Semi-Arid Indian Region, J. B. Singh, Rajiv K. Agrawal, Pradeep Behari

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Napier bajra hybrid (Pennisetum glaucum x P. purpureum) is a highly valued for its abundant quality forage, round the year fodder availability, regenerative ability and suitability to silage and hay making. It yields upto 110-120 t/ha fresh fodder as sole crop. Though, it requires moist regimes for optimum growth, but it can withstand drought for a short spell and regenerate with rains. It contains 8.7-10.2 % crude protein, 28-30.5% crude fibre and 10-11.5 % ash on dry matter basis (Agrawal et al., 2001). The hybrid napier has wider adaptability and is grown all over the country, …

Evaluation Of Grasses Raised Through Sewage Water In Musi, Hyderabad, M. Shanti, K. Narasimha Reddy, M. C. Patnaik, R. V. T. Balazzii Naaiik, T. Shashikala, Ch. Chiranjeevi, R. Susheela, M. Anuradha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Growing of various crops utilizing sewage is a common scenario in many urban and sub-urban areas. The crops mostly include forage crops, leafy vegetables, vegetables and sometimes food grains. These sewage waters are known to contain undesirable constituents like heavy metals, pesticide residues besides, harmful pathogens. These undesirable components can make way very possibly from sewage to soils, plant parts; there by to even milk, thus entering into food chain. Musi, a tributary of Krishna on whose banks Hyderabad lays is the main fodder bank of the city. Thousand of hactares of land resembling vast grassland ecosystem is under cultivation …

Effect Of Planting Methods And Forage Crop Combinations On Fodder Productivity Through Moisture Conservation, Kauthale Vitthal Keshav, P. S. Takawale, S. D. Patil

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Out of 140.02 million ha cultivated area of the country, 76.76 million ha (54.82 %) is rainfed having soils with poor fertility and numerous physiochemical constraints. The productivity of animals is very low because of shortage of green fodder during most of the years. The poor feed quality and dry season feed shortage are the serious limitations for livestock production in rainfed areas & farmers maintain a large herd of animals to compensate for the low productivity of the livestock, which adds to the pressure on land and fodder resources (Pathak, 2005).

Western Maharashtra region suffers from very low rainfall …

Relationship Between Rainfall And Annual Forage Biomass To Build A Forage-Balance Guarantee System In Brazilian Semiarid, Ana Clara Rodrigues Cavalcante, Rodrigo Gregório Da Silva, Magno José Duarte Cândido, Jay Peter Angerer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Semiarid regions around the world are characterized by elevated annual evapotranspiration and irregular rainfalls (Creswell and Martin, 1998), resulting in a negative water balance in most part of the year. The high rainfall variability associated to a high pressure on natural resources generated a scenario of degradation, which is worrying for the future of many rangelands. In this sense, it is urgent to understand the processes involved in the sustainability of vulnerable ecosystems to keep them productive and profitable. Among the rural activities in the semiarid regions, the raising of livestock has been contributed to become the farms viable. To …

Tillage And Mulching Effects On Crop Productivity And Moisture Dynamics In Fodder Sorghum Based Cropping Systems Under Rainfed Condition, Kiran Kumar, T. Palsaniya, A. K. Dixit, G. Prabhu, Manoj Chaudhary

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Indian farmers generally take more than one crop in a year to maximize their total production and profits. In this process fodder sorghum followed by crops like chickpea, wheat, oat, barley and mustard are common in Bundelkhand region of central India. The soils of Budelkhand region of India are medium to low in fertility with low organic matter content and poor water holding capacity that limits the fodder and food productivity. Therefore, adoption of resource conserving technologies in fodder sorghum based cropping systems under rainfed conditions is one of the potential areas, where increase in green fodder and food production …