Agricultural Science Commons^™

Radiation Use Efficiency On Campos Grasslands With Contrasting Grazing Methods, Patricia Basile, Oscar Blumetto, Daniel Formoso, Guadalupe Tiscornia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Uruguay, natural grasslands cover about 67% of the lands of the country. The Basaltic region occupies 4 millions of hectares and it has the highest proportion of natural grasslands of the country. In these pastures, livestock management is applied traditionally associated with intense grazing, with high loads, high sheep / cattle relations, with long periods of occupation and continuous grazing or with short rest periods. This livestock management is the main reason of degradation of natural grasslands. In Basaltic deep soils, it results in the loss of high value species with a decrease in productivity (Millot et al., …

Plant And Animal Responses To Different Grazing Regimes On A Meadow Steppe In Northeast China, Deli Wang, Zhiming Yang, Ling Wang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing by domestic herbivores is often considered to be an essential factor governing grassland vegetation and animal production (Hodgson and Illius 1996). During recent decades, there is increasing interest as a fundamental interaction between plant-animal interface, especially for the simultaneous or interactive responses of plants and animals to grassland grazing regimes (Liu et al., 2015), which benefits on improving the efficiency of grazing or grassland resource management. To achieve sustainable animal productivity and maintain the stability of grasslands, farmers or stakeholders need to employ optimal grazing strategies or regimes based on practical grassland vegetation and environments. Unfortunately, up to date …

Effect Of Sheep Grazing And Rainfall On The Ecology Of Lasiurus Sindicus-Dominated Grassland In Hot Arid Zone Of India, Suresh Kumar, J. P. Singh, K. Venkatesan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Thar Desert in India is very fragile owing to frequent drought and low rainfall which causes extreme stress on biodiversity of region especially on livestock due to limited seasonal grazing resources. Despite inhospitable and harsh climate, as well as anthropogenic pressures, Indian arid zone has 682 species belonging to 352 genera and 87 families. Some 63 species are introduced belonging to 37 genera and 9 families. Compared to other deserts of the world, this desert has higher number of endemic species, i.e. 6.4%. Poaceae and Leguminosae are the largest species. All these species have typical habitat-plant cover …

Changes In Stable Fraction Of Soil Organic Carbon And Microbial Structure In Response Of Grazing Intensity, Wenjie Lu, Yingjun Zhang, Liu Nan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Carbon sequestration is one of the most important ecological function of the grassland. Soils contain more carbon than in vegetation in the form of soil organic matter (SOM). But grassland soils are vulnerable to disturbances caused by human activities. Grazing may result in various disturbances to both soil and vegetation under different grazing intensities (Bai et al., 2012). Grazing led to the shifts in amount and composition of soil organic matter. In previous studies, the chemical methods were used to separate soil into the different pools according to the stability of SOM (Carvalho Leite et al., 2004), but they cannot …

Chemical Composition Of Woody Species At Browsed Caatinga Under Different Forage Allowance, Osniel F. De Oliveira, Mércia V. F. Dos Santos, Márcio V. Da Cunha, James P. Muir, Evaristo J. Oliveira De Souza, Felipe M. Saraiva

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Native rangelands are essential for Brazilian livestock production in the northeast Caatinga because they are abundant and inexpensive. Greater knowledge of nutritive values of these native plants is a needed because they fit well in prevailing edapho-climatic conditions. The chemical composition of plants, however, may differ according to ontogeny, elevation, soil, climate, plant community and human actions. Caatinga plants usually have high crude protein (CP) although some of this is fiber-bound (Santos et al., 2009). Browse can therefore become a key livestock diet component.

Condensed tannins (CT) in browse can provide benefits, including anthelmintic activity greater amino acid absorption, …

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 …