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Grassland Characteristics, Mr P Reynolds - Coggle Diagram
Grassland Characteristics
value of grassland is assessed by
Botanical Composition:
Range of grasses, plants and other vegetation within a set area.
Stocking Rate
Number of animals on a given amount of land over a certain period of time.
Expressed as animal units per unit of land area. Eg 4 LU/HA
Livestock Units
A livestock unit (LU) is a measurement of livestock grazing"
Determine how much grazing and winter fodder is needed on a farm
1 LU requires 12 Tonnes of herbage
1 dairy/suckler cow = 1LU
Cattle < 1 year = 0.4LU
Cattle 1 – 2 years = 0.6 LU
Sheep = 0.15LU
Production Levels:
the amount of herbage (eg. Tonnes of Grass) by the area of pasture.
Measured in Kg/DM/Ha
Importance - Higher Grass Production =
= More Animals = Higher Profit
= Increased animal Intake = Increased Milk Volume/Quality = Higher Profit
= Increased animal intake = high Live Weight Gain (LWG) = Higher Profit
= Increased animal intake = better animal health = Less Disease = Less Cost
= Increased animal intake = better animal condition = higher fertility = higher profit
= grass only diet = less concentrates = less cost
Why measure Grass?
Minimise costs (Fertiliser) (Concentrates)
Identify grass surpluses and deficits quickly.
Know when to reduce, or cut out, meal feeding.
Maximise the proportion of grazed grass in the diet.
Improve pasture quality, feed more grass, and at a higher quality.
Graze more grass in the spring and autumn, shorten the winter period.
Achieve target average farm covers at key times during the year.
Categories of grassland are
Rough mountain/hill grazing
Highly Variable –Poor grasses - Foxtail, Timothy
Low 1Lu/HA
Low 5t/HA
Permanent grassland
Fewer species present
1-3 LU HA
5t-10t/HA
Leys
One or Two species of Perennial Rye grass and clover.
High >3 LU/HA
High 10t/HA +
Grass Species
Grass species are specialised for wind pollination
Petals are reduced/Absent
Lacks scent(Smell) or Colour
Stamen hang outside the plant and produce large amounts of pollen
Feathery stigma to trap pollen.
Flag Leaf – uppermost leaf, contains the seed head before the plant flowers or heads out.
Tiller – side shoot capable of producing a new plant.
Seed Head – flowering part of the plant also called the inflorescence.
Growth cycle of grass
Vegetative Stage
Tillering Occurs
Increase Leaf for photosynthesis and Competition
High Quality Feeding
High Sugar/Cellulose
Palatable/Digestible
Elongation Stage
Stem develops
Rapid Growth
Poorer Quality Feed Value
Lower Sugar/Cellulose
Less Palatable /Digestible
Reproductive Stage
Seed head emerges
Low Sugar/Cellulose
More Fibre = Poor Palatability/Digestibility
Important characteristics of grass
Palatability
Palatability is a measure of how pleasent the grass is to taste.
Livestock will eat palatable grass and ingnore unpalatable grass.
How to Improve Palatability
Graze grass at correct stage (leafy)
Graze grass completely (Clean out paddocks)
Nutrition – Grass has correct nutrients (fertiliser)
Grass Seed – Plant more palatable grass
Add Clover – Protein & sweetness
Topping – reduce unpalatable grass and weeds
Multi-Species swards – More palatable plants
more palatable to animals when young, tender, and leafy.
Productivity
measure of the quantity of plant material produced by grass
Measured in Tonnes/Dry Matter/Hectare or t/Dm/HA
increase/ Factors that affect Productivity
Grass type – Perrenial/ Italian Rye Grass
Grazing Management – Grass grazed efficiently increases productivity
Nutrient Management - Correct fertiliser application/Soil pH.
Weather – Temperature/Rainfall
Clover – Increased Nitrogen = Higher Productivity
Weeds - Competition reduces yield/increase competition
Perrenial Rye Grass = Highest productivity
Digestibility
Proportion of grass(Foodstuff) that can be assimilated (Digested) and used by the body
Vegetative growth stage (Feb – May), grass is high in carbohydrates, high digestibility.
Grass is producing flowering stems (May – June), it produces fibre, which is low in digestibility, instead of carbohydrate and protein.
increase/ Factors that affect Digestibility
Grass type - Perrenial ryegrass highly Digestible
Grazing Management – Grass grazed efficiently increases digestibility
Nutrient Management - Correct fertiliser application increases leaf
Weather – Temperature/Rainfall
Clover – Increased Nitrogen = Increase Digestibility
Dry matter (DM):
the matter remaining in a sample of food after the water has been removed.
Dry matter digestibility (DMD)
the amount (percentage) of dry matter that can be digested by an animal.
How to Increase DMD:
Cut/Graze before heading out date
Cut/Graze in dry conditions
Pre-mow/Wilt grass (increase sugars)
Add Mollases (INcrease sugars)
Grass Type (Leafy Perennial Grass)
Dry matter intake (DMI)
the amount of feed an animal consumes, excluding its water content.
Grass Selection
Perennial Rye Grass
Highest palatability, productivity and digestibility
High DM production.
Long growing season (reduced winter costs)
High stocking rate
Good tillering ability
Italian Ryegrass
Advantages:
Longer growing season than PRG.
Produces 20% more herbage than PRG.
Disadvantages
Biennial – Reseeded every few years
Harder Managed
Hybrid Ryegrasses
This would combine the persistence and a longer growing season of PRG with high production levels of IRG.
Hybrid Vigour
Multispecies Swards
a mixture of three or more species whose growth characteristics complement each other resulting in improved productivity
Advantages
Increase Butterfat/Protein in milk – Increase profit
Increase protein in Feed – Reduce concentrates – Increase LWG - Increase Profit
Clover Fixes nitrogen – Reduce fertiliser use – reduce costs
Increase Palatability – Higher Intake – Higher LWG/Milk Yield
Negatives
Grazing management is different and takes time to correct
Silage production is limited
Weeds are difficult to control
Competition might reduce productivity of other species.
Poaching may impact regrowth of clover and plantain.
Mr P Reynolds