Publication Date
1989
Location
Nice France
Description
Grazing managers have to achieve a balance between relatively stable herd requirements, and a variable herbage resource. The growth rate of herbage depends on climatic factors and is therefore variable between seasons and, at the same date, between years.
We cannot predict climate for more than a few days; consequently, the manager can only approximately anticipate the utilization of grasslands, and have to forecast regulation mechanisms to adjust to climatic variability. Some technical solutions are recommended especially for plain areas - Silage reduces, or cancels, variability of mowing date. Therefore, it reduces the bracket of dates of extending surfaces possibilities for grazing (Cristofini and Jeannin, 1979). - The combination of varieties or species with differing precocities allows the utilization of buffer areas (Gillet et al., 1980). In mountains, these techniques cannot be used : silage is prohibited because of cheese production and all the meadows are permanent. However, spring grass growth rates are particularly changeable intra and inter years (Fig. 1), and hay cutting dates are variable due to rain distribution.
To investigate further this question, we decided to study farmer practices for spring grazing management. Our research region is a 850 m a.s.l. plateau in the Jura Massif, France.
Citation
Mathieu, Anne, "Spring Grazing Management and Climate Variability the Case of Dairy Farms in the Jura Massif" (1989). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 15.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session11/15)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Spring Grazing Management and Climate Variability the Case of Dairy Farms in the Jura Massif
Nice France
Grazing managers have to achieve a balance between relatively stable herd requirements, and a variable herbage resource. The growth rate of herbage depends on climatic factors and is therefore variable between seasons and, at the same date, between years.
We cannot predict climate for more than a few days; consequently, the manager can only approximately anticipate the utilization of grasslands, and have to forecast regulation mechanisms to adjust to climatic variability. Some technical solutions are recommended especially for plain areas - Silage reduces, or cancels, variability of mowing date. Therefore, it reduces the bracket of dates of extending surfaces possibilities for grazing (Cristofini and Jeannin, 1979). - The combination of varieties or species with differing precocities allows the utilization of buffer areas (Gillet et al., 1980). In mountains, these techniques cannot be used : silage is prohibited because of cheese production and all the meadows are permanent. However, spring grass growth rates are particularly changeable intra and inter years (Fig. 1), and hay cutting dates are variable due to rain distribution.
To investigate further this question, we decided to study farmer practices for spring grazing management. Our research region is a 850 m a.s.l. plateau in the Jura Massif, France.
