The evaluation of pastures and grazing management in terms of livestock production

Abstract

Grazing research in South Africa has been largely pasture oriented and consequently there is still a need to fully evaluate many of our more important pasture types and grazing management practices in terms of livestock production so that efficient pasture‐based feeding systems can be constructed. In order to do this it is necessary to design grazing trials in which the main emphasis is on the animal. An important consideration in trials of this kind is the control of experimental error by careful selection and blocking of animals, applying effective animal weighing procedures and manipulating certain aspects of experimental design. In addition, quality and quantity of herbage consumed should be measured, while the use of continuous grazing and a variable stocking rate as research tools may be particularly effective in certain circumstances. Information provided by these techniques in well integrated field trials for pasture evaluation in terms of livestock production is likely to be of great general value to the livestock industry as a whole.

Uittreksel

Weidingsnavorsing in Suid‐Afrika was tot dusver hoofsaaklik plantgeoriënteerd. Die gevolg is dat daar ‘n behoefte bestaan aan ‘n volledige omskrywing van baie van ons meer belangrike weidingstipes in terme van veeproduksie sodat doeltreffende weidinggebaseerde voedingsisteme opgestel kan word. Die verkryging van hierdie soort informasie verg weidingsproewe waarin die Klem op die dier val. ‘n Belangrike oorweging in weidingsproewe van hierdie aard is die beheer van eksperimentele foute deur middel van sorgvuldige seleksie en groepering van diere, effektiewe prosedures in die massabepaling van die diere en die manipulering van sekere aspekte van die proefontwerp. Verder moet die kwaliteit en hoeveelheid gras wat gevreet is, bepaal word. Die gebruik van aanhoudende beweiding en veranderlike veebeladings as ‘n navorsingshulpmiddel behoort besonder effektief te wees in sekere omstandighede. Inligting ingewin deur middel van hierdie tegnieke en hierdie benadering tot weidingsevaluering in terme van veeproduksie behoort van besondere waarde te wees in die vee‐industrie as ‘n geheel.