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.     

THE ERROR IN PREDICTING PASTURE DRY–MATTER DIGESTIBILITY FROM FOUR DIFFERENT METHODS OF ANALYSIS FOR LIGNIN

The lignin content of 50 samples of five grasses of known in vivo digestibility were determined by the methods of Armitage, van Soest and two modifications of the van Soest technique. The error in predicting DM digestibility varied from ±3.1 for tbe Armitage metbod to ±5.0 for the van Soest method. This error compares nnfavourably witb ±2.1 previonsly obtained on tbe same samples with the in vitro technique of Tilley and Terry.     

THE INFLUENCE OF SAMPLE SIZE AND NUMBER ON THE PRECISION OF ESTIMATES OF HERBAGE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION IN TWO GRAZING EXPERIMENTS

Estimates of forage production and consumption were made, using dry-weight differences between samples from protected and grazed areas. Two sizes of cage for protecting areas from grazing were compared in four forages: brome grass (Bromus inermis Leyss.)/Iucerne (Medicago sativa L.); crested wbeatgrass (Agropyron crista-tum L.)/lucerne; intermediate wbeatgrass (A. intermedium (Host.) Beauv.)/Iucerne; and Russian wild-rye (Elymus junceus Fisch.). Production, over a three-year period, ranged from 1985 to 6286 kg/ha when estimated from 0.84 m² cages. Consumption ranged from 1584 to 5878 kg/ha. Yield estimates wben using 2.51 m² cages averaged 8% less than estimates from 0.84 m² cages. The number of caged sites needed in each plot to estimate a 95% confidence interval for annual production were 14 for four replicates, and over 30 for fewer replicates. Requirements for consumption estimates were similar. To estimate production within a 90% confidence interval 19, 10 and 4 caged sites were required from two, three, and four replicates, respectively. Consumption estimates within tbis confidence interval required 22, 10, and 5 samples from two, tbree, and four replicates, respectively. Caging requirements were tbe same for all combinations of plot size and forage species. Large cages increased precision sligbtly wben used on Russian wild-rye, probably because the forage was in rows 0.91 m apart.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGENOUS FERTILIZER ON THE RATE OF GROWTH OF ITALIAN RYEGRASS

This paper describes the rate of growth of Italian ryegrass in the spring, measured by recording DM yield at weekly intervals up to 10 weeks. There were 3 levels of applied N: 25, 75 aud 125 lhJac (28, S4 and 140 kgJha). Rate of growth declined after the sixth week at all 3 levels of N. Grass receiving 25 Ib N produced 5000 Ib DMJac (5600 kgJha) in 10 weeks, that receiving 75 lb N 6800 Ib (7700 kgJha) and that receiving 125 lb N 7100 lb (8000 kgJha). The DM content of herbage fell after the first week and subsequently increased steadily up to 10 weeks; the fall was least marked and the rate of increase most rapid at tbe lowest level of N. In vitro digestibility (measured in one year only) was much affected by stage of growth and little affected by level of N.     

Survival of soil bacteria during prolonged desiccation

A determination was made of the kinds and numbers of bacteria surviving when two soils were maintained in the laboratory under dry conditions for more than half a year. Certain non-spore-forming bacteria were found to survive in the dry condition for long periods. A higher percentage of drought-tolerant than drought-sensitive bacteria was able to grow at low water activities. When they were grown in media with high salt concentrations, bacteria generally became more tolerant of prolonged drought and they persisted longer. The percent of cells in a bacterial population that remained viable when exposed to drought stress varied with the stage of growth.     

Estimating butterfly numbers

While various experimental methods may show the number of butterflies in a given area, this, of itself, is no pointer either to general scarcity or to the reverse. Even less can it be taken as being the result of a particular set of outside influences. However, low levels in certain (otherwise plentiful) species may be taken as indicating unsuitable management trends.