Publication Date
1993
Description
Where livestock production depends upon pastures, management is more difficult in environments where rainfall varies considerably from season to season and year to year. Flexible grazing practices are needed to optimise species composition and pasture productivity. Results presented in this paper show that pasture composition can be improved within climatic constraints, by grazing practices within seasons, In temperate annual pastures, long rests in winter (similar to a long rotation during that season) increased annual legume content in early spring from 20 to 50%. Annual grass content was unchanged. In perennial (phalaris) pastures, the dominant legume can change over years from white to subterranean clover depending on rainfall. White clover content doubled in favourable seasons when the pasture was kept short (to 100 mm) in spring, while subterranean clover content was halved if phalaris growth in autumn was not controlled. The results suggest that the proportions of desirable species in a phalaris pasture could be optimised by continuous grazing over summer and autumn followed by long rotations during winter, and maintaining the pasture short by either continuous or rotational grazing in spring.
Citation
Kemp, D R. and Dowling, P M., "Modification of the Botanical Composition of Perennial and Annual Temperate Pastures by Strategic Grazing Practices" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 29.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session37/29
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Modification of the Botanical Composition of Perennial and Annual Temperate Pastures by Strategic Grazing Practices
Where livestock production depends upon pastures, management is more difficult in environments where rainfall varies considerably from season to season and year to year. Flexible grazing practices are needed to optimise species composition and pasture productivity. Results presented in this paper show that pasture composition can be improved within climatic constraints, by grazing practices within seasons, In temperate annual pastures, long rests in winter (similar to a long rotation during that season) increased annual legume content in early spring from 20 to 50%. Annual grass content was unchanged. In perennial (phalaris) pastures, the dominant legume can change over years from white to subterranean clover depending on rainfall. White clover content doubled in favourable seasons when the pasture was kept short (to 100 mm) in spring, while subterranean clover content was halved if phalaris growth in autumn was not controlled. The results suggest that the proportions of desirable species in a phalaris pasture could be optimised by continuous grazing over summer and autumn followed by long rotations during winter, and maintaining the pasture short by either continuous or rotational grazing in spring.
