Influence of Height-Based Management on Forage Nutritive Value of Four Warm-Season Forage Grasses

cftm ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. cftm2016.10.0067
Author(s):  
Christine H. Gelley ◽  
Renata L.G. Nave ◽  
Gary E. Bates
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Forage Grasses

scholarly journals 87 Evaluation of two stocking rates for grazing heifers on mixed sward native warm-season grass pastures in the Black Belt Prairie region

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 27-27
Author(s):  
Jane A Parish ◽  
Kalisha C Yankey ◽  
Libby S Durst
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Sorghastrum Nutans ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Little Bluestem ◽  
Year Effect ◽  
Plant Persistence ◽  
Stocking Rates

Abstract Optimal use of native warm-season grasses in pasture systems involves stocking grazing livestock at suitable rates. The study objective was to evaluate forage nutritive value and heifer ADG at two stocking rates on mixed-sward pastures of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi Vitman), little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans L.). Pastures (3 replications) were stocked for 56 d during June and July in 2 yr with crossbred (Bos taurus) heifers (n = 24 heifers/year) stratified by initial BW (288.3 ± 1.7 kg) to one of two continuous stocking rates: 1.9 heifers/ha (HIGH) and 1.2 heifers/ha (LOW). Mean forage nutritive values on a DM basis were not different between HIGH and LOW stocking rates, respectively, for CP (7.0 ± 0.2% vs 6.7 ± 0.2%; P = 0.27), ADF (41.0 ± 0.6 vs. 41.4 ± 0.6; P = 0.64), NDF (69.9 ± 0.5 vs. 68.7 ± 0.5; P = 0.09), or relative feed value (RFV) (76.0 ± 1.0 vs. 76.9 ± 1.0; P = 0.53). There was a year effect (P < 0.01) and stocking rate x day effect (P < 0.01) for TDN. At LOW, TDN decreased from day 0 to day 28 (P = 0.02) and day 28 to day 56 (P = 0.02). At HIGH, TDN decreased (P < 0.01) from day 0 to day 28 but remained steady until day 56 (P = 0.21). There was a stocking rate x day interaction (P < 0.01) with ADG: LOW day 28 to 56 (1.20 ± 0.08 kg/day), HIGH day 0 to 28 (0.89 ± 0.08 kg/day), HIGH day 28 to 56 (0.44 ± 0.08 kg/day), and LOW day 0 to 28 (0.30 ± 0.08 kg/day). Further assessment of cattle ADG using more divergent stocking rates and plant persistence measures is warranted to inform ideal native grass stocking rate recommendations.

scholarly journals 115 Nitrogen fertilizer effects on above ground sward characteristics and beef heifer performance from native warm-season grass blends

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 26-27
Author(s):  
Caroline Chappell ◽  
Landon Marks ◽  
Katie Mason ◽  
Mary K Mullenix ◽  
Sandra L Dillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Light Interception ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Beef Heifers ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate ◽  
Canopy Light Interception

Abstract A 2-yr study was conducted at Black Belt Research and Extension Center in Marion Junction, AL, to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rate on forage production characteristics, nutritive value, and animal performance of beef heifers grazing a mixture of native warm-season grasses (NWSG) including big bluestem, little bluestem, and indiangrass. Six, two-hectare plots were randomly assigned to one of two treatments (0 or 67 kg N ha-1 applied in early April; n = 3 replications per treatment). Paddocks were continuously stocked with four weaned Angus × Simmental beef heifers (initial BW 288 ± 7 kg) from late May/early June through mid-to-late August during 2018 (73 grazing d) and 2019 (70 grazing d), respectively. Put-and-take cattle were used to manage forage to a target of 38 cm. Forage mass and canopy heights were collected every two weeks during the trial. Visual ground cover ratings, canopy light interception, and botanical composition were measured at the beginning and end of the trial in each year. Hand-plucked samples were collected every two weeks during the grazing trial to determine forage nutritional value. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure in SAS 9.4, and differences were declared significant when P ≤ 0.05. Nitrogen fertilized NWSG had greater crude protein (P < 0.0001), sward heights (P = 0.0003), and canopy light interception at the beginning of the season (P = 0.0049) compared to non-fertilized paddocks. However, there were no differences (P ≥ 0.05) among N-fertility treatments for mean forage mass, heifer ADG, or BCS across the 2-yr study. Botanical composition data indicated that indiangrass decreased from 64% to 61% (P = 0.0022) and weed pressure increased from 11% to 15% (P = 0.0064) across the summer grazing season. Canopy light interception decreased by 51% from early June to August in fertilized NWSG and 26% in unfertilized paddocks, respectively. These data illustrate that NWSG systems may provide a viable grazing system in the summer months under reduced N inputs.

scholarly journals 145 Stocker gains on diverse summer annual pastures

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 28-29
Author(s):  
Kelly Mercier ◽  
Chris Teutsch ◽  
Ray Smith ◽  
Eric Vanzant ◽  
Kenny Burdine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Vegetative State ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Sunn Hemp ◽  
Sorghum Sudangrass ◽  
Forage Utilization

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if increasing forage botanical diversity improved stocker gains on warm-season annual (WSA) pastures. An opportunity exists to add extra gain on fall-born calves by grazing summer pastures after spring weaning and selling at a more favorable late summer market. However, cool-season perennial pastures in the Mid-South often have insufficient quality and yield to support desired summer gains. Therefore, the improved production and nutritive value of WSA forages shows promise in this system. A study was conducted near Princeton, KY, where calves (329, 366, and 297 kg in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively) grazed one of three WSA forage treatments without supplementation in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments included 1) sorghum-sudangrass monoculture (MONO), 2) simple mixture (SIMPLE = sorghum-sudangrass, pearl millet, soybean), and 3) complex mixture (COMPLEX = SIMPLE + sudangrass, corn, crabgrass, cowpea, sunflower, sunn hemp, daikon radish, forage rape, Korean lespedeza). In 2017, MONO and SIMPLE calves had higher average daily gain (ADG) than COMPLEX calves (0.79 kg/day vs. 0.66 kg/day, P < 0.03). In 2018, no differences in ADG were detected among treatments (P > 0.3); however, calves only gained 0.01 kg/day. In 2019, MONO and SIMPLE calves again had higher ADG than COMPLEX calves (0.59 kg/day vs. 0.43 kg/day, P < 0.03). The exceptionally low 2018 ADG was likely due to the higher nutritional demand of heavier calves and the lower nutritive value of mature forages compared to other years. In conclusion, complex WSA forage mixtures did not offer any improvement in animal performance, and proper management of all WSA forages (maintaining a vegetative state) is paramount to achieving adequate gains on stockers without supplementation; however, supplementation may be necessary to improve WSA forage utilization in the rumen, potentially leading to more favorable gains.

Herbicides for Postemergence Control of Annual Grass Weeds in Seedling Forage Grasses

Weed Science ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Peters ◽  
Russell S. Moomaw ◽  
Alex R. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Warm Season ◽  
Big Bluestem ◽  
Forage Grasses ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Cool Season ◽  
Intermediate Wheatgrass ◽  
Green Foxtail ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Large Crabgrass ◽  
Warm Season Grasses

The control of three summer annual grass weeds with herbicides during establishment of forage grasses was studied near Concord and Mead, NE, in 1984, 1985, and 1986. Three cool-season forage grasses, intermediate wheatgrass, tall fescue, and smooth bromegrass, and two warm-season grasses, big bluestem and switchgrass, were included. The control of three major summer annual grasses, green foxtail, barnyardgrass, and large crabgrass, was excellent with fenoxaprop at 0.22 kg ai/ha. Slight to moderate injury to cool-season forage grasses and severe injury to warm-season grasses were evident. Sethoxydim at 0.22 kg ai/ha and haloxyfop at 0.11 kg ai/ha controlled green foxtail and large crabgrass, but not barnyardgrass. Sulfometuron-treated big bluestem and switchgrass plots had the best forage stand frequencies and yields and, at the rate used, sulfometuron satisfactorily controlled green foxtail but only marginally controlled barnyardgrass and large crabgrass.

scholarly journals Modification of the summative equation to estimate daily total digestible nutrients for bermudagrass pasture

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prem Woli ◽  
Francis M Rouquette ◽  
Charles R Long ◽  
Luis O Tedeschi ◽  
Guillermo Scaglia
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Nutritive Values ◽  
Plant Maturity ◽  
Daily Total

Abstract In forage-animal nutrition modeling, diet energy is estimated mainly from the forage total digestible nutrients (TDN). As digestibility trials are expensive, TDN is usually estimated using summative equations. Early summative equations assumed a fixed coefficient to compute digestible fiber using the lignin-to-neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio. Subsequently, a structural coefficient (φ) was added to the summative equations to reflect an association between lignin and cell wall components. Additional modifications to the summative equations assumed a constant φ value, and they have been used as a standard method by many commercial laboratories and scientists. For feeds with nutritive values that do not change much over time, a constant φ value may suffice. However, for forages with nutritive values that keep changing during the grazing season owing to changes in weather and plant maturity, a constant φ value may add a systematic bias to prediction because it is associated with the variable lignin-to-NDF ratio. In this study, we developed a model to estimate φ as a function of the day of the year by using the daily TDN values of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], a popular warm-season perennial grass in the southern United States. The variable φ model was evaluated by using it in the TDN equation and comparing the estimated values with the observed ones obtained from several locations. Values of the various measures of fit used—the Willmott index (WI), the modeling efficiency (ME), R2, root mean square error (RMSE), and percent error (PE)—showed that using the variable φ vis-à-vis the constant φ improved the TDN equation significantly. The WI, ME, R2, RMSE, and PE values of 0.94, 0.80, 0.80, 2.5, and 4.7, respectively, indicated that the TDN equation with the variable φ model was able to mimic the observed values of TDN satisfactorily. Unlike the constant φ, the variable φ predicted more closely the forage nutritive value throughout the grazing season. The variable φ model may be useful to forage-beef modeling in accurately reflecting the impacts of plant maturity and weather on daily forage nutritive value and animal performance.

Yield, Yield Distribution, and Nutritive Value of Intensively Managed Warm-Season Annual Grasses

2001 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1257-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato S. Fontaneli ◽  
Lynn E. Sollenberger ◽  
Charles R. Staples
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Yield Distribution ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Intensively Managed

scholarly journals 76 Evaluating Nitrogen Management Strategies to Improve Southern Bermudagrass Grazing Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 26-26
Author(s):  
Justin C Burt ◽  
Jennifer J Tucker ◽  
Lisa Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Stocking Density ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
The South ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
University Of Georgia ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
The University

Abstract Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is one of the most common perennial warm-season forage crops grown in the South. While prominent in the region bermudagrass management requires large amounts of fertility and forage quality is moderate at best. Incorporating a legume into bermudagrass pastures could serve as an alternative to the necessary applications of synthetic N, while also improving the nutritive value of the forage base. A two-year grazing evaluation was conducted from May-Sept. 2018 (Y1) and May-Aug. 2019 (Y2) at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus in Tifton, Georgia, to compare concurring production of alfalfa/bermudagrass mixed pastures (BGA) with bermudagrass monoculture pastures with (BGN) or without (BGZ) the application of synthetic nitrogen. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three treatments and two replications. All paddocks were evaluated pre and post grazing event for herbage availability, botanical composition, forage species competitiveness, and nutritive value. Paddocks (0.8-ha) were rotationally grazed using put and take management with stocker steers (Y1 BW=195.9±22.9 kg; Y2 BW=228.5±30.0 kg), two testers per treatment. Steers were weighed at initiation, conclusion, and on a 28–30 day interval for calculation of ADG and gain/ha. Statistical analysis was conducted using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS. Despite significant drought in Y2, year did not affect total gain/ha, however treatment did (P = 0.04), such that BGA was highest (383.6±35.1 kg/ha), and BGN and BGZ were not different (261.2±35.1 kg/ha and 239.0±35.1 kg/ha, respectively). This is likely due to the lower stocking density and inclusion of high-quality volunteer annual grasses in BGZ treatments which allowed for selective grazing. These data suggest that rotationally grazing alfalfa/bermudagrass mixtures can result in a higher gain/ha, than bermudagrass pastures that are supplemented with or without synthetic N in the South.

scholarly journals Nutritive value, fermentation characteristics, and in situ disappearance kinetics of ensiled warm-season legumes and bahiagrass

2011 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 2042-2050 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Foster ◽  
J.N. Carter ◽  
L.E. Sollenberger ◽  
A.R. Blount ◽  
R.O. Myer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Disappearance Kinetics
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