Grassland Pasture Composition and Quality in the Communes of Ziguinchor and Kolda, Senegal

In Senegal, natural pasture plays a major role in feeding livestock. During the rainy season, herbaceous plants account for a large proportion of the fodder consumed by ruminants. In Casamance, the composition and quality of these grasses are poorly known and underexploited. In this context, the study aimed to improve the knowledge and valorisation of the herbaceous fodder of the South. Individual interviews were conducted and a questionnaire was sent to farmers living in Ziguinchor and Kolda. A floristic inventory with a phytosociological approach was also carried out. The data collected were processed using Excel and Sphinx software in order to differentiate and classify the herbaceous species eaten by the tail. The majority of respondents were Fulani (55.30%). most of whom ranged in age from 30 to 60. Livestock rearing came second (38.3%) after agriculture (40%) among the principal activities of the people surveyed. The floristic inventory identified 95 species in 68 genera and 22 families. Species of low and medium pastoral value dominate the herbaceous layer. The global rangeland quality index was 48.16% and the brute pastoral value was 54.77%. Thirteen species contributed 54.86% of the pastoral value of the grassland. The floristic composition of community rangelands showed the presence of a varied herbaceous fodder range. The combination of which will help to develop a table of nutritional values for the formation of equilibrated feed rations for farmed livestock.

Spatio-Temporal Variability of Rainfall and Temperature and Their Effects on Pasture Variability over East Africa: Implication on the Cattle Grazing Areas

Understanding the spatiotemporal variability of climatic parameters and their effects on pasture variability is vital for pasture management interventions over East Africa. The present study aims to assess the spatial-temporal variability of rainfall, temperature and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (which is being used to assess pasture quality and productivity) over the region, between the period of 1982 and 2019. This study used annual mean values for rainfall, temperature and NDVI which were calculated for the period mentioned above. NDVI was derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Area Cover (GAC) (NOAA-07-GAC) data. The rainfall data was acquired from the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) while temperature is ERA5 reanalysis data sourced from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The study utilized the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) to identify patterns and dominant relationships between the climate variables. The correlation was calculated between rainfall, temperature and NDVI to assess the relationship among them. A non-parametric Mann-Kendall trends test was used to determine whether annual precipitation, temperature and NDVI had statistically increasing or decreasing trend. Results revealed a positive correlation between rainfall and NDVI while a negative correlation between NDVI and temperature. Positive correlation between rainfall and NDVI indicates that pasture health (quality and productivity), will improve accordingly. A negative correlation between temperature and NDVI indicates that pasture health will decrease with increase in temperature while improving with decreasing temperature. Outcome from this study suggests that changes in climatic variables influence the distribution of pasture in East Africa’s cattle grazing areas. The study hence recommends prioritisation of climatic (weather) information during pasture management over East Africa.

纪念世界第一本RANGE AND PASTURE MANAGEMENT(《草原与放牧地管理学》)教材出版100周年

1923年,美国第一本,也是世界第一本草原管理学方面的教材——RANGE AND PASTURE MANAGEMENT(《草原与放牧地管理学》)出版。本文通过对该书的作者、内容(前言、正文和索引)、对美国草原管理学教育和教材的重要影响、对我国草原管理学同类教材建设的意义进行介绍和论述,以纪念该书出版100周年。

Study on the Influence of Climatic Change on Pasture Growth in Inner Mongolia Grassland

Through analyzing statistically metrological observation data from 1971 to 2010 and pasture data from 1983 to 2012 at 6 animal husbandry meteorological testing stations of Inner Mongolia grassland, the conclusions were drawn. Those were that annual average temperature rose in a straight line in Inner Mongolia grassland, and the increase rates of annual average temperature in meadow steppe and typical steppe were 0.40 and 0.34 ℃/10 a respectively. Annual rainfall had 10-year cyclical characteristics, and precipitation in the 1990s was the most but reduced significantly after 2000. Climate experienced the cold wet -cold dry -warm wet -warm dry periods. Warm and dry climate made the average heights of pasture in meadow steppe and typical steppe of Inner Mongolia cut down 2.4 and 9.3 cm in nearly 12 years than that in the 1990s; the average coverage of herbage decreased by 11% and 13%; the average hay yields reduced by 1 019.8 and 671.4 kg/hm^2.

Effect of thatch on water-soluble phosphorus of pasture soil fertilized with broiler litter

The presence of a thatch layer in established pastures could reduce the contact between broiler litter and soil, thus increasing the potential for surface runoff contamination with litter P. We conducted a laboratory study to evaluate the effect of a thatch layer on the dynamics of water-soluble P in undisturbed cores taken from a pasture. Cores with and without a thatch layer received a surface application of broiler litter (5 thm-2) and were incubated at 25 oC for 56 d. The result showed that on the soil surface the contents of water soluble-P (39 kghm-2) of the cores with the thatch layer was higher than that (20 kghm-2) of the cores without the thatch layer. Therefore on well-established pastures fertilized with broiler litter, the presence of a thatch layer might lead to high concentrations of water-soluble P on the soil surface.

Quantitative Simulation of Dynamic Changes in Cultivated Land in Areas of Reclamation and Returning Cultivated Land to Forest or Pastures under RCPs Climate Scenarios

Northeast China as one of important agricultural production bases is an area under reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures. Therefore, it is of great practical significance in guaranteeing the sustainable development and national food security to study the spatial and temporal variation of cultivated land in Northeast China under future climate scenarios. In this study, based on data of land use, natural environment and social-economy, dynamics of land system（DLS） model was used to to simulate the spatial distribution and changing trends of cultivated land in the typical areas of reclamation and returning cultivated land to forest or pastures in Northeast China during 2010-2030 under land use planning scenario and representative concentration pathways（RCPs） scenarios quantitatively.The results showed that the area of cultivated land had an overall decreasing trend under the land use planning scenario, but the area of upland field increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 and then declined greatly, while the area of paddy field continuously declined from 2000 to 2030. Under the Asia-Pacific Integrated model（AIM）scenario, the total area of cultivated land had a tendency to increase considerably,with the upland field expanding more obviously and the paddy field declining slightly.In addition, the cultivated land showed a greater decreasing trend under the model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impact（MESSAGE） scenario compared to the land use planning scenario. Moreover, analysis on the conversion between different land use types indicated that the reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures was likely to continue under future scenarios, but the frequency of occurrence could decrease as the time goes by. The conclusions can provide significant decision-making information for the rational agricultural planning and cultivated land protection in Northeast China to adapt to the climate change.

Mountain Pastures and Grasslands in the SW Tien Shan,Kyrgyzstan-Floristic Patterns,Environmental Gradients,Phytogeography,and Grazing Impact

Vast grasslands are found in the walnut-fruit forest region of southern Kyrgyzstan,Middle Asia.Located above the worldwide unique walnutfruit forests and used for grazing,they play a pivotal role in the mixed mountain agriculture of local farmers.Accordingly,these pastures are subject to an increasing utilization pressure reflecting the changing political and social conditions in the transformation process from a Soviet republic to an independent state.A first detailed analysis of mountain pasture vegetation in the Ferghana Range answers the following questions:What are the main plant community types among Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures? What are the main environmental gradients that shape their species composition? Which phytogeographical distribution types are predominant? How does grazing affect community composition and species richness in these grasslands? Species composition was classified by cluster analysis;underlying environmental gradients were explored using DCA.A dataset of 395 relevés was used for classification,and a subset of 79 relevés was used in a DCA to analyze the correlation between vegetation,environment,and grazing impact.The investigated pastures were classified into four distinctive plant communities.The site factors altitude,heat load,inclination and grazing impact were found to be the major determinants of the vegetation pattern.A significant overlap between floristic composition and structural and spatial properties was shown.The majority of the species pool consisted of Middle Asian endemics and Eurosiberian species.However,disturbance-tolerant species played a significant role with respect to species composition and coverage of the herbaceous layer in vast areas of southern Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures.In general,an intense grazing impact is clearly reflected by both species composition and structural variables of plant communities.The highly diverse and unique ecosystem is modified by an increasing utilization pressure.In order to maintain vital processes and functioning of this valuable ecosystem-in both economical and ecological terms-,it is indispensable to adopt appropriate pasture management strategies.

Predicting Levels of Crude Protein, Digestibility, Lignin and Cellulose in Temperate Pastures Using Hyperspectral Image Data

Hyperspectral sensors provide the potential for direct estimation of pasture feed quality attributes. However, remote sensing retrieval of digestibility and fibre (lignin and cellulose) content of vegetation has proven to be challenging since tissue optical properties may not be propagated to the canopy level in mixed cover types. In this study, partial least squares regression on spectra from HyMap and Hyperion imagery were used to construct predictive models for estimation of crude protein, digestibility, lignin and cellulose concentration in temperate pastures. HyMap and Hyperion imagery and field spectra were collected over four pasture sites in southern Victoria, Australia. Co-incident field samples were analyzed with wet chemistry methods for crude protein, lignin and cellulose concentration, and digestibility was calculated from fiber determinations. Spectral data were subset based on sites and time of year of collection. Reflectance spectra were extracted from the hyperspectral imagery and collated for analysis. Six different transformations including derivatives and continuum removal were applied to the spectra to enhance absorption features sensitive to the quality attributes. The transformed reflectance spectra were then subjected to partial least squares regression, with full cross-validation “leave-one-out” technique, against the quality attributes to assess effects of the spectral transformations and post-atmospheric smoothing techniques to construct predictive models. Model performance between spectrometers, subsets and attributes were assessed using a coefficient of variation (CV), —the interquantile (IQ) range of the attribute values divided by the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) from the models. The predictive models with the highest CVs were obtained for digestibility for all spectra types, with HyMap the highest. However, models with slightly lower CVs were obtained for crude protein, lignin and cellulose. The spectral regions for diagnostic wavelengths fell within the chlorophyll well, red edge, and 2000-2300 nm ligno-cellulose-protein regions, with some wavelengths selected between the 1600 and 1800 nm region sensitive to nitrogen, protein, lignin and cellulose. The digestibility models with the highest CV’s had confidence intervals corresponding to ±5% digestibility, which constitutes approximately 30% of the measured range. The cellulose and lignin models with the highest CV’s also had similar confidence intervals but the slopes of the prediction lines were substantially less than 1:1 indicating reduced sensitivity. The predictive relationships established here could be applied to categorizing pasture quality into range classes and to determine whether pastures are above or below for example threshold values for livestock productivity benchmarks.

Effects of Different Grazing Intensities on Vegetation Characteristics of Cultivated Pastures in Southern China

[Objective]The paper was to study the effect of different grazing intensities on vegetation characteristics of artificial pasture by plot rota- tion grazing experiment. [Method]Grazing intensity was divided into 2 treatments of heavy grazing and light grazing,and each treatment contained 6 plots,with randomized complete block design. A blank control was set near test plot. Ninety disease-free and healthy 2-year-old Yunling Black Goats with consistent body condition were selected and divided into 2 groups： heavy grazing （ 55） and light grazing （ 35） . The goats were conduc- ted rotation grazing in 6 plots,and the average stocking rates were 12. 6 and 8 goat /hm 2 . The plant height,coverage,underground biomass and pasture plant nutrition of 2 treatments were measured,respectively. [Result]The cocksfoot height had significant difference with control under graz- ing conditions （ P 〈0. 05） ,while the heights of ryegrass and white clover in control plot had no significant difference with that in grazing plot （ P 〉 0. 05） . Grazing intensity had different effects on coverage of different plants; grazing utilization reduced the coverage of cocksfoot and ryegrass, which had little impact on coverage of white clover; viewed from the whole plant communities,the coverage in control plot was greater than that in grazing plot. The underground biomass in 0 -20 cm soil depth in grazing plot accounted for about 90%; with the increase of grazing intensity,un- derground biomass was decreased. The crude protein （ CP） and crude fat （ EE） content of forage decreased,while acid detergent fiber （ ADF） and neutral detergent fiber （ NDF） increased. [Conclusion]The research provided scientific basis for determination of suitable grazing system and sus- tainable utilization of pasture resources.

Cool-season annual pastures with clovers to supplement wintering beef cows nursing calves

In December of 3 years, 87 beef cows with nursing calves （.594 ± 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November） at side were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender and divided randomly into 6 groups assigned to 1 of 6 cool-season annual pastures （0.45 ha/cow） that had been interseeded into a dormant common bermudagrass （Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.）/bahiagrass （Paspalum notatum Flugge） sod. Pastures contained 1 of the following 3 seeding mixtures （2 pastures/mixture）： 1） wheat （Triticum aestivurn L.） and ryegrass （Lofium multiflorum Lain., WRG）, 2） wheat and ryegrass plus red clover （Trifolium pretense L, WRR）, or 3） wheat and ryegrass plus white （Trifofium repens L.） and crimson clovers （Trifolium incarnatum L., WRW）. All groups had ad libitum access to grass hay （12% crude protein; 58% total digestible nutrients）. The second week in December, cow estrous cycles were synchronized and artificially inseminated. In late December, a bull was placed with each group for 60-d. Data were analyzed with an analysis of variance using a mixed model containing treatment as the fixed effect and year as the random effect. Body weight and condition scores did not differ （P ≥ 0.27） among cows between February and June. Calf birth weights or average daily gain did not differ （P≥ 0.17） among treatments; however, calves grazing pastures with clovers did tend （P= 0.06） to weigh more than calves grazing grass only. Weaning weight per cow exposed to a bull was greater （P= 0.02） for WRR and WRW than WRG. Cows grazing winter-annual pastures containing clovers tended to wean more calf body weight per cow exposed to a bull than cows grazing the grass only pastures.

Carbon Accumulation in a Humid Temperate Prairie Pasture Following Abandonment and Afforestation

Carbon budget changes were measured on a farm near Robinson, Texas, where land originally tilled for hay production was abandoned over time periods of 10, 20, and 35 years followed by succession of prairie and forest vegetation. Woody biomass accumulation increased following abandonment from 0.14 kg C m2 yr~ during forest initiation to 0.57 kg C m2 yr-1 of the mature forest Soil carbon was highest in the tilled field （ 15.77 kg C m2） with lowest in the grassland （ 11.66 kg C m-2）. Soil nitrogen was highest in the tilled field （0.55 kg N ms） and lowest in the forest transition （0.38 kg N m2）. Soil C：N ratios were highest in the forest transition （C：N=36） and lowest in the grassland （C：N=22）. Soil respiration was constant across the site with an annual average value of 1.46 kg CO2-C m-2 yr-. Results show that land in this region may be a source of carbon for several decades following abandonment due to enhanced soil carbon emissions as a function of nutrient input shifts.

Relation between some variations of soil and surface vegetation and desertization in agriculture-pasture interlacing zone——An example from Kangbao County, North Hebei, China

The studied agriculture\|pasture interlacing zone has its specific natural conditions, at which the natural systems are unstable, their self\|regulation capability is low and the equilibrium is easily broken, and hence the habitat is fairly vulnerable. During last 20 years the increasing population and livestock, over\|reclamation, over\|pasturing, over\|deforesting, and other intensified negative human activities in the zone resulted in coarsening of surface soil, decrease of organic mater content in soil, reduction of vegetation coverage, variation and degradation of flora structure, and hence in desertization of the land, although average of gales and sandstorms some decreased and the climate tended to be better in the region. However, the frequent sandstorms occurring in the springs of last and present years has attracted much attention. Investigations confirmed that the main cause for the phenomena is the unreasonable human activities rather than the natural factors.

A Little Thought for Pasture Informatization Construction

Dairy industry is an indispensable component of modem agriculture. How to improve informatization level and technology content of dairy industry and progress informationalization construction process of pastures has been one of the most popular topics in development of dairy industry in China. Compared with the countries with developed dairy industry worldwide, dairy industry in China is featured by not high informationization level and backward modernization level at the present stage. However, development and maturity of related technologies for pasture informatization construction provides a significant opportunity for transformation and upgrading and leaping development of dairy industry in China.

Metabolic Adaptations Due to the Inclusion of Pasture in the Diet of Dairy Cows Fed Total Mixed Ration during Early Lactation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic adaptations due to the inclusion of pasture in the diet of dairy cows fed on a total mixed ration (TMR) ad libitum during early lactation. Multiparous cows (n=18) were used in a randomized complete block design and were randomly assigned according to parity, BW and BCS to one of two feeding strategies from calving to 60 DIM: 1) cows fed TMR ad libitum (without access to pasture;100% TMR) and 2) cows fed on a mixed system with pasture grazing (6 h of access to paddock in one grazing session, 8:00 to 14:00 h) and supplemented with 50% of ad libitum TMR (Pasture Group, PG). At 61DIM, TMR fed cows were assigned without an adjustment period to a similar feeding and management routine than PG group (Post-TMR), while PG cows remained in their original routine throughout the experiment. Thus, at 61DIM and thereafter, both, PG and Post-TMR cows grazed a second-year pasture and were supplemented with 50% TMR (DM basis). Milk production was determined daily until 80 DIM, and cow BCS and BW were registered and blood samples and liver biopsies were obtained one week before and one week after dietary change (-1 to +1 wk;+55 and +69 DIM). Milk yield, BW and BCS did not differ between treatments but decreased or tended to decreased from -1 to +1 wk only in Post-TMR cows. Serum IGF-1 tended to increase in Post-TMR cows. Hepatic expression of IGFBP5 and IGFBP6 mRNA, were greater while IGF1 and IGFBP3 mRNA tended to be greater for Post-TMR than PG cows. Hepatic expression of IGF1, IGFBP5 and IGFBP6 mRNA increased from -1 to +1 wk only in Post-TMR cows. Expression of ACADVL and PDH1A mRNA had a 2-fold increase in both groups from wks -1 to +1. The results confirm that changes in feeding strategy without an adaptation period modified animal metabolism. The inclusion of grazing to cows that were fed TMR during early lactation, increased IGF-1 concentrations and modified hepatic expression of genes related with IGF system and fatty acid metabolism indicating redistribution of nutrients and energy towards maintenance requirements (increased due to walking and grazing activity) in detriment of milk production.

Pasture Production and Sheep Behavior in Mixed or Adjacent Monocultures Swards in Different Seasons of the Year

Traditionally,forage is grown in mixed(Mi)or monoculture(Mo)pastures.However,there is currently no evaluation of the advantages of these production systems under tropical conditions.The aim of this study was to evaluate forage production and animal behavior in Mi and Mo pastures containing white clover(Trifolium repens L.),African star(Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst)and Taiwan Napier(Pennisetum purpureum Schumach),using a completely randomized design with two treatments(Mo and Mi)and three repetitions during the four seasons of the year.For each repetition and season,three sheep were evaluated for 8 h/d during three consecutive days.The forage produced in Mo and Mi pastures was similar(p>0.05)during the four seasons of the year.Sheep displayed higher(p<0.01)average daily weight gains(ADG)when grazed on Mi than Mo pastures,particularly during summer,autumn and winter,seasons that corresponded to the higher dry matter intake(DMI)(p<0.05),even though sheep spent more time(p<0.01)grazing on Mo pastures,when compared with spring.It was concluded that there is no advantage in forage production when associations of white clover and two tropical grasses are grown in Mo or Mi pastures.However,heavier sheep are obtained from the later as a result of an increase in forage consumption.

Status of Mountain Pastures, Including Geobotanical Description of the Main Vegetation Associations in Western Pamir-Alay

The article gives a brief description of the vegetation cover of the Western Pamir-Alai range, as well as a method of describing the phytocenosis of the vegetation of the studied region.

The Extension and Utilization of the Pasture in the Tropical Area of China

This paper summarized the research and development of pasture in the tropical areas,and simply generalized the problems and methods for improvement and expected the advancement of the tropical pasture.

The Ingestive Behaviour of Cattle in Large-scale and Its Application to Pasture Management in Heterogeneous Pastoral Environments

Cattle may improve their feeding efficiency by altering their ingestive behaviour in response to changes in the quality of their pastoral environments. To test this hypothesis, an experiment was conducted in a native pasture that has been managed in continuous stocking at different daily forage allowances （4%, 8%, 12%, and 16% of live weight） for twenty two years thus creating different pastoral environments. For the current experiment, the animals were allocated to their respective experimental units on April 27, 2007. Two experiments were conducted; one was performed at the end of winter （experiment 1）, and the other was undertaken at the end of spring （experiment 2）. Four tester animals were observed per experimental unit （3-5 ha each）. The animals increased their daily grazing time when forage allowance decreased. Most of this increased time was devoted to harvesting, whereas searching was reduced to a few minutes per day. Under conditions of ideal range of forage allowance （between 12% and 14%）, the grazing time was reduced, and the search activity increased. These results suggest that the monitoring of indicators of ingestive behaviour can be used to determine the attributes of forage resources.

Improvement of Native Pasture Productivity through Introduction of Various Types of Palatable Species on Dry Lands in Timor

This research was aimed to evaluate the productivity of native pasture in Timor Island by introducing various palatable species.The study was carried out on native pasture in Tuatuka,Timor Island for seven months.The study was performed by using randomized block design(RBD)with eight treatments(S0:no introduction,S1:Cynodon dactilon,S2:Dicanthium aristatum,S3:C.plectotachyus,S4:Brachiaria decumbens,S5:Desmanthus virgatus,S6:Macroptilium atropurpureum,S7:Clitoria ternatea)with four replications.Procedures on this study include trial plots preparation,tillers preparation for each species,introduction of species in trial plots,maintenance and observation of the productivity.Variables observed were forage production(fresh and dry matter(DM)in ton/ha),nutrient content(%)and stock capacity(animal unit(AU)/ha).Data were analyzed for variance based on RBD and followed by Duncan’s test.Analysis of variance showed that introduction of species had a very significant effect(p<0.01)on all observed variables.The introduction of M.atropurpureum produced the highest fresh forage(2.1 t/ha)and DM production(0.69 t/ha).M.atropurpureum also had the highest DM content(43.61%),nitrogen free extract(52.52%)and stock capacity(1.06 AU/ha).The highest crude protein and crude fiber content were found in D.virgatus(4.31%and 36.62%).The highest extract ether was observed in D.aristatum(1.48%).No introduction had the lowest productivity,but demonstrated the highest ash content.The introduction of palatable species increased the productivity of native pasture in Timor and M.atropupureum was the best introduced species.

Rumen Degradability and Post-ruminal Digestion of Nitrogen and Amino acids by Cows Grazing Temperate Pasture

This experiment was conducted to evaluate nutrient digestion in the rumen and flow to the duodenum of steers grazed on orchardgrass( Dactylis glomerata L.,OG) or meadowfescue( Festuca pratensis Huds.,MF.) pastures located on northern part of Japan without supplement. Fifty-two digestion trials were carried out grazing Holstein steers fitted with cannulas in the rumen,duodenum and distal ileum in the three years. The pastures were divided into several paddocks,and the steers grazed each paddock for a day and allowed double of dry requirements the grazing cattle. The pre-grazing herbage mass did not significantly differ between pastures but the crude protein( N × 6. 25) content of herbage ranged from 19. 3% to 27. 5% on OG pasture and from 20. 0% to 32. 8% on MF pasture. Total N and AA-N intake did not differ but the degradability of dietary nitrogen in the rumen( RDN) was higher in MF than in OG pasture. The ratio of RDN to OM truly digested in the rumen was negatively related to the apparent N absorption in the rumen,and it was suggested that the amount of apparent N absorption in the rumen would be positive when the ratio was above 25 g / kg. Non-ammonia nitrogen( NAN) and AA-N flows to the duodenum of steers were lower in MF than in OG pasture. Duodenal AA flows were more linked to duodenal NAN flows and accounted for approximately 60% of duodenal NAN flows. The proportion of methionine and lysine slightly increased in the duodenal flows compared with the consumed AA,but a comparison between the essential AA composition of milk and the lean tissue indicated that duodenal digesta was most limiting in methionine,lysine,arginine,and histidine,and that deficiencies of arginine and histidine for milk production were relatively small.