Influence of Grazing Frequency on Biomass Production Using Several Selected Tropical Grasses

Influence of Grazing Frequency on Biomass Production Using Several Selected Tropical Grasses

To provide commercial growers with forage grasses that produce well throughout the year, there is a constant need for screening and testing new germplasm. Two rhodesgrasses (Chloris gayana cv. Rhods and Callide), four stargrasses (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst var. nlemfuensis cv. Florona, Zimbabwe, Okeechobee, and Rhodesian No. 2), one bermudagrass (C. dactylon var. dactylon cv. Jiggs), and one creeping signalgrass (Brachiaria humidicola CIAT 6369) were tested under a mob-grazing system. Dry biomass yield increased linearly as grazing frequency (GF) was delayed from 2 to 7 weeks. The cultivars, Florona, Zimbabwe and Okeechobee stargrasses and Jiggs bermudagrass, yielded best during the warm season regardless of GF. However, during the cool season Rhods rhodesgrass, Florona stargrass and Jiggs bermudagrass were generally most productive. These grasses were also the most persistent, averaging better than 97% ground cover after 3 years of grazing.