Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

In Search Of An Alternative To Fire For Manipulating Bush Encroachment In The Arid Karoo Region Of South Africa, S. Theron, J. C. Botha, A. Marais

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Burning of natural rangeland in order to rejuvenate and increase palatability of grazing is a common practice in parts of South Africa. Concern about the long-term effects on biodiversity and the depletion of much-needed soil car-bon led to this investigation.

Aminopyralid + Metsulfuron-Methyl For Cost-Effective Control Of Hard To Kill Pasture Weeds, Gregory S. Wells, Christopher O. Love, Natalie V. Elias, Colin L. Plater, Robert A. Annetts

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper summarises research trials conducted from 2010 to 2013 to determine speed of brownout and efficacy of an aminopyralid + metsulfuron-methyl herbicide product in pastures compared to metsulfuron alone and current commercial standards.

Methods For Estimating Seed Production Of Two Summer-Active Grass Weeds, Setaria Pumila And Digitaria Sanguinalis, In New Zealand Dairy Pastures, Katherine N. Tozer, Catherine A. Cameron

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Undesirable C4 annual grasses such as summer grass (Digitaria sanguinalis, (L.) Scop., SG) and yellow bristle grass (Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. et Schult., YBG) are prevalent in dairying regions in the North Island of New Zealand. Field surveys of 39 dairy pastures in the central North Island demonstrated that their percentage ground cover has tripled over the last four years (Tozer et al. 2012). The prolific seed production of these species is thought be facilitating this increase in ground cover. However, little information is available on their fecundity in dairy pastures. Counting the number of seeds …

Foragemax® Herbicide–A New Product For Weed Management In Forage Brassicas In Australia, Gregory S. Wells, Peter J. Nott

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

ForageMax Herbicide (50 g/L Aminopyralid + 100 g/L ARYLEX^TM, active ingredient Halauxifen-methyl) is a new herbicide product for selective weed control in rape or turnips in Australia. ARYLEX (development code XDE-729 methyl) is a novel arylpicolinate synthetic auxin herbicide being developed by Dow AgroSciences for post-emergence broadleaf weed in cereals and several other crops. This paper describes the research conducted by Dow AgroSciences that support the application to register the product in Australia.

Unpalatable Perennial Grass Invasion In Central-East Argentina Native Grasslands: Processes, Implications And Recovery, Roberto A. Distel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In temperate semiarid central-east Argentina, unpalatable perennial grasses (UPG) have been steadily invading native grasslands formerly dominated by palatable perennial grasses (PPG). The objective of this contribution is to provide a synthesis of underlying processes and implications of UPG invasion, as well as recovery strategies. Results have shown that heavy selective grazing on PPG reduces their superior competitive ability. Gaps formed due to reduced competition by PPG provide safe sites for UPG establishment. The development of large, long-lived tussock of UPG, in combination with high standing crop accumulation, impairs PPG establishment even in absence of grazing. UPG produce sclerophyllous tissues, …

Development And Validation Of Molecular Markers For Phytophthora Medicaginis Resistance In Lucerne, David J. Armour, Karen S. Aitken, John A. G. Irwin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Resistance to Phytophthora medicaginis is an essential attribute to incorporate into lucerne (Medicago sativa) cultivars which are likely to be grown on heavy soils or in conditions where the soil remains excessively wet for prolonged periods. Current breeding strategies rely on recurrent phenotypic selection to maintain adequate levels of resistance in newly developed synthetic cultivars. However, little is known about the source or mechanism(s) of genetic resistance operating in the cultivar. A genetic linkage map was generated from a tetraploid M. sativa population using SSR markers anchored to existing genetic and physical maps. Large effect QTL were identified …

Understanding The Causes Of Bush Encroachment In Africa: The Key To Effective Management Of Savanna Grasslands, Olaotswe E. Kgosikoma, Kabo Mogotsi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The increase in biomass and abundance of woody plant species, often thorny or unpalatable, coupled with the suppression of herbaceous plant cover is a widely recognized form of rangeland degradation. Bush encroachment therefore has the potential to compromise rural livelihoods in Africa, as many depend on the natural resource base. The cause of bush encroachment phenomenon is not without debate, but fire, herbivory, nutrient availability and rainfall patterns have been shown to be the key determinants of savanna vegetation structure and composition. In this paper, these determinants are deliberated upon, with particular reference to arid and semi-arid environments of Africa. …

Strategies On Poisonous Plants Problem In China, Xinlei Gao, Mengli Zhao, Jing Wang, Bin Han, Walter D. Willms

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Poisonous plants are widely distributed on large areas of native grasslands of China, causing livestock poisoning and grassland degradation, which severely impacts the development of animal husbandry. Of the almost 300 poisonous species that are responsible for livestock losses in China, locoweed, drunken horse grass and Langdu cause the greatest impact. Many strategies have been developed to minimise the impact of poisonous plants including the treatment of livestock that have been poisoned, controlling poisonous plants and managing livestock grazing. Both physical and chemical traditional methods are still used to eliminate poisonous plants while biological control using specific insects may eventually …

Effect Of Overgrazing And Enclosure On Ecosystem Functioning And Biological Capacity In The Typical Steppe, Xiangyang Hou, Zhen Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Overgrazing is one of the most important human-induced causes for arid and semi-arid grassland degradation, which can result in widespread deterioration of biodiversity, ecosystem services and destroys soil structure (Louhaichi et al. 2012). Overgrazing is likely to reduce a plant’s individual aboveground biomass (AB) directly through influence on the phenotype plasticity of different traits and indirectly through the allometric relationships among plant that can have impacts on grassland productivity and biodiversity. Grazing can reduced nutrient cycling by inhibiting the growth of palatable and nutrient-rich species with high litter quality and promoting the dominance of those nutrient-poor or chemically defended …

Description Of Leucaena On-Offer Browse At Different Leucaena Density, Enrique Cortés-Díaz, Laura Karen Trejo Arista, Giovani Tonatiuh González Bonilla, Pedro A. Martínez-Hernández

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Leucaena (Lecuaena lecucephala (Lam.) de Wit) is a tree legume widely used to establish silvopastoral systems along with different tropical grasses. The relation of Leucaena density to browse available at the start of each grazing period in a rotational grazing management is important information when designing a silvopastoral pasture (Anguiano et al., 2013). Then the objective of the study was to determine Leucaena on-offer browse at different Leucaena density.

Soil Respiration In A Desert Steppe Varies By Different Grazing Regimes In Northern China, Xiangyang Hou, Zhen Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Recent studies have identified soil respiration as one of the most important research topics (Thomey et al., 2011) because it is the second largest flux between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and plays an important role in regulating the soil carbon (C) pool and ecosystem C-cycling (Saiz et al., 2006). Soil respiration represents the carbon dioxide (CO2) released from the soil surface, generated mainly from a combination of the metabolic activity of roots and microorganisms. Soil temperature, soil water content, plant growth, soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents all affect soil respiration. In this water-limited ecosystem, we hypothesize …

Mechanics Of Combining Divergent Herbivores In Cultivated Pastures, James P. Muir, William D. Pitman, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Jamie L. Foster, Mércia V. F. Dos Santos

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sustainable intensification of cultivated pastures is needed in ruminant production if we are to feed a growing world population expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. Planting pastures of diverse, and therefore more productive and resilient, plant species has been proposed and researched. Despite illustrative examples from wild grasslands (Hofmann, 1989) and rangelands (Glimp, 1988), very little research and even less application of multiple herbivore species (MHS) in cultivated pastures has followed. We review the specific mechanics of divergent domesticated ruminants and theorize how these could best be combined to sustainably intensify meat, milk and fiber production from cultivated pastures …

Bermuda Grass Hay Did Not Improve Performance Of Stocker Calves Grazing Annual Ryegrass At A High Stocking Rate, Guillermo Scaglia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

From the nutritional standpoint, annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) can provide up to 32% crude protein which is approximately twice what a fall-weaned calf requires at that point in life (250 kg) with observed daily gains of 1 to 1.5 kg (Scaglia et al., 2009). Approximately 15% of the N that similar calves consumed while grazing cool season pastures is retained and 60% is excreted in urine (NRC, 1996). This lack of efficiency might be corrected by limiting access to ryegrass (high N content) while keeping cattle on low quality hay when off the pastures. The objective of …

Using Integrated Weed Management To Minimize Production And Environmental Impacts In Grasslands: An Australian Perspective, Andy Sheppard

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper reviews the impacts of weeds that threaten either pasture production or native grassland biodiversity values. It then reviews weed management strategies in grasslands to control weeds. We describe differing perceptions of grassland weeds and the associated societal values underlying these perceptions that present challenges for weed management decision making. A short potted history of grassland weed management is presented with some recent examples of long-term effective weed management programs based on biological control. We argue that only integrated weed management based on grazing strategies and where appropriate biological control for high impact alien weeds will lead to effective …

Effects Of Phosphorus Fertilizer Application On Verano Stylo (Stylosanthes Hamata) For Fodder Production In Semi-Arid Nigeria, B. S. Malami, B. Usmani, S. A. Maigandi, A. Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Profitable ruminant livestock production in Nigeria is often constrained by an inadequate. Although natural grazing lands provide most forage for most animals, these pastures like those throughout most of the tropical world, are grossly deficient in energy, crude protein and minerals, particularly during the dry season, and so cannot meet the requirements for meat and milk production (Akinolai et al. 2010). Sown pastures have proved to a valuable technology to improve livestock nutrition. However, a major limitation to the use of sown tropical species is infertile soil. This is certainly the case in the north western region of Nigeria where …

Dry Matter Yield Of Promising Panicum Maximum Genotypes In Response To Phosphorus And Liming On Brazilian Savannah, Gustavo J. Braga, Giovana A. Maciel, Allan K. B. Ramos, Marcelo A. Carvalho, Francisco Duarte Fernandes, Liana Jank

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Soil fertility of the Brazilian savannah Cerrado is naturally poor. Extensive areas of pastures located in the central part of territory are cultivated with Brachiaria grasses which are less demanding for soil nutrients and lime (Rao et al. 1998). On the other hand, Panicum maximum cultivars such as the high yielding Mombaça grass recommended to intensive beef and dairy cattle systems (Euclides et al. 2008), must be seeded with a higher amount of fertilizer, especially phosphorus (P). Consequently there is an effort for selection of P. maximum genotypes with low P demand and high responsiveness. The objective of …

Effect Of Grazing On Soil Fertility And Trace Elements Of Temperate Desert Steppe In Northwestern China, T. Jiao, J. P. Wu, W. X. Cao, J. Qi, S. G. Zhao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing is the dominant land use of temperate desert steppe in northwestern China. It is well established that the grazing process has impacts on plant production and biodiversity (Li 1997), but less is known about the effects of grazing chemical characteristics of grassland soils. Livestock feeding activities, especially the provision of supplementary sources, may influence pasture nutrient cycle, and in turn change the chemical composition of the grassland soil (Rong et al. 2001). Soil fertility may be affected by the type use and grazing intensities because these may cause alterations in soil physical and chemical properties as well as …

Effects Of Se And Co Combined Fertilizer On Production Of Alfalfa, Xiao Guo, Xiao-Lei Jie, Hua-Feng Hu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Selenium(Se) and cobalt (Co) are important essential trace elements for forage and animal production (Yang et al. 1998, Arvy 1993). The supplementation of Se in animal diet significantly increases Se-Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px ) activities in the liver, testes, spermatozoa and seminal plasma (Abdelrahman et al.1998), Selenium is also a key component of a number of functional seleno-proteins. GSH-Px is the best characterized of the family of selenoproteins. In Henan Province, the fine grass and green milk production zones are mainly distributed along the riverbank of the Yellow River where soils are sandy and sterile with lower Se and Co …

Leaf Nitrogen And Phosphorus Stoichiometry Of Natural Plant Community And Restorable Plant Community In The Northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, Mingwei Luo, Yuying Shen, Zhenggang Guo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The human engineering activities (highway, railway, cable, gas line and high line construction) has a negative impact on the alpine grassland ecosystem in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), and the natural restoration of plant community in land used for engineering construction is an important part of the rehabilitation of the degraded alpine grassland ecosystem. Previous studies have shown that the plant species and community diversity relationship in natural plant community and restorable plant community vary with the elevation (Guo et al. 2007) and restoration duration of land for engineering construction is more than 20 years at present (Ma et al …

Impact Of The Last Grazing Time On The White Clover/Grass Swards Performance, Jonas Šlepetys, Alvyra Slepetiene

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Winter survival and longevity of grasses depend not only on the weather conditions but also on the state of grasses in the autumn, when their wintering shoots and roots are intensively accumulating reserves of nutrients (Stout, 1987; Sardana and Narwal, 2000). The long-term productivity of the sward depends on the species composition of grasses, frequency of use, nitrogen fertilisation, and timing of the last cut. The effects of these various factors on the sward can be very diverse in various geographic locations (Van Keuren, 1988; Taneja et al., 1994; Sollenberger and Newman, 2007). When utilising pastures in the regions of …

Feed Intake And Diet Selection By Sheep On Rangeland At Two Phenological Stages In North Kordofan State, Sudan, Mohammed F. M. Fatur, Babo Fadlalla, Abdelaziz K. Gaiballa

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

North Kordofan is a leading State of Sudan in animal and range resources. Animal production is traditional and extensive, depending on natural rangeland. Sheep rank first in importance amounting to about 12.9 million heads. This study was conducted at El Demokeya Forest Reserve, North Kordofan State, Sudan at two range sites, protected and open. The objectives were to determinate feed intake and assess the plant species selected by sheep and development of preference indices for use in managing the rangeland.

Weeds Forage Potential For Ruminant Feeding: Chemical Composition And Kinetics Of Rumen Degradation, Víctor Rovalino-Núñez, Marcos A. Barros-Rodríguez, Javier Solorio-Sánchez, Hernán Zurita-Vásquez, Carlos Sandoval-Castro, Geovanny Velasteguí-Espín, Daniela Sánchez-Gavilanes, Diego Cadena-Yanchapaxi, Jorge Vega-Chariguaman, Sixto Mayorga-Paredes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Systems of ruminant production in the Andean highlands of Ecuador are dominated by monoculture grasses, where producers do not allow association with other plants such as weeds. These systems have small areas of land and the peasants would be wasting feed resources (association) with high nutritional content and secondary compounds that may be beneficial for feeding ruminants improving the nutritional value of grassland. In this context, Castelán et al. (2003) mention that the use of weeds in ruminant nutrition by small producers in temperate areas of Mexico, it becomes the main natural forage resource for livestock to feed round …

Assessing Nutritive Value And Economics Of Baby Corn Fodder (Zea Mays) Production Compared To Qpm And Hybrid Maize During Winter Season, J. J. Gupta, A. Dey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Maize (Zea mays L) is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions both as grain and fodder. In India, maize is the third most important food crops after rice and wheat. According to an estimate it is cultivated in 8.7 m ha (2010-11) mainly during Kharif season which covers 80% area. In recent past, some new varieties of maize like quality protein maize (QPM) and baby corn have been introduced in the region considering its better economic returns (baby corn as food-feed crop) and nutritional quality over normal maize. In the last …

Effects Of The Supplementation Of Brewers’ Grain Silage Or Wheat Bran With And Without Urea On Meat Quantity And Quality In Mongolian Grazing Lambs, Gantumur Chuluunbat, Seishi Yamasaki, Bayaraa Baasanjalbuu, Puruv Tsedevdorj

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Natural open pastures occupy approximately 80% of the land in Mongolia and have traditionally supported the pastoral livestock production system. After the collapse of socialism and the introduction of a market economy more than two decades ago, the total number of animals, including sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels, as well as grazing pressure on pastures has increased (National Statistical Office of Mongolia, 2014). Despite this, the number sharply decreased twice during the cold seasons of 2000/2001 and 2010/2011 by a dzud. The dzud is the Mongolian name for an abnormal winter weather condition in northeast Asia, characterized by snowy and …

Evaluation Of Nutritive Value Of Azolla Pinnata, Sunil Dutt Choudhary, Sheela Choudhary, Poonam Yadav, Manish Kumawat

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The water fern Azolla, which grows in association with the blue-green algae Anabaena azollae, a nitrogen fixing organism, is the most promising from the point of view of ease of cultivation, productivity and nutritive value. It grows naturally in stagnant water of drains, canals, ponds, rivers, marshy lands. Azolla can be used in animal feed and it is a potential feed ingredient for livestock; it is an income generating crop. Azolla is easily propagated but requires abundant standing water, relative humidity of 85-90%, pH of 4.5-6.5, salinity between 90-150 mg/L and adequate phosphorus for its nutritional needs. It is …

Non-Conventional Silage For Arid Region, P. K. Malaviya, Dinesh Mishra, A. K. Patel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Thar is one of the most heavily populated desert areas in the world and the main occupations of the people living here are agriculture and livestock production. Agriculture is not a dependable proposition in this area due to erratic rains and occurrence of frequent droughts. A large number of farmers in Thar Desert depend on animal husbandry for their livelihood. Animal husbandry, trees and grasses, intercropped with vegetables or fruit trees, is the most viable farming system for arid, drought-prone regions (Anonymous, 2012a,b). Further, livestock sector is expected to emerge as an engine of agricultural growth in the 12th plan …

Evaluation Of Grass Bales Stored Under Cover And Plinth System Of Storage, P. N. Dwivedi, P. K. Pathak, C. S. Sahay

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The feed and fodder requirement for dairy animals is primarily met by roughages, green fodder and homemade concentrate mixtures. Roughages are high in crude fibrous material which essentially consists of cellulose, hemi-cellulose and to some extent lignin. Livestock production is backbone of Indian Agriculture and source of employment in rural areas for centuries. To meet the demand of feeding these huge livestock population an adequate supply of feed throughout the year is the prerequisite for successful animal production programmes.

A huge gap between demand and supply of feed and fodder exists in our country. This huge gap between requirement and …

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

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

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).

Development Of Greenhouse Dryer For Forage Conservation In Temperate Climate, Sanjay Kumar Singh, P. K. Pathak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Greenhouse dryer implies drying of crops in covered structure that allows rapid harvesting of solar radiation and modification of agro climatic conditions conducive for proper drying. The environmental factors which affects plant growth includes air temperature, relative humidity, light, carbon dioxide concentration, soil temperature and moisture content of soil. The greenhouse may have heating, cooling and ventilating equipments for control over microclimates. Control over microclimate results in several fold increase in crop photosynthesis, and optimum thermal energy for forage conservation in the form of hay.

Chandra et al. (2002) have proposed the design of a naturally ventilated greenhouse. Several other …

Efficacy Of Laccases Obtained From The White Rot Basidiomycete Schizophyllum Commune-Ni 07 In Enhancing The In Vitro Digestibility Of Crop Residues For Ruminants, Vidya Pradeep Kumar, Manpal Sridhar, Chandrashekar Naik

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Crop residues like maize stover, finger millet straw, wheat straw, rice straw, etc. generally constitute the main dietary component for animals. The rumen microbial utilization of these crop residues is hindered by the presence of lignin, which limits its overall digestion process and can significantly influence animal performance, because it is resistant to most of the enzymatic hydrolysis by microorganisms. In nature lignin is degraded by lignolytic enzymes of white rot fungi (WRF). These residues can thus be converted into high quality feed by means of fungal delignification improving their nutritive value. Fungal ligninolysis breaks down the cellulose-hemicellulose matrix liberating …