Theme 08: Grazing Ecology
Description
In temperate areas, grazing provides a large part of the nutrient requirements of ruminants and may be an important form of land use. In Europe, grassland occupies some 150 million hectares, and grazing provides about 60 to 75% of the nutrient requirements of cattle (Wilkins and Vidrih 2000). From the end of the 80’s, agricultural surpluses in Europe have led to production quotas and increased interest in more extensive systems. At the beginning of the 90’s, the emergence of the notion of sustainable agriculture combining economic, social (concerns in dereliction of less-favoured rural areas), and environmental issues (pollution, loss of biodiversity arising from intensification, environmental degradation…) strengthened the emphasis on livestock farming systems based on grazing. The challenge is to develop grazing systems that contribute to the economic sustainability of agriculture, that able to ensure the preservation of the rural landscape, with minimum recourse to non-renewable resources, while preserving and/or improving the environment. Grazing systems are further favoured by the ‘green’ image of their products, grassland-based food production being considered as safe, ‘natural’ and respectful towards animal welfare. Recent findings demonstrated the nutritional advantages of grassland-based food products (Demeyer and Doreau 1999), and the possibility of traceing grass-feeding in animal products by the use of biomarkers (Prache and Theriez 1999).
In the milk production systems of Europe, milk quotas have increased the pressure on production costs so emphasizing the interest in increasing the animals’ voluntary intake from grazed swards. Environmental concerns have questioned N fertilisation and cattle waste management. Both renewed interest in increasing the use of legumes in swards. In grasslands areas that are devoted to beef cattle and sheep, systems are generally more extensive; farmers have to manage larger flocks on larger and more diversified areas, and to conciliate production with environmental objectives (maintaining open landscapes, contributing to landscape biodiversity).
Citation
Prache, S. and Peyraud, J. L., "Foraging Behaviour and Intake in Temperate Cultivated Grasslands" (2021). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 15.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/19/8/15
Included in
Foraging Behaviour and Intake in Temperate Cultivated Grasslands
In temperate areas, grazing provides a large part of the nutrient requirements of ruminants and may be an important form of land use. In Europe, grassland occupies some 150 million hectares, and grazing provides about 60 to 75% of the nutrient requirements of cattle (Wilkins and Vidrih 2000). From the end of the 80’s, agricultural surpluses in Europe have led to production quotas and increased interest in more extensive systems. At the beginning of the 90’s, the emergence of the notion of sustainable agriculture combining economic, social (concerns in dereliction of less-favoured rural areas), and environmental issues (pollution, loss of biodiversity arising from intensification, environmental degradation…) strengthened the emphasis on livestock farming systems based on grazing. The challenge is to develop grazing systems that contribute to the economic sustainability of agriculture, that able to ensure the preservation of the rural landscape, with minimum recourse to non-renewable resources, while preserving and/or improving the environment. Grazing systems are further favoured by the ‘green’ image of their products, grassland-based food production being considered as safe, ‘natural’ and respectful towards animal welfare. Recent findings demonstrated the nutritional advantages of grassland-based food products (Demeyer and Doreau 1999), and the possibility of traceing grass-feeding in animal products by the use of biomarkers (Prache and Theriez 1999).
In the milk production systems of Europe, milk quotas have increased the pressure on production costs so emphasizing the interest in increasing the animals’ voluntary intake from grazed swards. Environmental concerns have questioned N fertilisation and cattle waste management. Both renewed interest in increasing the use of legumes in swards. In grasslands areas that are devoted to beef cattle and sheep, systems are generally more extensive; farmers have to manage larger flocks on larger and more diversified areas, and to conciliate production with environmental objectives (maintaining open landscapes, contributing to landscape biodiversity).
