Publication Date
1989
Description
The use of white clover gives opportunities for the production of beef at low unit cost with low inputs offertilisers and concentrate feeds. Encouraging results have been obtained in research in Northern Ireland (Stewart and Haycock, 1984) and in Scotland (Younie et al., 1986) with profitability from systems of production of dairy-bred beef on white clover-based swards being of the same order as from grass swards receiving high rates of N fertiliser. Whilst low rates of N were used in the clover-based systems, the possibility of exploiting the high feeding value of clover silages (Cook and Wilkins, 1981) and thus reducing the levels of concentrate feed were not fully explored. The present experiments examined the use of grass-white clover swards with no N fertiliser within the context of a system involving slaughter of steers at 15-21 months of age with low rates of concentrate feeding. In addition the effects on productivity of variations in grazing management and cattle breed type were examined.
Citation
Wilkins, R J.; Peel, S; Yarrow, N H.; Johnson, R H.; and Fisher, A, "Beef Production Based on White Clover: Effects of Grazing Management, Concentrate Supplementation and Breed Type" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 57.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session10/57
Included in
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Beef Production Based on White Clover: Effects of Grazing Management, Concentrate Supplementation and Breed Type
The use of white clover gives opportunities for the production of beef at low unit cost with low inputs offertilisers and concentrate feeds. Encouraging results have been obtained in research in Northern Ireland (Stewart and Haycock, 1984) and in Scotland (Younie et al., 1986) with profitability from systems of production of dairy-bred beef on white clover-based swards being of the same order as from grass swards receiving high rates of N fertiliser. Whilst low rates of N were used in the clover-based systems, the possibility of exploiting the high feeding value of clover silages (Cook and Wilkins, 1981) and thus reducing the levels of concentrate feed were not fully explored. The present experiments examined the use of grass-white clover swards with no N fertiliser within the context of a system involving slaughter of steers at 15-21 months of age with low rates of concentrate feeding. In addition the effects on productivity of variations in grazing management and cattle breed type were examined.
