Are there economic benefits of accessing forage in wolf plants of crested wheatgrass?

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. Romo ◽  
M. E. Tremblay ◽  
D. Barber
Keyword(s):  
Standing Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Crested Wheatgrass ◽  
Agropyron Desertorum ◽  
Economic Analyses

Wolf plants are common in many crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fischer ex Link) Schultes] pastures, and they represent an inefficient use of forage. The objective of this study was to determine costs and benefits of improving management to exploit the forage in wolf plants. Predictors of the forage left ungrazed in wolf plants (unused residual forage) and economic costs and benefits of improving management to make this forage available to grazing animals were determined using 40 site-years of data from southern and central Saskatchewan. Economic analyses were completed for management practices including: 1) no control of wolf plants, i.e. status quo grazing management; 2) no improvement in grazing management, but the forage is swathed and baled every 5, 10, or 15 yr; 3) burning at 5, 10, or 15-yr intervals, but grazing management is not changed, and; 4) swathing and baling hay once, followed by intensified grazing management involving cross-fencing of the pasture with a four-strand barbed wire or a single-strand electric fence. Unused residual forage in wolf plants averaged 417 kg ha−1 (SE = 7.5) and was correlated (R2 = 0.75, P ≤ 0.001) with total standing crop of wolf plants. On average about 41% of the total standing crop in wolf plants was unused residual forage. Density of wolf plants and dead standing crop were also significantly correlated (P ≤ 0.001) with unused residual forage in wolf plants; however, R2 values of 0.12 and 0.41 suggest that they are not actually strong predictors. Swathing and baling the crested wheatgrass every 5, 10 or 15 yr is economically feasible when unused residual forage in wolf plants averages about 200, 100 and 50 kg ha−1, respectively, whereas burning at the same intervals is profitable when unused residual forage exceeds about 400, 200 and 100 kg ha−1. Results of this research clearly show that substantial amounts of unused residual forage are present in pastures of crested wheatgrass that are dominated by wolf plants. Wolf plants are indicators of poor grazing management and potential economic loss. Management that encourages more uniform and complete use of this unused residual forage is economically beneficial in most situations. Key words: Agropyron desertorum (Fischer ex Link) Schultes, economic analysis, grazing management, pasture management, range improvements

scholarly journals Economic Analyses of Federal Scientific Collections: Methods for Documenting Costs and Benefits

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Schindel
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Regulatory Mandates ◽  
Economic Analyses ◽  
Scientific Collections

Federal collections have been created to serve agency missions and, in a few cases, to comply with legislative and regulatory mandates. The benefits generated by federal scientific collections can take monetary and non-monetary forms, and are usually indirect and delayed. The value chains that connect costs to benefits are generally difficult to document. This report describes five methodologies that are available for describing and estimating the benefits federal collections generate. Departments and agencies can use the methods described for evidence-based decisions concerning policies and management practices for their institutional collections. <br><br>

scholarly journals Winter management practices to optimise early spring pasture production: a review

2012 ◽  
pp. 85-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Wall ◽  
D.R. Stevens ◽  
B.R. Thompson ◽  
C.L. Goulter
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Bare Area ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
The Past ◽  
Continuous Grazing

The performance of the national ewe flock has increased significantly in the past 20 years. Pasture management in winter and early spring has a large impact on the success of the subsequent seasons. Overgrazing in winter can reduce spring pasture production by up to 80%. Treading and pugging damage can also decrease spring pasture production by 10% for every 10% of bare area created. Maintaining pasture cover at over 2000 kg DM/ha can improve pasture growth, and leaving a residual pasture mass of more than 1200 kg DM/ha also aids in pasture production in late winter. Techniques such as feed budgeting, longer winter feeding periods (4 day cf. 1 day shifting) and increasing the control of feed intake during late pregnancy can be used to help achieve the goals of higher pasture residuals and increased pasture growth and availability. More tools for managing the transition from winter rotational grazing to spring continuous grazing would help farmers. Keywords: early spring production, grazing management, pasture cover, residual cover, treading.

PRODUCTIVITY OF ALFALFA, SAINFOIN, AND CICER MILKVETCH ON SUBIRRIGATED LAND WHEN GRAZED BY SHEEP

1975 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. SMOLIAK ◽  
M. R. HANNA
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Growth Pattern ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Crested Wheatgrass ◽  
Agropyron Desertorum ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Astragalus Cicer

Rambler alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), Eski sainfoin (Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop.) and cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.), alone and in mixture with Nordan crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum (Fisch.) Schult.), were grazed by sheep over a 5-yr period. The replicates, or paddocks, were grazed in succession and the productivity, palatability, and persistence of the legumes was determined. When grown alone, sainfoin and alfalfa produced similar amounts of dry matter and both outyielded cicer milkvetch. There were no apparent differences in palatability of the legumes although the sheep were observed to graze sainfoin first, then alfalfa, and finally cicer milkvetch. Because alfalfa, sainfoin, and cicer milkvetch differ from one another in growth pattern, variations in grazing management of the three legumes may be necessary.

scholarly journals Economic Analyses of Federal Scientific Collections: Methods for Documenting Costs and Benefits

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Schindel
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Regulatory Mandates ◽  
Economic Analyses ◽  
Scientific Collections

Federal collections have been created to serve agency missions and, in a few cases, to comply with legislative and regulatory mandates. The benefits generated by federal scientific collections can take monetary and non-monetary forms, and are usually indirect and delayed. The value chains that connect costs to benefits are generally difficult to document. This report describes five methodologies that are available for describing and estimating the benefits federal collections generate. Departments and agencies can use the methods described for evidence-based decisions concerning policies and management practices for their institutional collections. <br><br>

scholarly journals Working with dairy farmers to improve their pasture management skills through better understanding the principles of ryegrass growth

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Clarke ◽  
Danny Donaghy ◽  
Marie Casey
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Management Technique ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Rotation Length ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Ryegrass Growth

The relationships between leaf regrowth stage, pre- and post-grazing pasture covers, and grazing rotation length are complex. Despite the existence of well-documented grazing guidelines for managing these relationships, implementation on-farm is highly variable indicating that skill levels are often inadequate and/or farmers are not convinced of the benefits. Twenty dairy farm managers and assistant managers from the Hopkins Farming Group in the lower North Island engaged in structured observation and discussion with experts to test the potential of the 3-leaf grazing technique for increasing pasture production and reducing imported supplement use from mid-spring to mid-autumn. The farmer members of the study group initially had little knowledge of the principles of ryegrass growth at the plant level, and how their management influences pasture production and persistence. Grazing management skills developed by group members during the process included: identification of pasture species within the sward, including perennial ryegrass; identification of leaf morphology, tillers, tiller buds and daughter tillers; pasture health checks to understand when new tillers appeared and their grazing and nutrient needs; and the importance of grazing residuals for future pasture quality. Pasture productivity, as measured by the amount of silage conserved, increased by approximately 0.45 t DM/ha during the 6 months of study through the application of this grazing management technique. Managing grazing using the 3-leaf technique requires a greater depth of knowledge than previous, simple, rotation length-based systems. Many farmers are concerned about the lack of persistence of new ryegrass cultivars, whereas it may be their management practices that have a greater influence.

Management of grazing systems

1989 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pastoral Systems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Stocking Rates

Recent assessments of the relative importance of stocking rate. stocking policy and grazing management on the output from pastoral systems are used as a starting point to argue the need for objective pasture assessments to aid control of livestock enterprises to meet production targets. Variations in stocking rates, stocking policy and other management practices all provide alternative means of control of pasture conditions which are the major determinants of pasture and animal performance. Understanding of the influence of pasture conditions on systems performance should provide a better basis for management control and for Communication between farmers, extension officers and researchers. Keywords: Stocking rate, pasture condition, pasture cover

Fertiliser evenness - losses and costs: A study on the economic benefits of uniform applications of fertiliser

1999 ◽  
pp. 215-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Horrell ◽  
A.K. Metherell ◽  
S. Ford ◽  
C. Doscher
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Spread Pattern ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Seed Crops

Over two million tonnes of fertiliser are applied to New Zealand pastures and crops annually and there is an increasing desire by farmers to ensure that the best possible economic return is gained from this investment. Spreading distribution measurements undertaken by Lincoln Ventures Ltd (LVL) have identified large variations in the evenness of fertiliser application by spreading machines which could lead to a failure to achieve optimum potential in some crop yields and to significant associated economic losses. To quantify these losses, a study was undertaken to calculate the effect of uneven fertiliser application on crop yield. From LVL's spreader database, spread patterns from many machines were categorised by spread pattern type and by coefficient of variation (CV). These patterns were then used to calculate yield losses when they were combined with the response data from five representative cropping and pastoral situations. Nitrogen fertiliser on ryegrass seed crops shows significant production losses at a spread pattern CV between 30% and 40%. For P and S on pasture, the cumulative effect of uneven spreading accrues, until there is significant economic loss occurring by year 3 for both the Waikato dairy and Southland sheep and beef systems at CV values between 30% and 40%. For nitrogen on pasture, significant loss in a dairy system occurs at a CV of approximately 40% whereas for a sheep and beef system it is at a CV of 50%, where the financial return from nitrogen application has been calculated at the average gross revenue of the farming system. The conclusion of this study is that the current Spreadmark standards are a satisfactory basis for defining the evenness requirements of fertiliser applications in most circumstances. On the basis of Spreadmark testing to date, more than 50% of the national commercial spreading fleet fails to meet the standard for nitrogenous fertilisers and 40% fails to meet the standard for phosphatic fertilisers.Keywords: aerial spreading, crop response, economic loss, fertiliser, ground spreading, striping, uneven application, uneven spreading, yield loss

scholarly journals INTRODUCING MORE TRANSPARENT AND EFFICIENT LAND MANAGEMENT IN POST‐SOCIALIST CITIES: LESSONS FROM KYRGYZSTAN

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Kaganova ◽  
Abdirasul Akmatov ◽  
Charles Undeland
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Deliberation ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Registration System ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Property Registration

The Urban Institute (UI) worked with five cities in post‐Soviet Kyrgyzstan to apply better management practices through the development of Strategic Land Management Plans. Kyrgyzstan transferred property to local governments, but municipal land management had remained poor owing to a proliferation of responsible agencies, lack of rule of law, corruption, and passiveness on the part of local governments. UI worked with local governments to make an inventory of municipal land, publicize the results, and develop a strategy that articulated principles for land management and an implementation plan. This led to several improvements including proper registration of parcels and proactive policies to lease and sell land through open competition. It also established a model for determining public policy that countered corruption and public deliberation of costs and benefits in the use of local assets. Donor involvement to promote good land legislation, the property registration system, and decentralization was also critical to success. Santrauka Urbanistikos institutas bendradarbiavo su penkiais posovietinės Kirgizijos miestais, kad, plėtodamas strateginės žemėtvarkos planus, įvestų geresnę vadybos praktiką. Kirgizijoje nuosavybė perduota vietos valdžiai, tačiau žemėtvarkos būklė savivaldybėse išliko vargana dėl atsakingų tarnybų gausos, įstatymų trūkumo, korupcijos ir vietos valdžios pasyvumo. Urbanistikos institutas bendradarbiavo su vietos valdžia, siekdamas inventorizuoti savivaldybių žemę, paskelbti rezultatus ir sukurti strategiją, pabrėžiančią žemėtvarkos principus ir įgyvendinimo planą. Tai leido kai ką patobulinti, įskaitant deramą sklypų registravimą ir aktyvią žemės nuomos bei pardavimo per atvirus konkursus politiką. Be to, sudarytas modelis, nustatantis viešąją politiką, kovojančią su korupcija, ir viešus sąnaudų ir naudos svarstymus naudojant vietinį turtą. Prie gerų žemės įstatymų, nuosavybės registravimo sistemos ir decentralizacijos sėkmingo propagavimo daug prisidėjo ir rėmėjai.

scholarly journals Clustering of equine grass sickness cases in the United Kingdom: a study considering the effect of position-dependent reporting on the space–time K-function

2004 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. P. FRENCH ◽  
H. E. McCARTHY ◽  
P. J. DIGGLE ◽  
C. J. PROUDMAN
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Grass Sickness ◽  
Type C

Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a largely fatal, pasture-associated dysautonomia. Although the aetiology of this disease is unknown, there is increasing evidence that Clostridium botulinum type C plays an important role in this condition. The disease is widespread in the United Kingdom, with the highest incidence believed to occur in Scotland. EGS also shows strong seasonal variation (most cases are reported between April and July). Data from histologically confirmed cases of EGS from England and Wales in 1999 and 2000 were collected from UK veterinary diagnostic centres. The data did not represent a complete census of cases, and the proportion of all cases reported to the centres would have varied in space and, independently, in time. We consider the variable reporting of this condition and the appropriateness of the space–time K-function when exploring the spatial-temporal properties of a ‘thinned’ point process. We conclude that such position-dependent under-reporting of EGS does not invalidate the Monte Carlo test for space–time interaction, and find strong evidence for space–time clustering of EGS cases (P<0·001). This may be attributed to contagious or other spatially and temporally localized processes such as local climate and/or pasture management practices.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document