Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

The Optimum Structure Of Forage Production On Stock-Farm In Gora (Poland), M Sc Zuzanna Sawicka

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The main reason for undertaking this work is the decrease of cattle on stock-farms in Poland. This situation results from inappropriate structures of forage production and economic policies in agriculture. The stock-farm in Gora, situated in the center of Poland, is a middle classe farm, representing the above-mentioned problems. In many aspects, forage from grassland ought to be a dominant source of livestock feed, especially with regard to considerations of animal hygiene and organization of production. This work presents results of investigations on the optimum structure of forage production and economic aspects of profitable cattle breeding on a stock­farm in …

The Role Of Goats In New Zealand Hill Country Farming, D A. Clark, M G. Lambert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The predominant domesticated ruminants in New Zealand are sheep and cattle. However in the last decade other animal species have been incorporated into farming systems, particu­larly goats which have increased from 10 thousand to 1 million over that time. The motives for this change have primarily been economic ones, in an attempt by farmers to increase income and reduce costs. Goats provide direct financial returns to hill farmers through sale of fibre (mohair, cashgora, cashmere) and meat. In many instances however, the motivation has been one of reduction of weed control costs. Aspects of weed control, pasture response and grazing …

The Crop Of Some Varieties Of Grass And Their Economic Characterization, I Szucs, T Vajsz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A primary aim of agricultural enterprises is to make the most profitable use of their resources especially if they are scarce in order to attain a maximum of returns. In all sectors, and in grass management also, utilisation of resources can be intensi­fied to the extent where the output value equals the costs of the last input unit. To achieve this, resources of the local enterprises are not sufficient. Therefore, the aim of our investi­gations is to find that point in the utilisation of different technologies where the last unit of resource returns a product of equal monetary value. Clearly, …

Forage Management: A Diagnosis Method, M Duru, J L. Fiorelli, S Lardon, J C. Moreau, P L. Osty

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On commercial farms, grazing and forage stock management is especially complex because of the great number of variables that have to be controlled (animal performances, resource stocks ... ), of their inter-relationships and of weather perturba­tions. Our investigations consist in considering in which way and under which constraints farmers may ajust their forage resources, both in quantity and quality, to achieve desired ani­mal performances. Therefore, it is very important to propose decision rules adapted to real farm conditions and control procedures to carry out these decisions during the year. For continuous stocking, it was suggested to describe the sward in …

Elements Pour Une Strategie D'Amenagement Et De Gestion: Exemple De La Problematique Pastorale Du Ferlo Senegalais (Sahel), J Poissonet, I Toure

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

La communaute rurale de Labgar, au nord du departement de Linguere, couvre 70 000 hectares. Trois ethnies coexistent au sein de cette communaute: !es Maures qui vivaient de la chasse et ne pratiquent plus que l'ele­vage; !es Ouolofs qui pratiquent principalement !'agriculture et accessoirement l'elevage; !es Peulhs qui constituent la majorite de la population et vivent essentiellement de l'elevage. Ces populations vivent dans une region ecologique « margi­nale » particulierement vulnerable: deficits de pluies frequents; potentiels fourragers, agricoles et hydriques fluctuants, contraintes multiples affectant !es populations humaines, le cheptel et la vegetation. De nombreuses enquetes socio-economiques ont ete menees aupres …

Fonctions Et Usages Des Resources Herbacees: Un Exemple Dans Les Prealpes Du Sud (France), B Hubert, J Lasseur, B Coppal, P Jullian

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

L'observation de la mobilisation des ressources vegetales dans !es elevages ovins des Prealpes du sud ( 600-1000 m), asso­ciant prairies et parcours, conduit a constater la diversite des pratiques des agriculteurs ; nous illustrons nos reflexions a par­tir de l'etude de !'utilisation des prairies temporaires dans trois exploitations caracteristiques (1, 2 et 3) ayant respectivement des troupeaux de 320, 165 et 250 brebis. La surface en terre labourable et prairie permanente (37, 39 et 40 ha) est peu differente d'une exploitation a l'autre, mais !es exploitations 1 et 3 sont quasi specialisees en elevage alors que la 2 produit aussi …

Pastures And Profit In An Australian Ley Farming System, M A. Ewing, D J. Pannell, D A. Morrison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Annual pasture-cereal rotations dominate land use in the 250-600 rnrn rainfall zone of southern Australia (Puckridge and French, 1983). Although this ley farming system appears sim­ple in concept, farm managers attempting to maximise profits can face complex and difficult decisions. Use of annual legume pasture species such as subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) and medics (Medicago spp.) is widespread. However there are soils, particularly in arid areas, on which legumes do not persist in pasture, so that volunteer herbs and grasses are the dominant pasture species. On these soils a recent trend has been the introduction of legume crops, mainly …

Modeling Plant Species Competition In Conjunction With Selective Grazing, O J. Loewer, C P. West, L D. Parsch, H D. Scott

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The dynamic simulation model GRAZE (Loewer et al., 1987) incorporates plant and beef animal growth in describing the grazing process. GRAZE had its beginnings at the University of Kentucky in 1976 (Walker et al., 1977; Loewer et al., 1981 ; Loewer and Smith, 1986) and was further developed through three regional research projects (Watson and Wells, 1985). Currently, it is being utilized and enhanced by the regional research project S-221 : Development of Profitable Beef-Forage Production Systems for the Southern Region, in part because of its utility in providing biophysical input-output relationships for purposes of economic analysis (Parsch and Loewer, …

A Methodology For Combining Field Data, Experimental Research And Modelling In The Development Of Grassland Systems, E S. Kristensen, J T. Sorensen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal production from grassland is a complex process involving man as well as animals and plants which interact in a changing environment. The production can be considered as two interacting systems, a management and a production sys­tem as shown in Figure I. The manager monitors the pro­duction, compares this information with goals and if necessary makes adjustments in inputs in order to achieve the goals. The complexity of this process is of course dependent on the number of controlled factors. Beef production based on purchased young bulls fed entirely on pasture without conser­vation is, for example, much simpler to manage …

Andropogon Gayanus And Stylosanthes Capitata In The Colombian Llanos - The Path From The Wild Towards Adoption, J E. Ferguson, R Vera, J M. Toledo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The need for legume based pastures for the acid soils of the lowland tropics is a research priority, but only limited success has been achieved, especially in Latin America. This paper records a dynamic thrust by a multidisciplinary research team, the Tropical Pastures Program (TPP), to pro­vide the first grass/legume association for pasture development in well-drained savannas of eastern Colombia.

The Characteristics Of The Bovine Dual Purpose Production System In Guatemala, G Cubillos, E Urizar, A Arimany

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The characterization of the to the production system of is a basic step within a system approach to identification of endogenous and exogenous constraints. From that knowledge applied research may be conducted or technological innovations be proposed to be tested and validated at a recommendation domain level. In the coastal area of Guatemala, Central America, several agrarian reform areas of different sizes have been established ranging from 1353 ha for the parcelamiento Santa Isabel t�� 39800 ha for the parcelamiento Nueva Concepcion. The total farm area varies from 15 to 20 ha and a typical tropical dual purpose bovine production …

Legume Pasture Units For Supplementing Cattle Grazing Rangeland Under Traditional Production Systems In The Nigerian Subhumid Zone, R.R Von Kaufmann, M.A Mohamed Saleem

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The subhumid zone occupies approximately 20 % of West Africa and 50 % percent of Nigeria, subsaharan Africa's most populous country. It is characterised by receiv��ng between 900 and 1500 mm of annual precipitation and havmg between 170 and 280 growing days per annum. Although the zone h��s high agricultural potential it has been avoided by both c1;1ltiva!ors and pastoralists until recently mainly due to po��r s01l f��rtlhty and the endemic cattle disease, tryponosormas1s, earned by tsetse flies. Now increasing settlement of people is leading to ecological changes that are permitting the perma��en�� residei:ce of ruminant livestock. Clearing ofland for …

Developpement De La Production Laitere Et Amelioration Fourragere En Zone Propicale, Une Approche Particuliere Par Les Systemes De Production. L'Exemple De La Region Kilimandjaro En Tanzanie, Catherine Laurent, L Letenneur

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

En 1983, le ministere de !'Agriculture tanzanien a mis en place, avec l'appui de la F AO, un programme de developpe­ment laitier comportant un volet fourrager pour Jes 80000 petits producteurs des regions d'Aruscha et du Kilimandjaro. Plusieurs organismes de cooperation participent maintenant a ce programme, notamment le ministere des Affaires etrangeres. L'objectif final des recherches en matiere d'amelioration fourragere (ameliorer la production, la gestion et !'utilisation des ressources fourrageres) ne peut etre atteint que si les inno­vations proposees sont, au niveau de !'exploitation agricole, techniquement realisables, economiquement performantes et socialement acceptables. La prise en compte de ces differents aspects …

Changes In Grassland Farming In Japan, S Shibuya

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Recently there has been a tremendous change in animal pro­duction systems in Japan, with increasing consumption of con­centrate feeds. The numbers of swine and poultry which con­sume concentrate feeds are increasing and concentrates are also given to herbivorous animals, mainly cattle, not only to finish­ing beef cattle but also to dairy cattle and breeding beef cows. The number of sheep and goats has decreased to less than ten thousand altogether, and is not likely to increase in future, as in such a densely populated country as Japan land use must be intensive. Table 1 shows the situation of present animal …

Diagnostics Des Conduites De Paturage Tournant Et Continu Chargement, Hauter D'Herbe Et Jours D'Avance, J L. Fiorelli, J Husson, B Lavalette, E Vaubernier

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

L'efficacite d'une conduite de paturage reside dans son apti­tude a favoriser la production animale au moyen, notamment, de la mise a la disposition du troupeau d'une ressource herbacee la moins limitante possible (en quantite et en qualite) par rapport au potentiel de production des animaux et ce, le plus longtemps et le plus regulierement possible durant la periode de vegetation. Si le resultat zootechnique est generalement assez aisement evaluable, par contre les modalites de conduite du paturage ne sont que fort peu considerees. En consequence, aucun diagnos­tic ne peut etre correctement etabli et les recommendations d'amelioration eventuelle restent le plus …

Modelization De L'Utilisation Des Prairies Permanentes L'Apport Permis Par Un Systeme-Expert, M Benoit, V Wahl

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ce travail se situe dans une problematique de modelisation des pratiques agricoles. Des traitements de donnees issues d'enquetes approfondies chez 22 agriculteurs completees par un suivi au jour le jour des pratiques agricoles mises en a:uvre chez 7 d'entre eux entre 1982 et 1987 ont permis de formaliser les regles explicatives de !'utilisation des parcelles en prairies permanentes chez ces agriculteurs lorrains (Benoit, 1985). Notre objectif fut alors de construire une modelisation de !'utilisation des prairies permanentes au sein de ces exploi­tations laitieres. Cette modelisation (Le Moigne, 1980) a pour but: - de permettre des simulations sur !'utilisation des prairies …

La Voie Etroite De L'Intensification Dans Les Systemes Mixtes , B Gaillard, A Hardy, M Lecoq

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dans les zones d'elevage allaitant de la bordure nord-ouest du Massif central, la production de viande bovine est basee tra­ditionnellement sur !'utilisation de la prairie permanente peu fertilisee et exploitee en piiturage libre ou semi-libre a un niveau de chargement proche d'une unite gros bovin (U.G.B.) par hec­tare de prairie. Or, Jes travaux conduits depuis 10 ans a la ferme des Bordes dans l'Indre par l'I.T.C.F. et les Chambres d'agriculture de quatre departements regroupes au sein du S.U.A.C.I. ont mis en evidence des marges de progres importantes. L'objectif de l'etude presentee dans cet article est d'utiliser Jes resultats obtenus en …

Valorization Des Zones De Causses Par Le Troupeau Ovin, J P. Cazes, M Dobbels, C Vallade, Ph Baribault

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dans beaucoup d'exploitations des zones de Causse, les pos­sibilites des ressources fourrageres des terres difficiles a labou­rer et sechantes et des terrains de parcours, sont peu valorisees par le troupeau ovin. Aussi les organisations professionnelles agricoles de !'Aquitaine creent, en 1979, le Centre de Recherche et d'Experimentation Ovine sur le domaine de Glane, d'une surface de 141 ha dont 45 % peu labourables, 40 % en par­cours et 15 % labourables, pour etudier et adapter la produc­tion ovine aux milieux difficiles. Un essai est conduit de 1983 a 1986 en collaboration avec l'ITCF et l'ITOVIC, avec trois sys­temes de production …

Le Panicum Maximum Dans L'Association Maraichage- Elevage Au Senegal, G Mandret, G Roberge, A Ourry

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Au Senegal, le cheptel bovin represente encore un capital dont la valeur sociale est importante. Les Peuls, par exemple commercialisent peu d'animaux (Jamin et Tourrand, 1986) et l'engraissement de ces troupeaux n'est pas une priorite. L'ani­mal doit se contenter de sa cueillette sur Jes parcours pastoraux. A moins que les eleveurs ne se groupent pour gerer Jes terroirs, l'elevage de type traditionnel n'evoluera pas de sit6t vers un systeme intensif. Pourtant des systemes d'elevage a tendance d'intensification existent au Senegal ; on aura pour exemple l'engraissement du mouton de Tabaski (fete religieuse), ou le developpement recent d'elevages Iaitiers dans Jes …

On-Farm Investigative Development: Bridging The Gap Between Pasture Plant Breeder, Agronomist, Consultant And Farmer, J M. Keoghan, W J. Fraser

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Most pasture cultivars used for pastoral development in New Zealand's South Island hill and high Country are conventional species, bred primarily for intensive lowland farming systems. Recently, however, as the limitations of relying on broadly adaptable "national" cultivars over a very wide range of environments and farming systems have been realised, more breeding and selection programmes have focused on the identi­fication and development of plants for specific regions, environments and farming systems (Corkill et al., 1981). Because of the extreme environmental diversity, new pasture species and cultivars should have a greater role in grazing systems in the South Island hill …

Planning Seasonal Forage Strategies In Dairy Farms A Linear Programming Approach, G Pichard, J Ortega, R Cussen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The nutritional requirement of any dairy herd varies along the year according mainly with the liveweight and the physio­logical stages of the animals. Similarily the grasslands and for­age crops have specific and characteristic seasonal behaviour, both in terms of growth rate and nutritional quality. This situ­ation is very dynamic and may become difficult to handle when several alternatives of forage species have to be combined in order to meet the animal requirements. In the humid temperate regions in Chile, most of the forage production in permanent grasslands occurs in spring because of the extreme drought during summer and low temperature-high …

Spring Grazing Management And Climate Variability The Case Of Dairy Farms In The Jura Massif, Anne Mathieu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing managers have to achieve a balance between rela­tively stable herd requirements, and a variable herbage resource. The growth rate of herbage depends on climatic factors and is therefore variable between seasons and, at the same date, between years.

We cannot predict climate for more than a few days; conse­quently, the manager can only approximately anticipate the utilization of grasslands, and have to forecast regulation mech­anisms to adjust to climatic variability. Some technical solutions are recommended especially for plain areas - Silage reduces, or cancels, variability of mowing date. Therefore, it reduces the bracket of dates of extending surfaces possibilities …

Farm Equipment: Method Of Reasoning, P Viaux, J P. Gillet

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There are two main ways of approaching the study of mech­anisation in agriculture :

- by studying particularly the financial expenses, and the solutions that may reduce them. These were made by the« Cen­tres de Gestion » (farm management centers) and the C.U.M.A. (Cooperatives for the use of agricultural equip­ment).

- by studying the needs for equipment, as related to the organ­isation of the work (J.M. Attonaty et al., 1987).

The following study aims to propose an approach that takes into consideration not only the costs of mechanisation, but also the consequences of work done outside the best periods, on …

La Traite Au Paturage: Une Solution D'Actualite Pour Exploiter Par Paturage Des Prairies D'Acces Difficile, M Benoit

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

L'histoire de la mecanisation de la traite au paturage remonte au debut de ce siecle (Hall, 1977). Des 1922, un Australien met au point une veritable salle de traite mobile en perfectionnant le systeme VACCAR (Hosier, 1927). La traite au paturage est signalee dans la bibliographie dans les pays suivants: Belgique, Pays-Bas, Suisse, Italie, Allema­gne, Pologne, Japon et France. En France les regions citees sont : la Haute et Basse Normandie, la Franche-Comte, le Cen­tre, en montagne ou se pratique l'estive : Savoie et Haute­Savoie et en Lorraine (Pasquier, 1984). Notre etude porte sur cette derniere region. En Lorraine, l'hypothese …

Approche Du Fonctionnement D'Exploitations Mixtes D'Herbivores Proposition Methodologique Et Exemples D'Associations, J Nocquet, M Roux

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

En France, l'association d'especes animales (bovine-ovine ou caprine) dans une meme exploitation n'est pas rare. De plus, recemment, le contingentement de la production laitiere et les difficultes du marche de la viande ont montre l'interet de syste­mes de production associant deux especes d'herbivores. Dans le cadre d'une reflexion sur le developpement de ces ele­vages, en vue d'une meilleure efficacite des methodes d'appui technique jugees trop sectorielles, un certain nombre d'etudes globales ont ete menees depuis une dizaine d'annees dans les regions Bourgogne, Lorraine et Rhone-Alpes. Les objectifs retenus etaient d'une part une meilleure connaissance de ces elevages et des mecanismes …

Plant-Animal Associations In The Cereal Semi-Arid Zones Of Morocco, M Derkaoui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Relationships existing between cropping systems and live­stock production provide the basis for technical and socio­economic decisions in agricultural enterprises. Primov et al. (1987) reported that livestock was an integral part of crop pro­duction strategies in Abda plains of Morocco. A nation wide survey indicated that grain cereals and livestock production contributed equally to total agriculture output and 41.2 % of energy required by animals came from cereal grain and by­products; bran, straw, and stubble (Amine and Rami, 1986). Characterization of production systems for both crops and livestock and their associations was the objective of this study.

The Use Of Models Of Sheep And Cattle Production Systems To Aid On-Farm Decision Making In Southern Australia, D H. White, K M. Weber

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The management of grazing sheep and cattle in south-eastern Australia is confounded by the diversity between years in the annual pattern of pasture growth. Currently, the way in which a farm manager budgets or apportions pasture to the grazing animals is markedly influenced by personal experience of pre­vious patterns of both pasture growth and animal response. This influence is usually heavily biased towards those enviromental conditions most recently experienced by the man­ager. The many deficiencies in this style of managing grazing systems have motivated scientists to investigate ways of supplementing this subjective « mental model » with a more quantitative …

An Evaluation Of Fixed Versus Variable Rotational Grazing Under Weather Uncertainty Using Simulation, L D. Parsch, W M. Watts, O J. Loewer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Three characteristics which identify a rotational grazing sys­tem and which distinguish one rotation from another are (a) the number of paddocks or cells into which the entire pasture area is divided, (b) the scheduled grazing period or amount of time the livestock will graze on a paddock before being moved, and (c) whether the rotation is fixed or variable. With a fixed rotation, the scheduled grazing period per paddock movement is strictly adhered to whereas with a variable rotation, paddock-to-paddock movement deviates from the scheduled sequence according to some specified criterion such as minimum herbage availability. The distinction between a …

Efficiency Measurement Of Pasture Use On Dairy Farms, G J. Piggot, D G. Clayton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dairy farmers in northern regions of New Zealand look to Ruakura Research Station to provide them with technical information on farm production. Ruakura farms are outstand­ing examples of fully pasturefed dairy technology. In regions distant from the research station, such as Northland, parochial attitudes inhibit the complete extension of research station results. The project described here aimed to examine the current management practices on typical dairy farms in North­land. By identifying differences between Northland farms and Ruakura research farms, corrective management strategies could be recommended in order to increase dairy farm efficiency in the region.

Forage Legumes As A Component Of Smallholder Rice Farming Systems - A Case Study, U R. Sangakkara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The smallholder rice farmers of southern Asia can be classi­fied as ones having small extents of cropping land, where ruminants are kept to provide farm power (Ranjhan, 1985). The majority of these farmers have 2-3 heads of cat­tle/buffaloes. The greatest demand of ruminant fodder in the developing countries of Asia is seen to be in the smallholder cropping sec­tor (Remenyi and Mc William, 1985), primarily due to the high concentration of animals and reduced land availability for fod­der production. Thus, studies (e.g. Gutteridge, 1983) show the feasibility of using fallow periods in rice culture for fodder pro­duction. As similar studies …