Impact of Forage Diversity on Forage Productivity, Nutritive Value, Beef Cattle Performance and Enteric Methane Emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the beef industry is largely attributed to the grazing sector, specifically from beef cattle enteric methane emissions. Therefore, the study objective was to examine how forage diversity impacts forage productivity, nutritive value, animal performance and enteric methane emissions. This study occurred over three consecutive grazing seasons (2018 to 2020) and compared two common Midwest grazing mixtures: 1) a simple, 50:50 alfalfa:orchardgrass mixture (SIMP) and 2) a botanically diverse, cool-season species mixture (COMP). Fifty-six steers and heifers were adapted to an Automated Head Chamber System each year (AHCS; C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD) and stratified into treatment groups based on acclimation visitation. Each treatment consisted of four pastures, three 3.2-ha and one 1.6-ha, with 8 and 4 animals each, respectively. Forage production was measured bi-weekly in pre-and post-grazed paddocks, and forage nutritive value was analyzed using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). Shrunk body weights were taken monthly to determine animal performance. Forage availability did not differ between treatments (P = 0.69) but tended lower in 2018 (P = 0.06; 2.40 t dry matter ha -1) than 2019 (2.92 t dry matter ha -1) and 2020 (P = 0.10; 2.81 t dry matter ha -1). Crude protein was significantly lower for COMP in 2018 compared to SIMP. Forage acid detergent fiber content was significantly lower for the COMP mixture (P = 0.02). The COMP treatment resulted higher dry matter digestibility (IVDMD48) in 2018 and 2019 compared to the SIMP treatment (P < 0.01). Animal performance did not differ between treatments (P > 0.50). There was a tendency for the COMP treatment to have lower enteric CH4 production on a g d -1 basis (P = 0.06), but no difference was observed on an emission intensity basis (g CH4 kg -1 gain; P = 0.56). These results would indicate that adoption of the complex forage mixture would not result in improved forage productivity, animal performance, or reduced emission intensity compared to the simple forage mixture.

PSV-11 Grazing diverse combination of tanniferous and non-tanniferous legumes: Implications for foraging behavior, performance and hair cortisol in beef cattle

We tested the effect of increasingly diverse combinations of tanniferous legumes (birdsfoot trefoil-BFT, sainfoin-SF) and alfalfa (ALF) on cattle foraging behavior, performance and hair cortisol concentration. Pairs of heifers (401 ± 49.6 kg) grazed three spatial replications of seven treatments (n = 3/treatment): monocultures (BFT, SF, ALF) and all possible 2- and 3-way choices among strips of these legumes in a completely randomized block design in two 25-d periods during 2 consecutive years. The fewest grazing events occurred in BFT (42.0% of the total scans recorded; P < 0.10), with other treatments ranging between 47.8 (SF-BFT) and 52.6% (ALF-SF) of the total scans recorded. Heifers selected a varied diet, preferring SF over BFT or ALF in 46:27:27 and 70:30 ratios (3- and 2-way choice, respectively) and preferred BFT over ALF (62:38 ratio). All treatments followed similar daily grazing patterns (P >0.10), with two major grazing events (1 hour after sunrise and 3 hours before sunset). No differences among treatments were observed for the number of steps taken, motion index, or percentage of time spent standing (1,600, 5,356, and 45.3%, respectively; P >0.10), suggesting that heifers in choice treatments did not invest extra time in walking, searching or patch-switching activities relative to monoculture treatments. Heifers in the 3-way choice gained more BW (1.27 Kg/d) than in monocultures (1.00 kg/d; P = 0.014), or 2-way choices (0.97 kg/d; P = 0.007), suggesting nutritional synergism among legumes in the treatment of greatest diversity. No differences in hair cortisol concentration were observed among treatments, with values ranging between 1.40 (BFT) and 2.12 ng/g (3-way choice) (P >0.10). Thus, forage diversity enhanced animal performance, likely driven by interactions among condensed tannins and dietary protein, without affecting hair cortisol levels or grazing efficiency, explained by the spatial arrangement (strips) of the forage species presented.

Forage diversity, conservation and use.

This chapter outlines the scientific and development impacts of forage diversity conservation, characterization and distribution work under the international network of forage collections in CGIAR. The focus for the future will continue to be on the core operations that are essential to conserve and manage the diversity with increased emphasis on those that will ensure efficiency and value for money in gene bank operations. In addition to these essential activities, there are opportunities to be more forward and outward looking and to link with activities in the Livestock CRP and the Excellence in Breeding Platform, as well as to contribute to the global system of plant genetic resources, support the FAO Global Plan of Action and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Tannin-containing legumes and forage diversity influence foraging behavior, diet digestibility, and nitrogen excretion by lambs1,2

Diverse combinations of forages with different nutrient profiles and plant secondary compounds may improve intake and nutrient utilization by ruminants. We tested the influence of diverse dietary combinations of tannin- (sainfoin-Onobrichis viciifolia; birdsfoot trefoil-Lotus corniculatus) and non-tannin- (alfalfa-Medicago sativa L.) containing legumes on intake and diet digestibility in lambs. Freshly cut birdsfoot trefoil, alfalfa, and sainfoin were offered in ad libitum amounts to 42 lambs in individual pens assigned to 7 treatments (6 animals/treatment): 1) single forage species (sainfoin [SF], birdsfoot trefoil [BFT], and alfalfa [ALF]), 2) all possible 2-way choices of the 3 forage species (alfalfa-sainfoin [ALF-SF], alfalfa-birdsfoot trefoil [ALF-BFT], and sainfoin-birdsfoot trefoil [SF-BFT]), or 3) a choice of all 3 forages (alfalfa-sainfoin-birdsfoot trefoil [ALF-SF-BFT]). Dry matter intake (DMI) was greater in ALF than in BFT (P = 0.002), and DMI in SF tended to be greater than in BFT (P = 0.053). However, when alfalfa was offered in a choice with either of the tannin-containing legumes (ALF-SF; ALF-BFT), DMI did not differ from ALF, whereas DMI in SF-BFT did not differ from SF (P > 0.10). When lambs were allowed to choose between 2 or 3 legume species, DMI was greater (36.6 vs. 33.2 g/kg BW; P = 0.038) or tended to be greater (37.4 vs. 33.2 g/kg BW; P = 0.067) than when lambs were fed single species, respectively. Intake did not differ between 2- or 3-way choice treatments (P = 0.723). Lambs preferred alfalfa over the tannin-containing legumes in a 70:30 ratio for 2-way choices, and alfalfa > sainfoin > birdsfoot trefoil in a 53:33:14 ratio for the 3-way choice. In vivo digestibility (DMD) was SF > BFT (72.0% vs. 67.7%; P = 0.012) and DMD in BFT tended to be greater than in ALF (64.6%; P = 0.061). Nevertheless, when alfalfa was offered in a choice with either sainfoin or birdsfoot trefoil (ALF-SF; ALF-BFT), DMD was greater than ALF (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively), suggesting positive associative effects. The SF treatment had lower blood urea nitrogen and greater fecal N/N intake ratios than the ALF, BFT, or ALF-BFT treatments (P < 0.05), implying a shift in the site of N excretion from urine to feces. In conclusion, offering diverse combinations of legumes to sheep enhanced intake and diet digestibility relative to feeding single species, while allowing for the incorporation of beneficial bioactive compounds like condensed tannins into the diet.

Food Forage Potential and Carrying Capacity of Kemampo Forest Area with Special Objectives (KHDTK) as Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) Captive Breeding Area

This research was carried out to identification and analysis of food forage diversity, productivity and carrying capacity of Kemampo special purpose forest area in South Sumatera as sambar deer captive breeding area. Diversity food forage for sambar deer were analysis systematically by using vegetation analysis with 10 units of square plot models for each growth level of vegetation with different size. Estimation of food forage productivity were done by using 10 units of square plot models (1x1 m2) for each harvesting periode 20 days, 30 days and 40 days. Result of reseach was showed that there are 13 species of food forage has identification as sambar deer feed and five species among them were identification as urgent feed and high palatability for sambar deer, i.e Paspalum conjugatum, Imperata cylindrica, Acacia mangium, Vitex pubescens, dan Melastoma malabathricum. The avarage of food forage productivity for each harvesting periode 20 days, 30 days and 40 days were 48,40 kg/m2/day, 57,89 kg/m2/day and 62,78 kg/m2/day, with avarage value of food forage productivity was 56,66 kg/m2/day or 152.982 kg/ha/year, and 458.946 kg/3 ha/year. According to this value of food forage productivity, and by using the assumptiom of dayly food need of sambar deer about 23 kg/head/day, so the carrying capacity of Kemampo forest area were estimated about 13,968 individuals of sambar deer per 3 hectares per year or per hectare the area could retain everyday about 13 individuals of sambar deer. Keywords: rusa samsambar deer, food forage, productivity, carrying capacity, captive breeding

How French shepherds create meal sequences to stimulate intake and optimise use of forage diversity on rangeland

European rangelands have rugged terrain with highly diverse patchworks of vegetation communities. They are mostly public lands that were abandoned for more than 50 years, because they served no purpose at the time of animal husbandry modernisation. The European Union’s policy now promotes the reintroduction of grazing on rangelands to prevent wildfires and to restore habitats for biodiversity conservation. Facing the lack of knowledge to implement such a policy, researchers, nature managers, and pastoral advisors began working closely with shepherds and goat herders in France, who had persisted in using rangelands. The research presented here is part of this collective effort to understand and assess the experiential knowledge and feeding practices that herders use for livestock. The study required in situ and simultaneous recording of several types of information at different levels of organisation – herder, herd, individual animal – using methods from scientific disciplines ranging from ethnology to animal behavioural ecology and landscape ecology. The results for herded animals were surprising; they had daily intake levels often twice those observed in controlled studies with forages of similar nutritive values. The reason became clear when we learned that herders use grazing circuits that sequence a meal into a succession of contrasting and complementary grazing ‘sectors’ that boost appetite and intake. Our modelling of this practice in MENU, a model conceived and developed with experienced herders, shows how a herder can use understanding of complementarities among sectors to sequence meals that increase appetite and intake and ensure renewal of resources at the landscape level, or conversely, to apply more intensive grazing impact on particular target sectors.

Diversification and ecosystem services for conservation agriculture: Outcomes from pastures and integrated crop–livestock systems

Conservation agricultural systems rely on three principles to enhance ecosystem services: (1) minimizing soil disturbance, (2) maximizing soil surface cover and (3) stimulating biological activity. In this paper, we explore the concept of diversity and its role in maximizing ecosystem services from managed grasslands and integrated agricultural systems (i.e., integrated crop–livestock–forage systems) at the field and farm level. We also examine trade-offs that may be involved in realizing greater ecosystem services. Previous research on livestock production systems, particularly in pastureland, has shown improvements in herbage productivity and reduced weed invasion with increased forage diversity but little response in terms of animal production. Managing forage diversity in pastureland requires new tools to guide the selection and placement of plant mixtures across a farm according to site suitability and the goals of the producer. Integrated agricultural systems embrace the concept of dynamic cropping systems, which incorporates a long-term strategy of annual crop sequencing that optimizes crop and soil use options to attain production, economic and resource conservation goals by using sound ecological management principles. Integrating dynamic cropping systems with livestock production increases the complexity of management, but also creates synergies among system components that may improve resilience and sustainability while fulfilling multiple ecosystem functions. Diversified conservation agricultural systems can sustain crop and livestock production and provide additional ecosystem services such as soil C storage, efficient nutrient cycling and conservation of biodiversity.

Uso de la diversidad forrajera tropical en combinaciones pareadas de leñosas forrajeras como indicador de preferencia para su inclusión en el diseño de sistemas silvopastoriles en zonas secas

<p>Los efectos del cambio climático frente a la disponibilidad de alimento bovino en zonas secas es una gran limitante, como innovación se seleccionaron diez forrajes leñosos en la zona seca de Rivas (Nicaragua); dentro de las cuales existen diferencias funcionales (nutricionales, físicas y fenológicas) que muestran la variabilidad entre las leñosas tales como leguminosas sin espinas (<em>Albizia niopoides, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Samanea saman</em>)<em>; </em>leguminosas con espinas (<em>Acacia farnesiana, Mimosa pigra</em>) <em>y </em>leñosas no leguminosas (<em>Moringa oleifera, Brosimum alicastrum</em>, <em>Cordia dentata </em>y <em>Guazuma ulmifolia</em>)<em>. </em>Estas representan parte de la diversidad forrajera tropical de zonas secas con alta posibilidad de integrarlas en el diseño de sistemas silvopastoriles como estrategias de alimentación bovina. Son pocos los estudios desarrollados en donde se combinan especies forrajeras para determinar la preferencia de los bovinos en pruebas controladas de cafetería, la primera, como una prueba corta se usó la metodología de pruebas de cafetería con leñosas pareadas, en donde se integra el tiempo efectivo de consumo como factor de medición. Para esto se utilizó forraje de ramas delgadas &lt;1,0 cm de diferentes individuos seleccionados de cada especie leñosa. Se utilizaron 5 vacas en producción con similares características, las cuales antes y después de las pruebas permanecieron con alimento y agua disponible. Se dispusieron atados en parejas de leñosas de acuerdo al orden de aleatorización. Se realizaron 225 combinaciones; 45 combinaciones por vaca (aleatorio) 25 combinaciones diarias (orden aleatorio); 3 minutos por evento; (75 minutos prueba/día); tiempo total de la prueba 11,25 horas; número de especies 10 y número días de prueba 9. Se evaluó el tiempo de consumo de cada leñosa, número de bocados/especie, y se obtuvo el consumo por diferencia de forraje ofrecido y rechazado. Estos resultados reflejan mayor preferencia y consumo de forraje, influenciado por la combinación de especies que presentan diferencias en sus rasgos físicos, nutricionales y fenológicos contrastantes que favorecen un mayor grado de preferencia cuando son ofrecidas individualemte<em>. </em>Lo anterior es explicado por razones asociadas a la integración de efectos nutricionales de la combinación como efectos sinérgicos a nivel digestivo de los componentes de la combinación de leñosas o con un incremento en la palatabilidad y consumo de las especies. </p><p> </p><p><strong>Use of tropical forage diversity in paired combinations of woody plants as an indicator of preference for inclusion in the design of silvopastoral systems in dry zones</strong></p>The effects of climate change on bovine feed availability in dry areas is a major constraint; as an innovation ten woody forages were selected in the dry zone of Rivas (Nicaragua), within which there are functional differences (nutritional, physical and phenological), that show the variability among the woody ones, such as leguminous without thorns (<em>Albizia niopoides, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Samanea saman</em>) leguminous with thorns (<em>Acacia farnesiana, Mimosa pigra</em>) and the woody ones no leguminous (<em>Moringa oleifera, Brosimum alicastrum, Cordia dentata y Guazuma ulmifolia</em>) that represent part of the tropical forage diversity, in dry zones with high possibility of integrate the woody ones with better forage characteristics in the design of silvopastoral systems to strategies of bovine feeding. There are not many studies developed, where foraged species are combined to determine the preference of the bovine in control tests of the coffee field, and the first one to be a short test where effective consumption time as a measure factor is integrated. Forage trees of thin branches &lt; 1.0 cm was used for this testing, taking different selected individuals of each woody species. Likewise, 5 cows in production with similar characteristics were used, which before and after the testing remained with food and water available. The forage was arranged trays in pairs of woody species, according to the order of randomization; 225 combinations were executed; 45 combinations per cow (random); 25 daily combinations (random order); 3 minutes per each event; (75 minutes test/day); and a total test time of 11.25 hours, a number of species 10 during 9 days. Each of the forage specie was assessed, number of bits/woody species consumption time. The consumption was obtained for difference each of fodder specie offered and declined. These results reflect a bigger preference in the consumption of forage, influenced by the combination of species that present differences in their physical features, nutritional and phenological contrasts that favor a bigger grade of preference when comparing the woody ones offered individually. The ideas above can be explained by reasons that are associated to the integration of nutritional effects of the combination as synergic effects in the digest system, of the elements of the combination of woody or with an increasing in the palatability and consumption of species.