THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND STOCKING RATE ON THE OUTPUT OF PASTURE GRAZED BY BEEF CATTLE

An experiment was conducted in two successire years to measure the effect of two levels of fertilizer N, 50 and 300 kg/ha (45 and 270 Ib/ac) on the productivity of pastures grazed by young beef cattle. Two stocking rates were imposed at the lower N level and 4 at the higher level. The responses per kg fertilizer N were approximately 1 kg liveweight gain, 20–24 Meal ME and 8–9 kg DM. Maximal yields of about 1000 kg gain/ha (890 Ib/ac) and 19,000 Meal ME/ha (7700 Mcal ME/acre) were recorded. Animal performance was similar on the low and the high N pastures. There was evidence that the chemical quality of pasture was lower on the low N pasture in the first year, but there was no difference in the second year. The numbers of dung pats per ha and the refusal of herbage due to fouling were reduced by Increasing the stocking rate.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN, STOCKING RATE AND FREQUENCY OF GRAZING BY BEEF CATTLE ON THE OUTPUT OF PASTURE

Two successive grazing experiments were conducted over 12 weeks on perennial ryegrass pastures with 50 and 44 young cattle to study the effect of N fertilizer when applied at a daily rate of 1 or 3 kg N/ha. At each level of N two stocking rates differing hy 20% were imposed. At the liigher N level and stocking rate, three frequencies of grazing were imposed. At the stocking rates imposed N tended to reduce the daily liveweight gain per head, but increased the total liveweight gain per ha by from 0.79 to 1.58 kg/kg N. A 20% increase in stocking rate depressed gain per head in both years. In the first year it did not improve gain/ha, hut in the second year gain/ha was increased by 12–17%. There was a tendency for performance per animal and per ha to increase as the grazing cycle was lengthened. In 1969 the highest yield in the whole season was 1880 grazing days and 1260 kg gain/ha. The overall response to N fertilizer was similar to that recorded in other reports, but it is possible that a lack of K had limited pasture growth.     

THE EFFECT OF HIGH NITROGEN LEVELS AND STOCKING RATES ON MILK OUTPUT FROM PASTURE

An experiment using 40 lactating dairy cows was conducted for 3 successive years to examine the effects of fertilizer N applied at 400 and 700 kg/ha (358 and 627 lb/ac) at stocking rates of 4.94 and 7.41 cows/ba (2 and 3 cows/ac). The animals were grazed in groups of 10 per treatment, using a fixed rotational grazing system, for 22 weeks in each year. Milk ontput/cow and/ha was significantly affected by stocking rate, the mean milk outputs being 2499 and 2218 kg/cow (5498 and 4880 lb/ cow) and 12313 and 16396 kg/ha (11032 and 14691 lb/ac) at the lower and higher stocking rates, respectively. Milk yield/cow at the lower stocking rate was not affected by N level. At tbe higher stocking rate, increasing the amount of N resulted in a 7.4% increase in milk output/cow and/ha. This response to N declined from 1.7% in the first year of the trial to 2.4% in the third year. The response in milk yield to N appeared to he greatest during the first part of the grazing season. Milk composition, liveweight change, and herbage availahilities and intakes were also recorded.     

A FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND STOCKING RATE ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF PASTURE FOR BEEF CATTLE

The liveweight gain was measured of beef cattle on pastures stocked at 5.9 to 11.8 cattle/ha and receiving 50, 182 or 329 kg N/ha in a 12-week season. N levels and stocking rates were so adjusted that similar yields of herbage per animal were expected. Results showed that similar liveweight gains per animal, averaging 1.03 kg/day, occurred at all N levels. Liveweight gain/ha ranged from 547 to 1037 kg in 12 weeks and the corresponding quantities of metabolizable energy utilized were 9890 and 17590 Meal. The results confinn earlier work (4, 7).     

EFFECT OF HIGH FERTILIZER NITROGEN AND STOCKING RATES ON LIVEWEIGHT GAIN PER ANIMAL AND PER HECTARE

The effect of increasing annual fertilizer N application rate from 400 to 800 kg/ha (357 to 714 lb N/ac) and stocking rate from 5.0 to 7.5 animals per forage ha (2.02 to 3.04 animals per forage ac) on herbage availability, digestible OM intake and live weight gain was investigated in a grazing experiment repeated in 3 consecutive years. A 21×1 day rotational paddock grazing system was used in which the grazing area was increased in the ratio of 1:1.5:3 on two predetermined occasions. Increasing the fertilizer N application rate increased herbage availability by 12% but failed to increase live weight gain. Increasing stocking rate decreased herbage availability per ha and per animal, and also live weight gain per animal, but increased live weight gain per forage ha by 17.6%.     

THE EFFECT OF STOCKING RATE ON ANIMAL PRODUCTION FROM CONTINUOUS AND ROTATIONAL GRAZING SYSTEMS

Liveweight and wool production data are presented from a grazing management experiment in which continuous stocking was compared with a four-paddock rotational system at three stocking rates on a sown pasture. Significant differences were recorded in liveweight and wool production between stocking rates. The overall effect of management was non-significant but its interaction with stocking rate and year were both significant. At the intermediate stocking rate (8 wethers/ac, 20 wethers/ha) increases in both liveweight and wool production were recorded for the rotational management system; in this treatment there was also less need for supplementary feeding. Greater wool production was recorded from the continuously grazed treatments at both the high and the low stocking rates but there was little effect on liveweight or the need for supplementary feeding.     

THE EFFECTS OF LEVEL OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON BEEF PRODUCTION FROM GRAZED PERENNIAL–RYEGRASS/WHITE–CLOVER PASTURES

The treatments in this summer–grazing experiment were designed as a 2 × 3 factorial, there being two levels of nitrogenous fertilizer (nitro–chalk), supplying 0 and 336kg of N/ha per annum (NO and N3, respectively) and three stocking rates. The fertilizer was applied in 7 dressings at approximately three–weekly intervals. The animals used were Hereford x Friesian steers; these were slaughtered at the end of the grazing season. The stocking rates were calculated on the basis of expected herbage production. The experiment was laid out in 6 randomized blocks which were grazed in rotation. Two blocks were cut for conservation before grazing each year; up to the end of June only 4 blocks were used for grazing.
There was little contamination of the swards with unsown species. With the NO swards the clover contents declined each year, but remained fairly high at over 20% in 1965. Clover contents also declined each year in the N3 swards and by 1965 were only 2 to 4%.
The quantities of herbage cut for conservation were higher from the swards receiving N. The live–weight gains of the cattle (per head) were higher at the lower stocking rates, the effect of stocking rate being more noticeable in the July to Oct. period. Live–weight gains per ha increased at the higher stocking rates. In 1963 and 1965, as stocking rates increased carcass weights per animal decreased and carcass quality, as indicated by the commercial grades, was poorer. In 1964, a dry spell from July to Oct. necessitated the removal of cattle from the experiment and the effects of treatment on carcass weight and quality were not apparent.     

THE EFFECTS OF LEVEL OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON BEEF PRODUCTION FROM GRAZED PERENNIAL RYEGRASS/WHITE–CLOVER PASTURES

The treatments in this summer–grazing experiment were designed as a 3X3 factorial; 3 levels of nitrogenous fertilizer, supplying 0, 336 and 672 kg N/ha per annum, and 3 stocking rates. The fertilizer was applied in 6 to 8 dressings at intervals of 3 to 4 weeks. The animals used were fattening Hereford X Friesian steers. The stocking rates were calculated on the basis of data available on herbage production under N and irrigation treatments and varied according to the level of N input. The experiment was laid out in 6 randomized blocks, which were grazed in rotation. Blocks were removed from the grazing cycle in spring and early summer of each of the 3 years (1962—-4) over which the experiment was conducted and cut for conservation: yields were recorded. Details are given of: grazing management; results of studies of soil–N levels; the quantities of herbage removed for conservation: the quantity, chemical and botanical composition of the herbage available for grazing; and herbage consumption.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTENSITY OF GRAZING AND THE HERBAGE CONSUMPTION AND GROWTH OF CALVES

Experiments were conducted in 1967 and 1968 in which HerefordXFriesian (Experiment 1) and Friesian (Experiment 2) steer calves horn in April were turned out to graze at one week or 3 months of age, respectively, and maintained at three stocking densities in the ratio 1:2:3 animals per unit area. The calves grazed paddocks of S23 perennial ryegrass in rotation, and were moved when the height of grazed stubble at the medium stocking density was reduced to 8 cm. The rate of liveweight gain and herbage intake per head declined as stocking rate increased. When the results of the two experiments were compared, the weight gain of the calves was more closely related to the weight of herbage residues than to the height of the grazed sward. The rate of liveweight gain was depressed when the amount of herhage left after grazing fell helow 2000–2500 kg OM/ha (1800–2250 Ib/ac).     

Animal and forage responses on lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pastures under contrasting grazing managements in a temperate climate

This study determined the impact of a change in grazing system on beef production from lucerne pastures in Argentina. One system (T500) used the traditional recommendation to commence grazing in spring when lucerne was near to 10% flowering. The grazing interval was ~ 500 growing degree-days (GDD; above a base temperature for growth of 5°C) from mid-spring to mid-autumn. In contrast, the T350 system commenced grazing 11–15 days earlier at ~ 1,000 kg DM/ha and the grazing interval was ~ 350 GDD from mid-spring to mid-summer, and from mid-summer to mid-autumn, it was ~ 500 GDD. Total live-weight production was ~ 30% or 185 and 115 kg/ha higher in T350 than T500 in Years 1 and 2 respectively. This was due to a higher live-weight production per head and a higher stocking rate, because T350 produced 1,600 kg DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ more forage. Plant population (~70 plants/m²) and perennial biomass (root plus crown) at the end of the second year did not differ between treatments. This suggests that lucerne persistence was not affected by the more intensive spring grazing of T350, because an adequate period of autumn recovery was allowed. This work quantified the live-weight gain (+30%, +150 kg/ha) when the grazing management of lucerne during the spring–summer period was based on crop growth status (i.e. standing biomass, canopy height) rather than on crop phenology.     

THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF PASTURES

The data from all published results of grazing trials in which three or more rates of stocking were compared for one or more years were examined. Where possible regression equations and correlation coefficients were calculated. In many cases, a significant negative correlation was found between stocking rate per acre and live-weight gain per animal per day. In no case was the relationship positive, and no point of discontinuity was found in the linear relationship. The slope of the line appeared to be related to the length of the grazing season; the longer the season, the steeper the slope. The application of these results in practice is discussed in agronomic and economic terms.     

A PORTABLE-CORRAL TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING THE EFFECT OF GRAZING INTENSITY ON YIELD, QUALITY AND INTAKE OF HERBAGE

A grazing experiment using four stocking rates of sheep, equivalent to 34, 45, 57 and 68 sheep/ha on an assumed 200-day grazing season, was conducted using a portable grazing corral technique. Plots were subjected to fotir grazing periods between mid May and early September. The effect of stocking rate on herbage yield and quality and the influence of these factors and feed intake on liveweights of the sheep were recorded. The mean daily herbage organic matter available over the trial was 9.6, 5.8, 3.3 and 23% of the total liveweight of the sheep at each of the four stocking rates. The highest grazing pressure led to the production of high-quality herbage, but also led to reduced productivity, low feed intake and liveweight losses. The most lenient grazing pressure failed to provide adequate herbage utilization. Even at the most intensive stocking pressure, only 66% of the herbage available to ground level was utilized in grazings after July. Intake results suggested that sheep of 45 kg liveweight required 1000–1200 g digestible organic matter per day to maintain body weight. Despite the higher in vitro digestibility of herbage on offer at the higher stocking rates, intake was limited through lack of herbage; a high degree of correlation existed between herbage availability and herbage intake over the four stocking rates and at all grazings. It is concluded that the portable corral technique is well suited for grazing studies and the assessment of sward response to varying stocking rates and is particularly useful where facilities for more extensive studies are limited.     

THE EFFECT OF LEVEL OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER ON BEEF PRODUCTION FROM GRAZED PERENNIAL RYEGRASS/WHITE CLOVER PASTURES

In a 3 × 3 factorial experiment, the effects of three levels of nitrogenous fertilizer (0, 336 and 672 kg/N per ha) and three grazing intensities on live-weight gains and carcass attributes were measured.
The live-weight gains of the animals (per head) over the season were greater at the low and moderate grazing intensities than at the high; this effect occurred mainly from July to October each year. Gains were low on the no-nitrogen swards from July 1962 to the end of the grazing season and throughout 1963: this was related to the very high clover content of the swards.
In all years, as grazing intensities increased, the carcass weights per animal became lower. Carcass balance, carcass length, depth of longissimus dorsi muscle, fat thickness over the longissimus dorsi, weight of kidney suet and channel fat, and weight of the alimentary tract also reflected the effect of treatment on weight gains.
The results are discussed in relation to the botanical composition and consumption of the herbage, presented in Part I.     

THE USE OF GRAZING CONTROL FOR INTENSIVE FAT-LAMB PRODUCTION

The effects of three stocking rates on fat-lamb production were examined. These stocking rates were imposed upon four grazing systems. The grazing managements had no significant¹ effects upon the rate of liveweight gain or the total liveweight of lamb produced per acre, nor were the ewes' liveweights significantly affected. Reasons are suggested. The lambs' rate of liveweight gain was related negatively and the total liveweight of lamb produced per acre was related positively to stocking rate. The ewes' liveweights were similarly affected, there being the highest losses of liveweight under the high stocking rate. In all cases significant differences existed between the stocking rates and there was a significant linear relationship between them. It is concluded that high stocking rates are essential to obtain the maximum fat-lamb production on a 'per acre' basis.     

A NOTE ON THE ZERO-GRAZING OF BEEF CATTLE

Groups of 8 steers weighing 300–400 kg (660–880 Ib) were rotationally grazed on a ryegrass-dominant pasture for 115 days. The systems compared were zero grazing (Z), field grazing conducted at the same stocking rate (FC), and field grazing conducted at a stocking rate varied with the intention of giving the same liveweight gain per uiimal as zero grazing (FV). Mean daily liveweight gains were: Z, 0.98; FC, 0.78; FV, 0.90 kg/animal (2.2, 1.7 and 20 Ib/animal), and liveweight gains/unit area were in the ratio 100:78:85. Organic-matter intake, measured on four occasions, was, on average, Z, 6.54; FC, 6.18; FV, 687 kg/head daily (14.4, 13.6 and 15.1Ib). From these results it appears that a comparison of zero grazing and field grazing made at the same stocking rate is likely to underestimate the potential of field grazing for beef production from grass.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN APPLICATION TO PASTURE ON BEEF PRODUCTION

Five grazing experiments each lasting 2 or 3 years were made between 1955 and 1967, all starting in the first year of ryegrass/cocksfoot/clover or ryegrass/clover leys. A high and a low rate of N, 235 and 45 Ib/ac on average (263 and 51 kg/ha) were compared for beef production. High- and low-N treatments gave mean clover contents for the grazing season of 8 and 24 % on a dry-weight basis, respectively. High N consistently gave a smaller liveweight gain/animal than low N, on average 1±92 and 2±08 Ib/day (0±87 and 0±94 kg/day), respectively. Liveweight gain/ac was 20% greater for high N than for low N, and in terms of net energy the production from high- and low-N, respectively, was 18,500 and 15,000 MJ/ac (45,700 and 37,100 MJ/ha). Data from these experiments, together with published results, were used to calculate a regression of liveweight gain response on N rate and an equation was derived from this to express the output in terms of profit. At 1971 prices profit was maximal at λ0±9/ac (λ2/ha) with 112 Ib N/ac (125 kg N/ha); it was considerably greater at 1973 prices when higher rates of N were justified.     

POTENTIAL PASTURE PRODUCTION IN THE UPLANDS OF WALES

Resown S23 perennial ryegrass pastures showed considerably greater response to the application of fertilizer N (0·1075 kg N/ha per year = 0–960 Ib N/ac) at 305 m O.D. than the native Festuca ovina/Agrostis tenuis and Molinia caerulea dominant communities on identical brown earth and peaty gley soils. Ryegrass DM production during 1967–70 increased with N application rates up to 538 kg N/ha per year (480 Ib N/ac) on the acid-brown earth, while on the extremely N-deficient gley soil yield responses were recorded up to 1075 kg N/ha (960 Ib N/ac). Percentage N recovery by ryegrass, bowever, although improved by grazing and re circulation, was less than under lowland conditions and the response to N during the growing season was also lower, exceeding 20 kg DM/kg N from applications in May, June and July only. The recovery of N by Festuca/Agrostis and Molinia in 1968–70 ranged from 3% and 2% at 938 kg N/ha to 14% and 9% at 117 kg N/ba per year, respectively. The respective maximum average DM yields recorded were 29 t/ha and 2.2 t/ha from the native communities and 70 t/ha and 62 t/ha from the corresponding resown pastures (2610, 1950, 6250 and 5520 Ib/ac). The results are discussed in relation to the strategy of land improvement in upland areas.     

RESPONSE OF CREEPING RED FESCUE SEED FIELDS TO AFTERMATH GRAZING BY BEEF CATTLE

Autumn grazing of creeping red fescue seed fields at moderate stocking rates produced excellent animal gains, while only slightly reducing the subsequent seed yields. Under autumn grazing of moderate intensity (3.7 animal units/ha) steers made gains of over 1 kg/day while seed yields were reduced by 8%. Under grazing of heavy intensity (6.2 animal units/ha) animal gains were almost 1 kg/day, but seed yields were reduced by 16%.
A spring-grazing period reduced seed yields by 35% and was too short to provide animal gains. Removal of the aftermath as hay improved seed yields slightly, particularly in the second and third harvest years.
A conversion of TDN to body gain of 5.5:1 indicated that the nutritive quality of the aftermath was adequate.     

DAIRY PRODUCTION FROM PASTURE; A COMPARISON OF TWO METHODS OF CONTROLLED GRAZING AT TWO RATES OF STOCKING

An experiment was started in 1957 that compared the production from dairy cows on daily strip-folding with that from a system of rotational grazing where the cows were given a fresh allocation of pasture about once or twice a week. Management was so arranged that equal areas of pasture were grazed off by the same number of cows in a similar period of time. The experiment was carried out at two rates of stocking, one about 20% greater than the other, the lower rate considered to be equivalent to good close folding practice and the higher rate therefore somewhat restrictive. No supplementary food was given during the grazing season.
At the high rate of stocking, rotational grazing gave an average milk yield of 40 lb./cow/day whilst daily strip-folding yielded 38 lb./cow/day. At the low rate of stocking production was 42 lb./cow/day for both methods.
At the high rate milk yield/acre from the rotational grazing was 1007 and from the strip-folding 977 gals. At the low rate comparable results were 881 and 874 gals.
There was no general trend in yield per cow or per acre in favour of either the rotational grazing or daily strip-folding systems of management. Increasing cow days/acre by 21% decreased yield/cow/day by 7% but significantly increased milk yield/acre, by 13%.     

A COMPARISON BETWEEN A PADDOCK SYSTEM AND A 'WYE COLLEGE' SYSTEM OF GRAZING FOR MILK PRODUCTION

Two grazing systems, a paddock system and a ‘Wye College’ system, were compared in two 20-week experiments nsing 16 and 20 spring-calved Ayrshire cows in 1970 and 1971, respectively. A sward of S23 perennial ryegrass was used, and an average of 342 kg N/ha (305 lb N/ ac) was applied per annum. The paddock system had 28 separate paddocks; one paddock was grazed each day in rotation and occasionally topped in mid-season. The Wye College system had 4 plots of equal size and the cows were offered 1/7 of one plot each day; no back fence was used and surplus herbage was neither cut nor topped. The stocking rate on hoth systems was 1 cow per 0.20 ha (0.49 ac) in 1970 and per 0.16 ha (0.40 ac) in 1971. The mean daily milk yields per cow on the paddock and the Wye College systems were 16.2 and 15.3 kg (35.7 and 33.7 lb), respectively, in 1970; and 18.1 and 18.4 kg (39.9 and 40.6 lb) in 1971. The average annual output of milk was 13,500 and 13,150 kg/ha (1200 and 1170 gal/ac) on the paddock and Wye College systems, respectively. The fat and solids-not-fat (S.N.F.) contents of the milk were not significantly affected by the grazing system. It is concluded that the Wye College system was as effective as the paddock system in producing a high output of mUk per ha, but at a lower cost and with far fewer management decisions.