PASTURE STRATEGIES FOR DAIRY BEEF PRODUCTION

Author(s):  
G.P. Cosgrove ◽  
R.W. Brougham

Improved pasture species, irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer options for increasing pasture growth rate during inter and Summer have been evaluated in growth rate and annual production of young Friesian bulls. Effective increases in Summer pasture production have been obtained from the use of irrigation, Pawera red clover, Matua prairie grass and particularly a combination of irrigation and Matua, Nitrogen fertilizer, Matua and carryover effects of irrigation have increased cool Season pasture growth rates. Liveweight gains reflect these increases except on Matua pastures where poor growth rate of calves occurs durmg summer. The negative effects of the different pasture treatments on Spring liveweight gain are attributed partly to the effects of compensatory growth in bulls but also to treatment effects which reduce pasture growth rate during this season. For this reason the most effective gains are made by 15-18 month old bulls during summer. Pasture species and pasture mixtures react differently to applications of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer. The most appropriate Strategies and combinations are discussed

1976 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
T. T. Treacher

SummaryThe effect of daily herbage allowance on herbage intakes and growth rates lambs grazing perennial ryegrass and red clover was investigated in two experiments. Herbage allowances defined as g herbage D.M./kg live weight (LW)/day were controlled by varying the areas of plots grazed for 2 days by groups of six lambs.In the first experiment five herbage allowances in the range 20–120 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on two areas of a perennial ryegrass (cv. S. 23) sward that received nitrogen fertilizer applications of 39 or 78 kg N/ha/28 days. In the second experiment five herbage allowances in the range 30–160 g D.M./kg LW/day were offered on perennial ryegrass (cv. S. 23) and red clover (cv. Hungaropoly) swards.Asymptotic curves were fitted to describe the relationship between herbage allowance and daily intake of herbage. In Expt 1 nitrogen fertilizer rates did not affect the yield of herbage or animal performance. In Expt 2 intakes were higher on the clover sward than on the ryegrass sward at the higher herbage allowances.The asymptotic curves to describe the relationship between herbage allowance and growth rate of lambs differed widely between periods. Growth rate of the lambs increased linearly with increase in digestible organic matter intake. Live-weight gain per unit of digestible organic matter intake was higher on the red clover than on the ryegrass.The conclusion is drawn that if the herbage present to ground level is not more than three times the daily intake of the animals, intake of herbage of the animals may bo restricted.


Author(s):  
R.W. Webby ◽  
G.W. Sheath ◽  
C.J. Boom

On 6 of a set of 12 self-contained experimental farmlets, improved pasture cultivars 'Ellett' ryegrass, 'Grasslands Wana' cocksfoot, 'Grasslands Tahora' white clover, Whatawhata Early Flowering' white clover, 'Mount Barker' sub clover, 'Tallarook sub clover, 'Grasslands Mama prairie grass, 'Grasslands Pitau white clover and 'Grasslands Pawera' red clover were successfully established in 1986. Measurements began May 1987. Results presented to May 1989 include pasture production, animal production and financial returns. Matua prairie grass failed to persist beyond spring 1988 but clovers including Pawera and Pitau in these pastures increased summer production in 1989. In summer 1989 the improved steep pastures produced 8 kg DM/ha/day more feed than the resident pastures, with most of this increase owing to Wana cocksfoot. Lamb numbers and lamb weight gains were greater with improved pastures. Bulls were priority finishing animals and their weights were insensitive to pasture treatment. Current returns from this experiment show little to justify the investment made in introducing new cultivars into existing developed hill pastures. Keywords pasture cultivars, hill country, finishing systems, pasture improvement


Author(s):  
W.C. Weeda ◽  
G.J. Goold

A pasture containing Concord and Yatsyn ryegrass, 'Grasslands Wana' cocksfoot, 'Grasslands Pawera' red clover and 'Grasslands Pitau' white clover was established in autumn 1987. From spring 1987 this sward was grazed at 2-, 3- and 4-weekly intervals in spring, down to a mean height of 2-3 cm or 5-6 cm in one experiment, while in another trial it was grazed in summer at 3-, 4- and 5- to 7-weekly intervals to a mean residual height of 3-4 cm or 5-6 cm. The longest grazing interval applied in spring or summer increased spring and summer pasture yields for the 3-year period by 51 and 35% respectively, compared with the shortest grazing interval. Lenient grazing in spring or summer increased both spring and summer yields by an average of 16% over 3 years. Lenient spring grazing reduced summer pasture yields by 7% over 3 years, but much of this reduction was the result of a decreased proportion of summer-growing volunteer grasses. Yatsyn ryegrass established quickly and performed well, providing the major contribution to pasture production in these 3 years. Its content in the sward was depressed by frequent spring grazing and infrequent summer grazing, but it was not significantly affected by grazing intensity and it can be recommended as the basic ryegrass in a mixture. The contribution of Concord ryegrass was confined mainly to the first winter and spring. Wana cocksfoot was slow to establish and its content in the sward wax increased by frequent spring grazing and lenient spring and summer grazing. Its greater drought tolerance will make it a useful addition to a ryegrass pasture in areas of low summer rainfall. Pawera red clover made only a small contribution to the sward and this declined with time. The effects of summer grazing management differences were mainly confined to that season, but spring pasture management treatments also affected pasture yields and botanical composition in the following summer. Keywords seasonal pasture grazing management, pasture production, botanical composition, cattle grazing, grazing frequency, grazing intensity, ryegrass, cocksfoot


Author(s):  
J.F.L. Charlton ◽  
A.V. Stewart

In recent years, the number of pasture species and cultivars commercially available to farmers in New Zealand has increased significantly. Reasons for this include increased commercial activity in the development and supply of proprietary cultivars, and more specialisation in New Zealand's pastoral agriculture. In particular, pasture cultivars are increasingly marketed as proprietary products with associated technical support. This year there are 109 certified cultivars available, belonging to 23 grass, legume and herb species. As a result, farmers are now able to develop improved pasture feed supply, but they are somewhat confused about pasture species and cultivars, and this frustrates their aims to produce high quality animal products from productive pastures. Accordingly, the herbage seeds industry needs to work from a clear reference list, to avoid any confusion when supplying farmers and overseas clients with their seed requirements. Our list of pasture species, types and cultivars available within New Zealand aims to be that reference. Keywords: birdsfoot trefoil, brome grass, caucasian clover, chicory, clover, cocksfoot, cultivars, herbs, lotus, lucerne, pasture, phalaris, plantain, prairie grass, red clover, ryegrass, seeds, species, strawberry clover, sub clover, tall fescue, timothy, types, white clover, Yorkshire fog


Author(s):  
G.J.Rys I.M. Ritchie ◽  
R.G. Smith ◽  
N.A. Thomson ◽  
G. Crouchley ◽  
W. Stiefel

The performance of 'Grasslands Matua' prairie grass (Bromus catharticus) was compared with perennial ryegrasses under mowing or grazing in three trials conducted in the southern North Island. Production of Matua under mowing at Flock House and Waimate West was 13% and 19% greater than G.4708 and Nui ryegrass, respectively, with the extra production contributed in summer and winter. At Masterton no difference between Matua and Ariki ryegrass production occurred under grazing. A 31% increase in annual production was recorded for both Matua and G.4708 swards receiving N, compared with those sown with white clover, with the annual yield of G.4708 receiving N similar to Matua receiving no N. Less frequent defoliation increased production of Matua swards by 17% and the Matua component by 38%. Production of Nui in comparison with Matua swards was 14% lower under frequent and 9% lower under infrequent defoliation. Similar production was recorded from red clover under frequent, and infrequent defoliation for both Nui and Matua swards. A 48% lower yield of white clover occurred under infrequent defoliation of Matua swards. At Masterton a higher incidence of goitre in newborn lambs, accompanied by a 12% lower lamb liveweight at weaning, occurred on Matua- compared with Ariki-based swards. Aspects of seasonal production, fertility response, management, and animal health are discussed.


Author(s):  
K.H. Widdup ◽  
T.L. Knight ◽  
C.J. Waters

Slow establishment of caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum L.) is hindering the use of this legume in pasture mixtures. Improved genetic material is one strategy of correcting the problem. Newly harvested seed of hexaploid caucasian clover germplasm covering a range of origins, together with white and red clover and lucerne, were sown in 1 m rows in a Wakanui soil at Lincoln in November 1995. After 21 days, the caucasian clover material as a group had similar numbers of emerged seedlings as white clover and lucerne, but was inferior to red clover. There was wide variation among caucasian clover lines (48-70% seedling emergence), with the cool-season selection from cv. Monaro ranked the highest. Recurrent selection at low temperatures could be used to select material with improved rates of seedling emergence. Red clover and lucerne seedlings produced significantly greater shoot and root dry weight than caucasian and white clover seedlings. Initially, caucasian clover seedlings partitioned 1:1 shoot to root dry weight compared with 3:1 for white clover. After 2 months, caucasian clover seedlings had similar shoot growth but 3 times the root growth of white clover. Between 2 and 5 months, caucasian clover partitioned more to root and rhizome growth, resulting in a 0.3:1 shoot:root ratio compared with 2:1 for white clover. Both clover species had similar total dry weight after 5 months. Unhindered root/ rhizome devel-opment is very important to hasten the establishment phase of caucasian clover. The caucasian clover lines KZ3 and cool-season, both selections from Monaro, developed seedlings with greater shoot and root growth than cv. Monaro. KZ3 continued to produce greater root growth after 5 months, indicating the genetic potential for improvement in seedling growth rate. Different pasture estab-lishment techniques are proposed that take account of the seedling growth characteristics of caucasian clover. Keywords: establishment, genetic variation, growth, seedling emergence, Trifolium ambiguum


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue-Ming Zai ◽  
Jun-Jun Fan ◽  
Zhen-Ping Hao ◽  
Xing-Man Liu ◽  
Wang-Xiang Zhang

AbstractBeach plum (Prunus maritima) is an ornamental plant, famous for its strong salt and drought stress tolerance. However, the poor growth rate of transplanted seedlings has seriously restricted its application in salinized soil. This study investigated the effects of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Funneliformis mosseae, and phosphate-solubilizing fungus (PSF), Apophysomyces spartima, on the growth, nutrient (N, P, and K) uptake, and photosynthesis of beach plum under saline (170 mM NaCl) and non-saline (0 mM NaCl) conditions. We aimed to find measures to increase the growth rate of beach plum in saline-alkali land and to understand the reasons for this increase. The results showed that salinization adversely affected colonization by AMF but positively increased PSF populations (increased by 33.9–93.3% over non-NaCl treatment). The dual application of AMF and PSF mitigated the effects of salt stress on all growth parameters and nutrient uptake, significantly for roots (dry weight and P and N contents increased by 91.0%, 68.9%, and 40%, respectively, over non-NaCl treatment). Salinization caused significant reductions in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (E), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) value, while inoculation with AMF and PSF inoculations significantly abated such reductions. The maximum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm), the photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), and the nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) values were affected little by inoculation with AMF, PSF, or both under non-NaCl treatments. However, plants inoculated with AMF and/or PSF had higher Fv/Fm, qP, and ФPSII values (increased by 72.5–188.1%) than the control under NaCl treatment, but not a higher NPQ value. We concluded that inoculation with AMF or PSF increased nutrient uptake and improved the gas-exchange and Chl fluorescence parameters of beach plum under salt stress environment. These effects could be strengthened by the combination of AMF and PSF, especially for nutrient uptake, root growth, and Pn, thereby alleviating the deleterious effects of NaCl stress on beach plum growth.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 884
Author(s):  
Emmanuelle Haslin ◽  
Rene A. Corner-Thomas ◽  
Paul R. Kenyon ◽  
Adrian J. Molenaar ◽  
Stephen T. Morris ◽  
...  

The experiment aimed to examine the impacts of an increased growth rate of ewes between three and seven months of age on udder development using ultrasound and to establish whether ultrasonography could be used to identify ewe mammary structures that may be indirect indicators of singleton growth to weaning. Udder dimensions, depths of gland cistern (GC), parenchyma (PAR) and fat pad (FP) were measured in late pregnancy (P107), early lactation (L29), and at weaning (L100) in 59 single-bearing yearling ewes selected from two treatments. The ‘heavy’ group (n = 31) was preferentially fed prior to breeding achieving an average breeding live-weight of 47.9 ± 0.38 kg at seven months of age. The ‘control’ group (n = 28) had an average breeding live-weight of 44.9 ± 0.49 kg. Udder dimensions, GC, PAR and FP did not differ between treatments. Lamb growth to L100 was positively associated (p < 0.05) with PAR at P107 and GC at L29. There was no evidence of negative effects of the live-weight gain treatments on udder development of yearling ewes as measured by ultrasonography. The results suggest that this ultrasound method has the potential to identify pregnant yearling ewes which would wean heavier singletons.


2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (12) ◽  
pp. 3062-3075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgane Millet

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how a geographical indication (GI) is built through time and how its (non)appropriation by local producers shapes it. The reciprocity of such process is also considered: how the creation of a GI changes local relationships between producers, within the GI and out of it? The case of Ossau-Iraty is relevant: in south-west of France, this protected designation of origin (PDO) has been based on two distinct regions: Bearn (Ossau) and Pays Basque (Iraty). Since then, most producers of Bearn have rejected this PDO. Design/methodology/approach The author adopts a diachronic perspective: the trajectory of the local dairy ewe sector is described, focusing on the trajectory of on-farm cheese makers from Bearn and Pays Basque and the trajectory of Ossau-Iraty. Based on different methods (qualitative interviews and archive research), this paper aims at analyzing the interactions within such heterogeneous networks. Findings When the PDO was created (1980), the opposition between producers of Bearn and Pays Basque was based on strong senses of place, which would be translated in a different perception of tradition: to Bearn producers, PDO Ossau-Iraty would be an industrial cheese, in which they did not recognize their product and themselves. With time, the producers who have been involved in the PDO worked on its specifications. The recognition of symbolic practices such as on-farm production or Summer pasture production, the recognition of differences between Basque cheese and Bearn cheese are changes that contribute to the evolution of perceptions within the local producers’ community. The author observes a recent convergence between Basque producers and Bearn producers, as their distinct products share common and strong qualifications within PDO Ossau-Iraty that contribute to their respective valorization. However, it seems to occur at an institutional level and the adhesion of the local producers might still be at stakes. Research limitations/implications A statistical study could reinforce the author’s exploratory and historical research. Furthermore, it would have been relevant to take local inhabitants and local consumers into account, as they have participated in the products’ qualifications as well. Originality/value A long-term analysis (40 years) contributes to better understand how cheeses are valorized and how such process is based on controversial processes. It contributes to root GIs into local histories, which are nor as consensual neither as uniform as we would primarily think, and to identity levers for sustainable local development.


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