17. introduction to grass done.docx

Introduction to Grassland Use of grassland in Ireland Its the main source of feed for cattle and sheep. - It is also the cheapest feedstuff for them. Stocking rate: The number of animals that can be stocked/fed on a set acre of land. Production levels: The amount of herbage produced by the pasture....

Introduction to Grassland Use of grassland in Ireland Its the main source of feed for cattle and sheep. - It is also the cheapest feedstuff for them. Stocking rate: The number of animals that can be stocked/fed on a set acre of land. Production levels: The amount of herbage produced by the pasture. This will influence production of the livestock, e.g. live weight gain or milk production. Refractometer: This is a piece of equipment that is used to measure the sucrose concentration in grass. Tillering: The ability of a plant to produce side shoots from the bottom of the plant. Sward: This term is used to describe a field of grass. Scutch grass: A perennial grass that is an invasive weed. It spreads rapidly by rhizomes. Best controlled by using a systemic herbicide containing glyphosate. Poaching: Damage caused to wet or waterlogged land, where land is cut up by livestock movement on wet soils. Categories of Grassland Rough Mountain & Hill Grazing has low stocking rates, Usually acidic, peaty & stony which leads to low levels of production Permanent Grassland has never been ploughed mainly made up by perennial ryegrass and trees & scrub are scarce or absent. It has high levels of production. More heavily fertilised and stocked than Grass Petiole: The stalk that connects the leaf to the stem. Leaf Sheath: The lower section of the leaf that covers the petiole and surrounds the stem of the plant. Leaf Blade The part of the leaf above the sheath. Collar: The junction between the leaf blade and leaf sheath. Ligule: A membrane-like tissue or row of hairs found at the junction of the leaf blade and leaf sheath. It is absent in some grasses. Tiller: A side shoot capable of producing a new plant. Seed Head: The flowering part of the plant, also called an inflorescence Grass Species Perennial Ryegrass is the most important agricultural grass in Ireland its highly palatability & digestibility. It has dark green colour & shiny leaves and is highly persistent & fast-growing Italian Ryegrass has a fast-growing rate with a longer growing season & more production than perennial White Clover V Red Clover White flower Pink flower Smaller plant Bigger plant Smaller leaves Bigger leaves fast growth Not as fast More Nitrogen Less Nitrogen Hybrid Ryegrasses is a mixture of Perennial and Italian ryegrass. It has a high Yields & Long Growing Season. This is known as hybrid vigour. Other Varieties Meadow Foxtail Yorkshire Fog Cocksfoot Crested Dogstail Timothy Characteristics of Grass the higher the productivity, the more grass there is available for livestock. Palatability is the measure of how pleasant the grass tastes. Cattle & sheep are selective grazers which means they only eat the grasses that are most palatable to them. Uneaten grass will continue to develop and begin to dominate the pasture. The digestibility of grass refers to the amount of food that is used by the body into the amount of food consumed. Grass consists of protein, cellulose, fibre & soluble carbohydrates. Dry Matter (DM): is the matter remaining in a food sample after the water has been removed. Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD): is the amount (%) of dry matter that can be digested by an animal.