Lucerne persistence and the productivity of ewes and lambs grazed at two stocking rates within different management systems

1975 ◽  
Vol 15 (77) ◽  
pp. 747 ◽  
Author(s):  
OR Southwood ◽  
GE Robards
Keyword(s):  
Plant Density ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
New South ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Rotational Systems ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Lamb Growth

From 1967 to 1971 a grazing experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Temora, New South Wales with Merino ewes and first cross spring lambs on lucerne pastures. Set stocking was compared with a number of rotational systems at twice replicated stocking rates of five and ten ewes ha-1. The rotational systems consisted of either five or seven paddocks each grazed to give a constant pasture recovery time of 36 days year round, or 36 days mid-summer to mid-winter and 24 days when lambs were present. Stocking rate was the only variable affecting ewe wool production and body weight. During the driest year the constant rotation was the best treatment, whereas in the wetter year ewes managed in a variable rotation grew most wool. The number of lambs born and their birth weight did not vary among treatments. Growth rate was slower at the higher stocking rate but the management treatments had no effect on lamb growth. Lucerne plant density decreased by half during the first three years of the experiment. Thereafter plant density was maintained in the rotationally grazed systems. Under continuous grazing at the high stocking rate no lucerne survived after four months but at the low stocking rate most remaining plants died after a spring drought in 1971.

Wool production, ground cover and botanical composition of pastures grazed by Merino wethers in central western New South Wales. 2. Barrel medic pasture

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (64) ◽  
pp. 510 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Brownlee
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Research ◽  
New South ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Additional Treatment ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Barrel Medic ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Pasture Area

Two grazing experiments were performed between 1965 and 1969 at the Agricultural Research Station, Condobolin, to determine the carrying capacity of Jemalong barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) pasture. In each experiment the pasture was set stocked with Merino wethers at 3.1, 4.1 and 6.2 ha-1. An additional treatment stocked at 6.2 ha-1 was included in which two-thirds of the pasture area was saved during autumn or periods of feed shortage while stock were confined to the other one-third. In both experiments the pasture supported 3.1 wethers ha-1 under set stocking for three years with little supplementary feeding and regenerated successfully each year. No major changes in botanical composition were recorded, and Jemalong medic remained the major component of the pasture. Autumn saving at 6.2 ha-1 mitigated the effects of the high stocking rate on both animal and pasture, but did not result in worthwhile animal production increases.

Effectiveness of grazing and herbicide treatments for lucerne removal before cropping in southern New South Wales

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Davies ◽  
J. M. Virgona ◽  
M. H. McCallum ◽  
A. D. Swan ◽  
M. B. Peoples
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Main Study ◽  
Experimental Station ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Continuous Grazing

The difficulty of reliably removing an established lucerne pasture before cropping has been identified as a major problem with phase-farming systems on mixed farms. A series of experiments were undertaken on established lucerne stands at the Ginninderra Experimental Station in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and at the Temora Research Station in southern New South Wales (NSW) to compare the ability of grazing, either alone or in combination with herbicides, to remove a lucerne pasture. A pilot study at the Ginninderra Experimental Station in 1998–99 utilised a high stocking rate (30 dry sheep equivalents [dse]/ha), while the main study at the Ginninderra Experimental Station and the Temora Research Station in 1999–2000 used a lower stocking rate (10–12 dse/ha) considered to be closer to farmer practice in the region. Continuous grazing at the high stocking rate removed 73% of the lucerne stand over 3 months. In contrast, the stocking rates applied in the main study proved too low to substantially impact on lucerne survival at both the ACT and NSW sites (13–23% removal) under the good seasonal conditions experienced in 1999–2000 even though the pastures were continuously grazed for 8–9 months. The use of herbicides both alone or in conjunction with grazing greatly improved lucerne removal in both studies. However, herbicide efficacy was variable (53–100% removal), and seemed to be related to the time of year it was applied, the period of lucerne regrowth or the amount of rainfall before herbicide application. An additional on-farm study was undertaken near Junee Reefs in southern NSW between 2001 and 2003 that compared the survival of a range of lucerne cultivars under simulated hay-cutting (mown) and commercial grazing regimes. Dry conditions during 2002–03 resulted in a decline in lucerne frequency at about 50% in mown control plots. Grazing increased the stand decline, particularly for many winter-active cultivars where lucerne frequency was reduced by up to 70–93%. It was concluded that: (i) continuous grazing for prolonged periods can be effective at removing lucerne, but the rate of lucerne loss will be influenced by both stocking rate and rainfall; (ii) the application of herbicides can improve lucerne removal either in association with, or in the absence of grazing; however, herbicide efficacy appeared to be dependent upon the physiological status of the lucerne plants and/or the environmental conditions before application; and (iii) cultivar responses indicated that lucerne types could potentially be developed for phase-farming systems with increased susceptibility to grazing mismanagement.

The value to Merino ewes and lambs of continued superphosphate topdressing on a subterranean clover pasture ley

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (79) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
OR Southwood ◽  
DG Saville ◽  
AR Gilmour
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Clover Pasture

In an experiment at the Agricultural Research Station, Temora, New South Wales, Merino breeding ewes with their lambs grazed continuously from 1966 to 1970 at three stocking rates, 5, 7.5 and 10 ewes ha-1, on annual Trifolium subterraneum clover pasture topdressed every autumn with superphosphate fertilizer at nil, 94 or 188 kg ha-1. Stocking rate had an effect on ewe body weight in autumn each year and in winter and spring of the last year but it had no effect no wool production per ewe. Apart from the dry year, stocking rate had no effect on lamb performance. Superphosphate had little effect on ewe body weight and none on wool production but there were more lambs on the fertilized treatments than on the unfertilized pastures in 1967 when rainfall was low. Fertilizer encouraged barley grass dominance whereas the pasture not topdressed grew more clover and produced more burr. With no topdressing, available soil phosphate declined steadily over the five years to less than half the initial level. The results indicate that in a spring lambing, Merino ewe enterprise in the southern New South Wales wheat belt, where clover-ley farming is the general practice, annual pasture topdressing is no longer necessary after approximately 1000 kg ha-1 superphosphate has been applied to the soil and the fertilizer is continued through the cropping phase.

Response of skeleton weed (Chondrilla juncea) to applied superphosphate and grazing management

1975 ◽  
Vol 15 (72) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Kohn ◽  
EG Cuthbertson
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Wagga Wagga ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Lolium Rigidum ◽  
Fertilizer Rate ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Stocking Rates

The influence of pasture topdressing with superphosphate and of stocking rate on the Chondrilla uncea population in a clover-ryegrass (Trifolium subterraneum-Lolium rigidum) pasture was measured in a grazing experiment at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, over the period 1962 to 1966. Superphosphate application reduced final weed populations at all stocking rates. Continuous grazing maintained skeleton weed populations at a low level, but increasing the stocking rate from 5 to 15 sheep ha-1 had little influence on weed numbers. A management comparison at a high stocking rate-high fertilizer rate showed that rotational grazing increased the weed population compared with continuous grazing systems.

An economic analysis of a 10 year rate of stocking trial with fine-wool

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (92) ◽  
pp. 370 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM George ◽  
RA Pearse
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Labour Costs ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Wool Yield ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Price Relationships ◽  
Clover Pasture

Merino ewes were grazed for 10 years at stocking rates of 8, 12 and 16 ha-1, lambing in winter, spring or summer on a phalaris/white clover pasture on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. Wool production, wool yield and count, and lambing and weaning rates were established for the wide range of climatic conditions experienced. A spring lambing is indicated under the within-year price relationships experienced. Under a wide range of wool and lamb prices the optimum stocking rate varied from 12 to 16 ewes ha-1 depending on labour costs.

Seasonal variation in the fertility and fecundity of Bungaree and Peppin Merinos in central-western New South Wales

1969 ◽  
Vol 9 (37) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR Giles ◽  
JP Drinan
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Agricultural Research Station ◽  
South Wales

The seasonal variation in fertility and fecundity of Bungaree and Peppin Merinos was compared at the Agricultural Research Station, Trangie, New South Wales. Ewes of both strains were joined to rams of both strains for 32 days on nine occasions ; each joining being separated from adjacent periods by an interval of 10 days. For six weeks after joining the ewes were run with vasectomized rams and were then slaughtered over the following six weeks. Incidence of oestrus and ovulation rate of the two strains were similar at all times. More Bungaree than Peppin ewes returned to service, particularly during the autumn, irrespective of the strain of rams to which they were joined. There was no difference between ram strains in percentage of ewes returning to service or percentage of ewes pregnant, but a significantly higher proportion of ova were lost in pregnant ewes with multiple ovulations after joining to Bungaree rams in winter and spring.

Skin folds and Merino breeding. 8. Fertility of individual rams in flocks selected for high and low skin fold

1969 ◽  
Vol 9 (37) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
BJ McGuirk
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Research Station ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Skin Fold ◽  
Single Character ◽  
Lower Fertility ◽  
Selection For

Single character selection flocks-Folds Plus (selection for high fold score) and Folds Minus (selection for low fold score) were established in 1951 from a Peppin Merino flock at Trangie Agricultural Research Station, New South Wales. For the period 1951 to 1966, 25 per cent of rams selected for the Folds Plus flock were rejected following semen examination before joining, compared to only three per cent of Folds Minus rams (P<0.05). The fertility of individual rams in the two flocks has been estimated from the lambing performance of the ewes to which they were mated in the period 1951 to 1963. Averaged over the twelve joinings, a higher proportion of ewes mated to Folds Minus rams lambed following both artificial insemination (53 v. 45 per cent) and paddock joinings (57 v. 47 per cent). The lower fertility of the Folds Plus rams was not due to a higher proportion of completely infertile rams.

Evaluation of medics under continuous grazing with sheep in central-western New South Wales

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 311 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Brownlee ◽  
GD Denney
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Truncatula ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
The Other ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Summer Rain

Between May 1974 and March 1978, dry Merino ewes continuously grazed l-ha plots, sown to Medicago truncatula cvv. Akbar, Borung, Cyfield, Cyprus, Hannaford and Jemalong, and M. tornata cv. Tornafield, at a stocking rate of 4 Ewes/ha. Hannaford and Cyfield grew most vigorously; Borung least. Pod accumulation declined during the experiment, but plant counts showed a satisfactory density of all medics at the end of the experiment. Sheep on cultivars Hannaford, Cyprus, Cyfield and Tornafield required no hand-feeding during the experiment; those grazing the other cultivars required hand-feeding in autumn-winter 1975. There were no significant differences between treatments in fleece-free liveweights or annual clean fleece yields. In 1977 the medic content of the diet was less than 50% in all treatments. Pod ingestion over summer increased steadily to nearly 70% of the diet as the more palatable pasture components became scarce. However, the proportion dropped rapidly when summer rain provided sheep with a green 'pick'. The spiny pods of Akbar were retained in the fleece; the spineless pods of other cultivars were never retained. Total vegetable matter contamination was less for Cyfield than for Akbar, suggesting that development of medics with less spiny pods is a justifiable objective.

Evaluation of natural annual pastures at Trangie in central western New South Wales. 1. Sheep production

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (62) ◽  
pp. 238
Author(s):  
RJ Campbell ◽  
DG Saville ◽  
GE Robards
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Wool Production ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Sheep Wool

Natural annual pasture at Trangie, New South Wales, was set stocked from August, 1967 to December 1970 at rates of 2.5, 3.7, and 4.9 merino wethers per ha to determine an optimum stocking rate for the pasture type. All stocking rates were supported without the necessity to hand feed any sheep. Wool production per head was reduced significantly by increased stocking rate in 1968, but not in 1969 and 1970. The suppression of barley grass at the higher stocking rates appeared to benefit animal production in 1969. Substitution of portion of the natural annual pasture with areas of lucerne or natural perennial pasture was also investigated and found to be ineffective in increasing wool production per head above that of wethers at similar rates of stocking on natural annual pasture alone. Possible reasons for the apparent failure of the grazing supplements, particularly lucerne, are discussed in terms of grazing pressure and management strategies.

Grazing studies of a Hyparrhenia hirta (Coolatai grass) pasture in northern New South Wales

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1603 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Lodge ◽  
L. H. McCormick ◽  
S. Harden
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Basal Cover ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Stocking Rates

Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf (Coolatai grass) has invaded large areas of grazed native grasslands on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales (NSW) and is widespread along roadsides and travelling stock routes. It is commonly regarded as an invasive, weedy species with low forage value when it is tall and rank, but may be more palatable when kept short, green and leafy. A study (1990–2001) of a naturalised stand of Coolatai grass in the Manilla district of northern NSW examined its herbage mass (kg DM/ha), persistence (basal cover %), and grazing value under 2 contrasting grazing treatments: pastures that had either large amounts of dry, unpalatable herbage [light grazing at 5 dry sheep equivalents (DSE)/ha] or were short, green and leafy (strategic heavy grazing at a stocking rate of 37 DSE/ha). Effects of pre-grazing treatments (slashing, burning, and no defoliation) were also examined and data (litter mass, plant basal area, ground cover, and soil and litter microbial carbon and nitrogen) collected to assess the long term sustainability of these grazing systems. Sheep grazed the light grazing treatment for about 34% of the experimental period, with the strategic heavy grazing treatment being grazed for about 7% of the time. Over the experimental period this equated to 6752 DSE grazing days/ha for the light grazing treatment compared with 10 120 DSE for the heavy grazing treatment. Herbage mass in the heavy grazing treatment declined to <1000 kg DM/ha within 6 months of the start of grazing and remained below this level until December 1998 when stocking rates were switched (i.e. plots previously grazed at low stocking rate were subjected to the heavier rate and vice versa). In contrast, mean herbage mass in the light grazing treatment was generally >3000 kg DM/ha from November 1990–98, but a high proportion of this was dead standing material that carried over from season to season. Mean Coolatai grass basal cover was 9.5% in November 1990, increasing over time to about 25% in both grazing treatments by December 2000. Coolatai grass herbage accumulation was highly seasonal, ranging from as high as 70 kg DM/ha.day in summer to 0 in winter. In both grazing treatments, forage quality was low for both green and dead material, with mean crude protein being 6.0 (green) and 3.4% (dead). Digestible dry matter values ranged from 41 to 62% (green) and 32 to 51% (dead) and mean metabolisable energy values were 7 (green) and 5.3 MJ/kg DM (dead). After 8 years, the heavy grazing treatment had lower (P<0.05) litter mass, ground cover, plant basal area and soil microbial C and N levels than the light grazing treatment, but switching of the stocking rates restored most indicators, except the soil microbial values.

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