Agricultural Science Commons^™

Trials On The Improvement Of Deteriorated Natural Pastures In The Sahel Of Upper Volta, Bernard Toutain

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Overstocking and the recent drought have led to a severe deterioration of some Sahelian rangelands of Upper Volta, leading to a more or less acute disappearance of grazable vege­tation. Partial protection improves pastures located on the more fertile soils. On the poorer soils, light techniques such as harrowing and superficial tillage of the soil were tried with success, but yield improvement remained slight.

Problems And Possibilities Of Continuous Forage Production In Arid Subtropical Regions, Horst Patzold

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The low animal performance and stocking rate in arid subtropical regions mainly depend on the discontinuity of forage production. In winter-raining steppes of North Africa, the cultivation or sod-seeding of adapted grasses, especially for forage production in the dry season. (summer), is recommended. For the dry savannas of West Africa with summer­raining, proposals are made for three different stages depending on the intensity of land use. They include a better use of grazing areas by transhumance, proposals for a ranching system, especially for meat production, and possibil­ities for milk production by stabling of cattle, including forage production under irrigation.

Ecqnomics Of Nitrogen Fertilization Of Native And Introduced Grasslands In The Intermountain Area Of The United States, John P. Workman

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

While numerous studies have shown that live­stock forage can be significantly increased by grassland fertilization, there is little mention in the literature of the economic considera­tions of this management practice. A Utah State University study was conducted to help alleviate this research deficiency. Forage pro­duction response of several Utah grassland sites to nitrogen fertilization was subjected to marginal economic analysis. When fertilized forage was harvested as hay, nitrogen appli­cation proved to be a profitable practice on semi-wet meadow and mountain loam sites. When valued as forage to be grazed directly by livestock, production increases due to fer­tilization were unprofitable. Significant …

Weed Control-Revegetation Systems, Raymond A. Evans, James A. Young

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Chemical weed control systems integrating 2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetic acid] or picloram ( 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid) spraying for brush control and atrazine[2-chloro-4-( ethylamino-6-isopropylamino )-s-tria­zine] for Bromus tectorum L. control were investigated in a series of rangeland commu­nities. Applications of both weed control tech­nique greatly enhanced seedling growth and increased yield of perennial grasses seeded the year after the fallow. Available soil moisture during the growing period of the fallow and seedling years because of decreased weed com­petition was the major factor for the better stands of perennial grass from herbicidal weed control systems.

Some Effects Of Treading By Sheep On Pastures Of The Mediterranean Climatic Zone Of South Australia, Edwards D. Carter, Thambiappah Sivalingam

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In a treading experiment on a red brown earth soil at the Waite Agricultural Research Insti­tute in South Australia, various combinations of treading intensity (0, 12.5, 25 and 50 sheep equivalents per hectare) and treading frequency (0, 7, 14 and 28 days) reduced the establish­ment and productivity of subterranean clover, annual ryegrass and a mixture of these two species. With increasing intensity of treading, soil bulk density increased under the clover swards but not under the grass and mixture swards where apparently the ryegrass provided a cush­ioning effect between hoof and soil. Soil moisture percentage decreased with increasing intensity of …

Farmer Usage Of Annual Medics In A Ley Farming Area In South Australia, Murray V. Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A survey of farmers in a ley farming ( cereal­livestock) area of South Australia with natu­ralized annual medics (Medicago spp.) showed a great potential for improved usage of annual medics in their farming systems. Most effective medic users expected dominant medic pastures 6 or more years in 10, whereas less effective medic utilizers expected dominant medic pas­tures 5 or less years in 10. Nearly 50% of farm­ers had not sown any medic seed over the last 10 years. While most of these had less effective medic use there were several examples of more effective use with no or minimal medic …

Persistence Of Perennial Ryegrass Under Grazing In A Mediterranean-Type Environment Of South Australia, P R. Gibson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pastures were continuously grazed by sheep for four years at six stocking rates on the Kan­garoo Island Research Centre, South Australia. Changes in botanical composition in a reno­vated pasture sown to Lolium perenne cv. Vic­torian and subterranean clover (Trifolium sub­terraneum) cvv. Mt. Barker and Woogenellup, are discussed in relation to the replacement of the oestrogenically-potent subterranean clo­ver cv. Yarloop. There was a consistent within-year and be­tween-year decline in the perennial ryegrass component and this was associated with con­current invasion by vigorous, exotic, annual species mainly of Mediterranean origin. The lack of persistence of the perennial ryegrass indicates little …

Optimal Combinations Off Our Large Herbivores For Short Grass Prairie, George M. Van Dyne

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Diets of four large herbivores grazing together on a shortgrass prairie rangeland were studied. Cattle and bison consumed mainly grasses; sheep and antelope consumed mainly forbs. To maximize forage use, optimal grazing deter­mined by nonlinear programming would be 67, 20, 12, and I% of the forage grazed to be taken by cattle, bison, sheep, and antelope, respectively. Historically, this range has been grazed primarily by cattle. This study suggests more animal production could be attained with a mixture of herbivore species.

Improving Production From Arid Rangelands Of The South-Western United States, Carlton H. Herbel, Robert P. Gibbens, John M. Tromble

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Three methods of several possibilities are dis­cussed for improving production from arid rangelands. Sandy lands infested with mes­quite can be improved by aerially spraying with 2,4,5-T. Natural recovery of perennial grasses,_ primarily mesa dropseed, following spraying resulted in 204 kg/ha herbage compared to 33 kg/ha on the adjacent unsprayed area. An area infested with creosotebush was root-plowed and seeded. Herbage production in 1975 was 1,631 kg/ha, primarily Lehmann and Boer lovegrass. Cattle production was increased by cross­breeding Herefords with either Brangus or Santa Gertrudis. The weaning weights of Santa Gertrudis calves were heavier than calves from the other two breeds, …

Management Of Ephemeral Ranges In The Western United States, Kay W. Wilkes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In using ephemeral range procedures, several aspects have come into focus:

(1) We have found that completion of our intricate multiple-use planning procedures gives us a much clearer picture of the many desert resource values and conflicts and the effects of "just letting the livestock go when the feed comes."

(2) There are a number of problems in taking sound ecological data and attempting to fit it in with other management needs in an allotment management plan, for example, off-road vehicle use on the desert, wild burros, and desert wildlife.

(3) We lack adequate information on the ephemeral and ephemeral-perennial …

Aid To Rangeland Management. Mechanical Type Conversion Of Woodland Areas, William Gordon Leavell

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Efficient land utilization is essential to meet the growing requirements of an expanding population. The large low-producing pinyon­juniper woodland of the United States offers potential for increased production to meet additional livestock, wildlife, and watershed needs. Through a multiple-use planning pro­cess which determines areas suitable for in­creasing production by mechanical conversion of vegetative types and an environmental anal­ysis procedure which determines the benefits and adverse impacts of such actions, decisions can be made to undertake treatment in an environmentally acceptable manner. The Bureau of Land Management has me­chanically converted over 200,000 hectares of pinyon-juniper to a more diversified and pro­ductive …

Grassland Site Types Of The North Mongolian Forest Steppe Zone And Possibilities Of Intensification, K Kloss, M Succow

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Five grassland site types are distinguished: Chestnut soils are covered with natural forb or grass steppes producing 0.1 to 1.0 t DM/ha at less than 300 mm annual precipitation. They should be exclusively used for winter grazing. At higher precipitations, these soils will tum into permafrost soils. They bear mountain herbage vegetation as forest substitute asso­ciations. Productivity amounts to 4 t/ha. Mow­ing and/or grazing are possible. Fertilization seems to be profitable. Between grass steppes and mountain herbage lands we find extended meadow steppes located on shallow chemo­zems. Old, intensively grazed pastures in the lowlands have become depleted in nutrients. Nitrogen …

A Study Of The Improvement Of Dry-Land Ranges Developed Under The Ecological Conditions Of Erzurum (Eastern Anatolia), F Tosun, I Manga, M Altin, Y Serin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The study described in the paper was con­ducted to determine a suitable range improve­ment method under dry conditions in Erzurum, Turkey. Four treatments, i.e. control, broad­casting, and two artificial pasture establish­ments, were applied in the experiment, and the following results were obtained:

(a) Absence of good seedbeed preparation, and the occurrence of heavy competition from the native vegetation resulted in the failure of broadcasting. The additional profit for this treatment over control was negative.

(b) Artificial pasture establishment was the most successful method due to good seed­bed preparation and elimination of the competition coming from the native vege­tation.

(c) About …

Establishment And Permanent Use Of Cultivated Pastures In The Foothill Regions Of Turkmenia, S Ya Prikhodko, N D. Prikhodko

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The results of long-term experiments are re­ported. The following promising plant species were chosen for pasture establishment: Hal­oxylon persicum, H. aphyllum, Salsala paletz­kiana, S. richteri, Aellenia subaphylla, Artemisia badhysi, Kochia prostrata. These species of different forms of life were sown in mixture. Under conditions of cultivation, a great part of the plant species reached the generative stage in the 1st or 2nd years of life. At the age of 3 to 5 years, the shrubs reached a height of 160 to 400 cm, the semi-shrubs a height of 45 to 75 cm. The forage yield was 1.5 to 4.5 t/ha, …

Improvement Of Solonetz Soils In Kazakhstan For The Cultivation Of Grassland Plants, K A. Baitkanov

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Extensive areas of Kazakhstan require various improvement measures aiming at the develop­ment of solonetz soils for the cultivation of grassland plants. Forage and meadow plants such as barley (Hordeum), melilot (Melilotus), mixtures containing melilot and wheat grass (Agropyron), as well as mixtures mainly com­posed of grasses, i.e. wheat grass and smooth brome grass (Bromus inermis), proved highly salt-tolerant. Representatives of pasture plants such as Russian wild rye (Elymus) and grass mixtures ensure satisfactory yields on all kinds of solonetz soils having different degrees of salinity and alkalinity.

The Introduction Of New Forage Crops In The Arid Zone Of Central Asia, Zebri Shamsutdinov

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The low productivity of natural grassland in the desert and semi-desert regions of Central Asia, and their strong annual and seasonal fluctuations urgently need improvement. The solution of this problem implies the intro­duction of shrubs and semi-shrubs for feeding purposes in arid regions of the Soviet Union. More than 300 species from the wild-growing flora have been tested to this effect. From these, some 10-15 species appeared to be promising for cultivation. On account of their biological, ecological, and physiological prop­erties, a special technique was developed for cultivating these species in the arid zone of Central Asia. By the establishment …

The Utilization Of Desert Pastures By Rotational Grazing, Zh. A. Zhambakin, K M. Moldabekova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On an Artemisia terrae-albae pasture, moderate grazing of 50-60 % of the forage yield was found to be optimal for ensuring a long pro­ductive life of the sward. With low grazing intensity, the sward gets weedy from litter and the regenerating power of plants declines. Heavy grazing, on the other hand, causes sward deterioration and disappearance of val­uable species. Overgrazing has negative effects, especially after summer grazing, but also after pasturing in spring and autumn. Rotational grazing secures the regeneration of the major sward components, increases herbage yield by about 40 %, and provides a long persistence of the sward.

New Forage Plants In Kazakhstan - Experiments For Their Introduction, Kemal Borangaziev

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Data obtained from more comprehensive studies suggest that certain wild-growing plant species,' owing to their strongly pronounced adaptability, can grow beyond the limits of their traditional environments. Those wild-growing plants showed positive response to improvements in their environment. Enhancement was recorded from the physical and other properties of their seeds, growth height, habitus, bushiness, and other yield characteristics, which, consequently, increased the productivity of plants. The conclusions drawn from the above studies can be used as a basis for successful production experiments for introducing new species, with the view to improving cultivated vegetation in regions otherwise less suitable for plant …

Biological Conditions For Yield Increase Of Desert Pastures On Gypseous Sierozem Soils In South-Eastern Kazakhstan, S N. Pryanishnikov, I I. Alimaev

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Artemisia + ephemerals pastures in the deserts of south-eastern Kazakhstan are com­posed of a small number of species, and produce low yields as between 0.05 and 0.25 t DM/ha. However, yield potentials between 0.57 and 0.97 t/ha and higher forage quality might be achieved by efficient improvement of these sites, for example, by seeding of artificial swards. Seeded plant associations can take advantage of the deeper soil horizons by uti­lizing additional moisture and nutrients. Agro­phytocoenoses consisting of Kochia prostrata + Salsola orientalis + Eurotia ceratoides have proved most promising in the area under review.

Main Trends In Improving Natural Grazing Areas 1n Arid Regions Of The Ussr, Leonid Sinkovski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The main trends in scientific research for opening up for forage production the arid regions of the USSR include: efficient utili­zation of pastures, surface improvement of natural forage lands by sod-seeding and fertili­zation, comprehensive use of local wild-growing forage plants for undersowing and sod-seeding to improve pastures, as well as use of local water resources and artesian wells to organize intensive forage production in desert areas.