Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment

An intensive rotational grazing system for dwarf and late heading (DL) elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) pasture was examined in a summer period for two years following establishment. Four 0.05 of DL elephant grass pastures (20×25 m) were established on May 2003. They were rotationally...

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Main Authors: M Mukhtar, Y Ishii
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED), Faculty of Animal Science 2011-01-01
Series:Animal Production: Indonesian Journal of Animal Production
Subjects:
Online Access:http://animalproduction.net/index.php/JAP/article/view/301
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author M Mukhtar
Y Ishii
author_facet M Mukhtar
Y Ishii
author_sort M Mukhtar
collection DOAJ
description An intensive rotational grazing system for dwarf and late heading (DL) elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) pasture was examined in a summer period for two years following establishment. Four 0.05 of DL elephant grass pastures (20×25 m) were established on May 2003. They were rotationally grazed for 1 week, followed by a 3-week rest period by three breeding or raising beef cattle for three and six cycles during the first and second years of establishment respectively. Before grazing, the plant height, leaf area index and the ratio of leaf blade to stem were at the highest, while tiller number increased and herbage mass tended to increase, except for the first grazing cycle both two years and for one paddock in the second year. Herbage consumption, the rate of herbage consumption and dry matter intake tended to decrease in three paddocks from the first to the third cycle in the first year, but increase as grazing occurred in the second year. Dry matter intake averaged 10.2-14.5 and 15.4–23.2 g DM/kg/live weight (LW)/day over the four paddocks in the first and second year, respectively, and average daily gains were 0.09 and 0.35 kg/head/day in the first and second year respectively. The carrying capacities were estimated at 1,016 and 208 cow-days (CD)/ha (annual total 1,224 CD/ha) in the first year and 1,355 and 207 CD/ha (annual total 1,562 CD/ha) in the second year. Thus, DL elephant grass pasture can expand the grazing period for beef cows for the following two-year establishment. (Animal Production 13(1):10-17 (2011) Key Words: dwarf elephant grass, herbage mass, plant characters, rotational grazing
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spelling doaj.art-b721ea8317264c7f84fc5e2473d9629e2024-04-02T04:00:18ZengUniversitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED), Faculty of Animal ScienceAnimal Production: Indonesian Journal of Animal Production1411-20272011-01-011311017Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after EstablishmentM MukhtarY IshiiAn intensive rotational grazing system for dwarf and late heading (DL) elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) pasture was examined in a summer period for two years following establishment. Four 0.05 of DL elephant grass pastures (20×25 m) were established on May 2003. They were rotationally grazed for 1 week, followed by a 3-week rest period by three breeding or raising beef cattle for three and six cycles during the first and second years of establishment respectively. Before grazing, the plant height, leaf area index and the ratio of leaf blade to stem were at the highest, while tiller number increased and herbage mass tended to increase, except for the first grazing cycle both two years and for one paddock in the second year. Herbage consumption, the rate of herbage consumption and dry matter intake tended to decrease in three paddocks from the first to the third cycle in the first year, but increase as grazing occurred in the second year. Dry matter intake averaged 10.2-14.5 and 15.4–23.2 g DM/kg/live weight (LW)/day over the four paddocks in the first and second year, respectively, and average daily gains were 0.09 and 0.35 kg/head/day in the first and second year respectively. The carrying capacities were estimated at 1,016 and 208 cow-days (CD)/ha (annual total 1,224 CD/ha) in the first year and 1,355 and 207 CD/ha (annual total 1,562 CD/ha) in the second year. Thus, DL elephant grass pasture can expand the grazing period for beef cows for the following two-year establishment. (Animal Production 13(1):10-17 (2011) Key Words: dwarf elephant grass, herbage mass, plant characters, rotational grazinghttp://animalproduction.net/index.php/JAP/article/view/301dwarf elephant grassherbage massplant charactersrotational grazing
spellingShingle M Mukhtar
Y Ishii
Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment
Animal Production: Indonesian Journal of Animal Production
dwarf elephant grass
herbage mass
plant characters
rotational grazing
title Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment
title_full Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment
title_fullStr Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment
title_full_unstemmed Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment
title_short Rotational Grazing System for Beef Cows on Dwarf Elephantgrass Pasture for Two Years after Establishment
title_sort rotational grazing system for beef cows on dwarf elephantgrass pasture for two years after establishment
topic dwarf elephant grass
herbage mass
plant characters
rotational grazing
url http://animalproduction.net/index.php/JAP/article/view/301
work_keys_str_mv AT mmukhtar rotationalgrazingsystemforbeefcowsondwarfelephantgrasspasturefortwoyearsafterestablishment
AT yishii rotationalgrazingsystemforbeefcowsondwarfelephantgrasspasturefortwoyearsafterestablishment