Soil Science Commons^™

Pasture Research Project In The Brazilian Amazon, H M. Saito, H W. Koster, E.J A. Khan, D F. Winslow, A M. Hollick, P M. Paollichi, A C. Costa, F A. Rolim

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The procedure for pasture establishment in the Brazilian Amazon has been to cut down and burn forest and then to seed guineagrass (Panicum maximum L.). Under normal management, animal production has dropped significantly as pastures have deteriorated and have been invaded by weeds. A dearth of knowledge of climate, soils, and plant species; the manner in which pastures have been planted and managed; and a complete absence of fertilization have led to overgrazing and complete degrada­tion of the pastures. This study was undertaken to identify soil problems, adapted forage species, pasture-management practices, and ways of regenerating pastures. Two regions …

A Descriptive Scheme For Stages Of Development In Perennial Forage Grasses, U Simon, B H. Park

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A descriptive scheme of morphological stages of development in forage grasses is urgently needed for scientific investigations as well as for practical purposes. It could be used for precise timing of management measures, such as application of fertilizers and herbicides, and in harvesting with respect to a certain level of forage yield and/or quality. Existing schemes, like the Feekes scale and its modifications, were devised for cereals. They do not adequately consider the peculiar stages of development of perennial grasses grown for forage. We propose a scheme that consists of consecutive stages of the following phases of plant development: number …

Economics Of Producing Corn (Maize) And Sorghum As Feeds For Animal Production In China, Bingxing Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Due to insufficient production of animal products the Chinese people have eaten too much grain and too little meat and milk. Now, as a result of burriper harvests for several years in succession, it is time for the Chinese peasants to convert their surplus grain into feeds for the development of animal production to meet the growing needs of the Chinese people for meat and milk on the one hand and for wool and leather on the other. At the same time more forage sorghum and corn should be grown, especially on unused or misused poor lands and wide hillsides …

The Effect Of Fertilization With N-P-K In Yield Of Natural Pasture Grazed By Sheep On Southern Italy, L Postiglione, F Basso, T Di Ella, F Carone

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In order to raise the very low pasture yield in the dry regions of Southern Italy, a research was undertaken on the efficiency of mineral fertilization, owing to the variability of climatic conditions. Two levels of N (0-50 Kg ha-1), P (0-100 Kg ha-1) and K (0-100 Kg ha-1) arranged in factorial combinations were compared with a pasture grazed by sheep in a hilly area of Basilicata region (550 m s.l.} since 1982. During the spring of the first two years rainfalls amounted respectively to 79 mm and 146 mm while maximum temperature reached 30°C and 22°C in May, therefore …

Modeling Of Beef-Forage Grazing Interactions, O J. Loewer, K L. Taul, L W. Turner, N Gay, R Muntifering

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The key to more efficient production of beef from forages is in matching animal intake and plant growth. One method of evaluating the interaction of grating animals and growing forages is through dynamic computer simulation models. A model called GRAZE has been developed to evaluate this interaction. GRAZE incorporates previously developed plant and animal models with selective grazing logic based on the premise that beef animals maximize their digestible dry matter intake rate. The model subdivides the pasture int_o subareas. The subareas are grazed according to a priority system where the animal shifts from one subarea to another so as …

Mechanical And Chemical Conditions As An Aid In Hastening Drying Rate Of Ryegrass Forage, M Tsang Mui Chung, L R. Verma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A laboratory study to evaluate different types of mechanical, chemical and combinations of mechanical-chemical treatments on drying rate and quality of ryegrass (Lolium multifloruIJJ.) forage is described. Mechanical treatments ranged from cuticle abrasion to crushing of the stems while the chemicals were expected to remove or disrupt epicuticular waxes. Removal of the surface wax layer and part of the cuticle caused only moderate increases in drying rate indicating that epicuticular resistance for ryegrass is only a small fraction of the total resistance to moisture loss. Treatments that crushed and split the stems to bypass tissue resistance were considerably more effective. …

The Effect Of The Species, Stage Of Maturity And Level Of Intake Of Grass On The Efficiency Of Microbial Protein Synthesis In The Rumen Of Cattle, F J. Hart, Jane Leibholz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This study was undertaken because there is a paucity of information in the literature on the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in the rumen of cattle when grass is fed as the sole diet. There is also little experimental data available on the factors which affect the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis. The work involved feeding six rumen fistulated Friesian steers with three species of grass which were harvested at various tages of maturity. In addition each maturity of forage was fed at three 15levels of orp5 nic matter ( OM) intake.

as sampled at the omasum and microbial protein …

Forage Attributes Of The Perennial Groundnut Arachis Pintoi In A Tropical Savanna Environment In Colombia, B Grof

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the continuing search for superior germplasm of tropical legumes adapted to Oxisol savanna conditions, a study of the perennial wild species of groundnut (peanut), Arachis pintoi, was initiated at Carimagua Research Station on the eastern plains (Llanos Orientales) of Colombia. A pintoiis an agronomically little-known legume pasture species indigenous to South America. Its performance in grazed association with four different Brachiaria spp. was evaluated in terms of dry matter yield and animal weight gain. A. pintoi was successful under conditions of heavy grazing (2.4 animal units/ha) employed on a year-round basis. Total grass and legume dry matter (DM) yields …

Evaluation Of 16 Gliricidia Provenances In Dryland Farming Area In Bali, I M. Nitis, K Lana, M Suarna, W Sukanten, S Putra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The present taxonomy indicates that Gliricidia, with its ori­gin in South America, consists of three species: G. sepium (Jacq.) Walp., G. maculata (HBK) Steud, and G. ehrenbergii (Schlecht) Rydb (Hugues, 1987). Gliricidia sepium is one of the shrub legume commonly used in the tropics for shade, fence, green manure, firewood and fod­der (NFTA, 1987). However, it is not definitely known how its growth habit affects its utilization. The objectives of this study was to evaluate the growth of 16 provenances of Gliricidia sepium collected from 8 countries in the tropics.

Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy For Estimation Of Digestible Organic Matter Intake And Body Weight Gain, H Lippke, F E. Barton Ii, W R. Ocumpaugh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

High correlations have been reported between data from near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) and the protein and fiber contents, as well as the intake and digestibility, of forages (Norris et al., 1976). The finding in some studies that sample sets for calibration and unknown samples should be restricted to relatively narrow populations (Marten et al., 1983) has limited the usefulness of NIRS. However, in experiments with legumes, correlations with NIRS data were almost as good across species as among species (Marten et al., 1984). The experiment reported here was conducted to discover quantitative relationships between NIRS spectra and chemical composition, …

Factor Affecting The Eating Rate Of Forage Feeds, G Moseley, A Antuna Manendez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The total amount of a forage feed eaten by an animal may be regarded as the product of rate of eating and time spent eating. Balch and Campling (1962) suggested that it is controlled largely by the rate at which the forage can be broken down phy­sically and passed through the foregut. Differences in voluntary

intake between forage feeds may, however, be due to the effects of extrinsic factors such as environment, animal condition and feed presentation, or to inherent feed characteristics which con­trol the rate and extent of breakdown and digestion. The degree to which physical plant characteristics may …

Selection Of Brachiaria Spp. For The Acid-Soil Savannas Of The Central Plateau Region Of Brazil, B Grof, R P. De Andrade, M S. Franca-Dantas, M A. De Souza

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Species of Brachiaria, introduced in the 1950's and 1960's, are wide-spread in both savanna and cleared forest regions of the lowland tropics of South America. Large areas, c. 15 x 106 ha, have been sown to Brachiaria spp. in the Cerrados of Brazil. A major limitation to the use of exotic grasses in the Cerrados is the incidence of spittlebugs. The widely-sown Bra­chiaria decumbens, B. ruziziensis and B. humidicola are all very susceptible to these insect pests. In view of the considerable importance of Brachiaria spp. to the pasture economy of trop­ical America, CIAT's (Centro Internacional de …

Perennial Legumes And Grass-Legume Associations Adapted To Poorly Drained Savannas In Tropical South America, B Grof, D Thomas, R P. De Andrade, J.L F. Zoby, M A. De Souza

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Seasonally flooded areas and swamp grasslands constitute a significant percentage ot the savannas and represent an import­ant source of supplementary forage during the dry season. Approximately 21 % (170 million ha) of the central lowlands of tropical South America is poorly drained ; 82 % of these lands (139 million ha) is covered with forest and the remaining 31 million ha by native savannas (Cochrane et al.,1985). The poorly drained savanna lands have been used success­fully since colonial times for extensive cattle production. Sig­nificant areas are found in the Brazilian Pantanal, in Brazil's southwest Amazonia, the Casanare plains of northeast …

Breeding In Progress For Seed Retention In Orchardgrass (Dactylis Glomereata L.), M Falcinelli, V Negri, F Veronesi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

As is well known, orchardgrass seeds do not mature and ripen uniformly and early maturing seeds frequently shatter before late developing ones mature. Consequently, in seed crops, high losses can either be due to early'harvesting resulting in an excess of light seeds, or to delayed harvesting resulting in seed shattering. Several agronomic strategies are used by seed producers to minimize seed losses, but the additional costs involved have limited their adoption. Previous papers (Falcinelli et al., 1983 ; 1984) have reported that many populations of D. glomerata from Southern Italy and some populations from Central Italy showed no seed shattering …

Influence Of Phosphorus Fertilization On Bahiagrass And Water Quality, G G. Payne, J E. Rechcigl

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Increasing evidence suggests that P concentration is the pri­mary factor controlling the eutrophication of many surface waters (Taylor and Kilmer, 1980). Leaching and runoff losses of soluble P fertilizers applied to beef cattle pastures to increase forage production are believed to be a significant source of this P entering the water. Despite the fact that nearly one million hectares of bahiagrass are grown annually in Florida, relatively little is known about the nutrient requirements of bahiagrass for optimum forage production and quality. Currently, fertil­izer rates of up to 112 kg P2Os/ha are being recommended for bahiagrass pastures. There is mounting …

Influence Of Sulfur And Nitrogen On Bahiagrass, J E. Rechcigl, G G. Payne, R J. Stephenson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

One of the most important forage crops grown in Florida is bahiagrass, with nearly 1 million ha grown annually. Bahia­grass is found on more acres than all other improved grass pastures combined. Average annual dry matter yields for bahiagrass range from 9 - 16 t/ha. Bahiagrass is adapted to most climatic conditions throughout the state and can be grown on upland well drained sands as well as poorly drained « flatwoods » soils. Until recently, little attention has been focused on the need for S fertilization for plant growth. This is understandable since, in the past fertilizers were contaminated with …

Arachus Spp.: Introduction And Evaluation Of New Accessions In Seasonally Flooded Land In The Brazilian Cerrado, E A. Pizarro, J.F. M. Valls, M A. Carvalho, M.J D'Avila Charchar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Results are summarised from the agronomic evaluation of 33 new accessions of Arachis spp., especially of the Ca1dorhizae and Rhizomatosae sections, on seasonally flooded land with 2 levels of fertiliser (low::pasture establishment and high=crop production). Level of fertiliser had no significant effect on the dry mailer yield (DMY) of any plant component. The edible green DMY of the best 9 accessions ranged from 2-6 tlha, with an average IVDMO of 63% for the stems and 61% for the leaves, respectively. The total DMY in the wet season ranged from 2.5 to 10 tlha, The ratio of above-ground to underground DMY …

Development Of Forage Systems For Dairying In Subtropical Australia, R J. Moss, K F. Lowe

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The development of productive dairy farm systems integrating irrigated temperate pastures with rain-grown tropical pastures in subtropical Australia is described, Milk production increased from 2976-34211/cow (P<0,01) with increased temperate pasture allowance from 0. I to 0.2 ha/cow, and this increase was similar for nitrogen­fertilised ryegrass or clover-ryegrass mixtures, Temperate pastures provided cows with a high protein diet (20-30% crude protein}, enabling energy-rich grain and molasses concentrates to be efficiently used, Increasing supplementation to S kg grain/cow day increased milk yields to S109 I/lactation. Nitrogen fertilisation of perennial tropical grasses enabled higher stocking rates to be used and, together with the increases in production/cow, increased farm output from 464S I/ha to 7300 I/ha.

Tussac Grass (Parodiochloa Flabellata): A Potentially Valuable Forage For Winter Grazing In The Falkland Islands. Ii. Restoration Of A Natural Resource, G M. Hoppe, S G. Howlett, J A. Kerr

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tussac grass (Parodiocholoa flabellata) is a coastal tussock-fonning grass and is potentially the most valuable source of winter feed and shelter for livestock and as a wildlife habitat. Tussac grass herbage provides a feed of high digestibility throughout the year and is unrivalled by any other native plant species in the Falkland Islands. Historical records indicate that this was recognised as a valuable resource; sadly however, an estimated 81% of the former coastal tussac fringe has disappeared and only approximately S000 ha remain. Recent changes in farm ownership and farming attitudes have resulted in a greater awareness of …

Tussac Grass (Parodiochloa Flabellata): A Potentially Valuable Forage For Winter Grazing In The Falkland Islands. I. Past Use And Management, D.W H. Walton, J H. Mcadam, J A. Kerr

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tussac grass (Parodiochloa flabellala) is a tall (up to 3 m), tussock­forming, coastal grass reported by settlers in the early 1800s to be the best grazing for cattle and horses. Fire and uncontrolled grazing with sheep during the late 19th and early 20th centuries caused widespread damage to the coastal tussac fringe. Although some replanting by hand occurred, on most of the larger farms lack of protection to sensitive tussac stands has resulted in a decline in the total area from around 22 000 ha originally to an estimated 4000 ha in 1988. During the 20th century some …

Trends In Intensive Temperate Grassland Systems, J D. Leaver, F Weissbach

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Intensification of grassland in temperate zones has been successful in substantially increasing output of animal products per unit area of land. This trend is unlikely to continue, however, where intensification has been supported by large subsidies, as in EC countries. The high costs of both subsidising the production systems and the export of surplus products is not sustainable. The distortion in world trade caused by such policies combined with concerns over the environmental implications of intensification has already led to CAP reforms in Europe to de-intensify ruminant. livestock systems. Liberalisation of world trade through GA TT could lend to further …

Use Of Brassica Forage Crops To Extend The Grazing Season In The North-East Usa, G A. Jung, H W. Harpster, M G. Lambert, K T. Leath, R A. Byers

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage turnip (Brassica rapa L,) can be made available for animal utilisation in late summer or In late autumn-early winter, when cool­season grass pastures have a low animal carrying capacity. field trials were conducted to identify and quantify factors that influence turnip yield in December or January and to determine whether these factors affect turnip cultivars similarly. Different levels of production in late autumn-winter were attributed to summer drought, foliar diseases, freezing temperatures and rate of leaf senescence. In all instances, the effects of these factors varied with turnip cultivar. However, cultivar ranking generally was the same whether mean …

Development Of Grain-Saving, High Efficiency Pasture Animal Industry, Han Gui Qing

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grain-saving, high efficiency pasture-sustained (GSHEPS) animal industry, with its final purpose of profitable industry, is forage-orientated. This is a new fonn of operation based on advanced feeding management.

Range Management: Optimizing Forage Production And Qualityy, J E. Danckwerts, N M. Tainton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Range management involves optimising forage production and quality, both in the short term and in the long term. In the short term, temporal climatic variability, stocking rate, grazing system, fire, animal type. and spatial variability, inter alia, strongly, influence forage production and quality. On the other hand, long-term optimisation requires prevention of range deterioration. The nature of this process seems to be profoundly different between humid and arid rangelands, at least in tropical and subtropical zones. In the former, changes are relatively predictable, overgrazing resulting in gradual deterioration. In the latter, change is event driven, providing the grazier with …

Soil Additives And Alternative Crops For Drought Defense In The Intermountain West, Tina M. Sullivan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Western U.S. looks for water optimization and conservation as agriculture is the largest water diverter, and resources are pressured by urban growth, winter snowpack instability, and drought persistence. Agricultural producers have several potential options to optimize water use with different investments associated with them. Options with varying levels of risks and known management practices include alternative crops, soil wetting agents, and crop biologicals.

An alternative crop that grew incredibly fast in popularity was industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) despite limited agronomic knowledge for best management practices. Field trials occurred (2020-2022) near Logan, UT to test a total of …

Linking Grassland And Range National Goals With The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative For National Benefit, David B. Hannaway, Walter F. Wedin, Gerald W. Evers

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grassland and Range National Goals (GRNGs) were developed to identify national research and education needs for these resources, both public and private. The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) developed within the NRCS to address the need for technical assistance for the management of privately held grazing lands. These activities are complimentary and, when combined, will address the national need for research, education, and technical assistance leading to better management of grassland and range resources.

Canada's Forage Resources, D Mccartney, P R. Horton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Canada is the second largest country in the world and stretches 5,500 km east to west and 4,600 km north to south. About 90% of Canada is uninhabited with 90% percent of the population living within 500 km of the Canadian-American border. About 60% of Canadians live in southern Ontario and Quebec. The grazing industry is located primarily in western Canada with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba having 84% of the national beef herd. Ontario and Quebec have 73% of the national dairy herd. The majority of harvested forage, dehydrated alfalfa and forage seed crops are grown in western …

Forage-Based Seasonal Dairying In South Louisiana, H A. Deramus, L Labbe, K Ingawa, W A. Atkinson, M J. Simon, J D. Roussel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects on the net profit and total milk production were compared using two levels of grain supplementation and forage-only feeding in a program of seasonal dairying in South Louisiana using management intensive grazing. Treatments were 8 kg grain, 4 kg grain, and 0 grain supplementation. Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorium) and clovers (Trifolium incarnatum, and T. Alexandrinum) were grazed intensively with 51 multiparous Jersey and Holstein cows in mid-lactation in 1993-1995. Milk production, milk fat, milk protein, and blood urea nitrogen were measured. Milk and protein models were all highly significant for all classes. Daily milk …

Extension Agronomist Perceptions Regarding Clover Use In The Usa, D M. Ball, G D. Lacefield

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Recent enhancement of economic incentives for using legumes in forage/livestock systems seems likely to result in greater usage of clovers in the USA. To determine attitudes regarding clovers, a questionnaire was sent to forage crop agronomists having Extension assignments. Responses to most questions varied greatly, particularly among geographic regions. Poor grazing management was identified as the primary concern or problem associated with clovers, followed by poor persistence, and a lack of recognition of the benefits. Improved forage quality was ranked as the most important benefit, followed by better distribution of pasture growth, and biological nitrogen fixation. The importance of benefits …

Strategies For Forage Research And Transfer In India, R P. Singh, Bhag Mal

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The debate on how to meet the yawning gap of forage and feed (both in terms of quantity and quality) in India has continued since the last decade. This paper is an effort to discuss the feed and forage deficit, harnessing of unexploited resources (arable and non-arable) and the strategies of forage research and extension support for the development of forage and feed sector.