Publication Date
1993
Description
The relationship between sward structure, and dietary quality and intake was investigated for cattle grazing humid sour grassveld in south Africa. A 2-ha site was divided into 6 equal-sized blocks with; each block being managed to achieve a different sward structure using rotation·a1 grazing of cattle at 3, 5, 8, 11, 16 or 20 week intervals. Before to grazing, sward structure was quantified in terms. of tuft height, leaf table height, stemminess and greenness of the 3 most abundant species as well as sward leaf density. Oesophageal i fistulates were used to estimate dietary quality, bite rate, bite size, and intake rate during grazing, Dietary quality was strongly correlated (0.01) with sward greenness but not with sward height. Bite size and intake rate were positively correlated (P!!.0.05), and bite rate· negatively correlated with sward height. The data suggest that sward; structure, through its 'effects on dietary quality and intake, is an. important determinant of animal production on humid sour grassveld.
Citation
O'Reagain, P J.; Haller, M; and Zacharias, P.J K., "Relationship Between Sward Structure and Dietary Quality and Intake, in Cattle Grazing Humid Sour Grassveld in South AfricaP" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 5.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session18/5
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Relationship Between Sward Structure and Dietary Quality and Intake, in Cattle Grazing Humid Sour Grassveld in South AfricaP
The relationship between sward structure, and dietary quality and intake was investigated for cattle grazing humid sour grassveld in south Africa. A 2-ha site was divided into 6 equal-sized blocks with; each block being managed to achieve a different sward structure using rotation·a1 grazing of cattle at 3, 5, 8, 11, 16 or 20 week intervals. Before to grazing, sward structure was quantified in terms. of tuft height, leaf table height, stemminess and greenness of the 3 most abundant species as well as sward leaf density. Oesophageal i fistulates were used to estimate dietary quality, bite rate, bite size, and intake rate during grazing, Dietary quality was strongly correlated (0.01) with sward greenness but not with sward height. Bite size and intake rate were positively correlated (P!!.0.05), and bite rate· negatively correlated with sward height. The data suggest that sward; structure, through its 'effects on dietary quality and intake, is an. important determinant of animal production on humid sour grassveld.
