Grassland - Booklet B.docx

**[Grassland]** +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Rough Mountain/ | **Permanent | **Leys ** | | Hill Grazing ** | Grassland ** | | +=======================+=======================+============...

**[Grassland]** +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Rough Mountain/ | **Permanent | **Leys ** | | Hill Grazing ** | Grassland ** | | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | - Poor quality | - Land is never | - Sown for | | growth | ploughed  | grazing - | | | | temporary and | | - Peaty soil  | - Fertilised and | reseeded often  | | | limed to maintain | | | - Difficult to | quality  | - Little | | cultivate  | | variability in | | | - Variable | botanical | | - Improve by | botanical | composition  | | liming + | composition  | | | reseeding  | | - High stocking | | | - Medium stocking | rate  | | - Variable | rate  | | | botanical | | - High production | | composition  | - Medium production | levels  | | | levels  | | | - Low stocking | | | | rate  | | | | | | | | - Low production | | | | levels  | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ 1. **Growth of grass: **A diagram of a plant Description automatically generated 1. Vegetative: 1. Tillers grow  1. Stems remain compact 1. Older leaves die off 2. Elongation:  1. stem develops/grows 1. lengthens between the upper nodes 1. Finishes this stage when seed head is about to form 3. Reproduction:  1. seed head emerges/develops  1. Glucose is converted to fiber. Produces a strong stem 1. Wind pollination occurs 1. Grass seeds develop  - Grass is the best quality when in the vegetative stage of growth. Within the vegetative stage the sugars are highest.   **Palatability -** Is a measure of how pleasant the grass is to taste.  **Productivity -** Is a measure of the quantity of the plant material (herbage) produced by the grass.  **Digestibility -** Is the proportion of food that can be assimilated and used by the body in comparison to the amount of food consumed.  A graph with a red line Description automatically generated **Dry Matter (DM) -** The matter remaining in a sample of food after the water has been removed **Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD) -** The amount (%) of dry matter that can be digested by an animal **Dry Matter Intake (DMI) -** The amount of feed an animal consumes, excluding its water content.  **2. Seed Selection** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Perennial RyeGrass** | **Italian RyeGrass** | +===================================+===================================+ | - PRG responds well to nitrogen | - Popularity has decreased.  | | fertiliser.  | | | | - Biennial plant | | - Excellent palatability, | | | productivity and | - Produces 20% more herbage | | digestibility.  | than PRG.  | | | | | - Good tillering ability - | - Ideal for 3 to 4 cuts of | | ideal for grazing and silage | silage each year + early | | production. | grazing.  | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **White Clover** | **Red Clover ** | +===================================+===================================+ | - Family = Fabaceae or Legume | - Not as popular in grazing | | | systems as white clover   | | - Perennial plant with white | | | flowers.  | - Often used in seed mixtures | | | sown for silage production | | - Fixes nitrogen - converts | with Italian Ryegrass | | atmospheric nitrogen into a | | | useful form for plants to | - Has a purple plant.  | | use. This will reduce the | | | need for chemical | - Leaves and stems are hairy | | fertilisers.   | while white clover is | | | smooth.  | | - High in protein  | | | | - Plant grows upright  | | - The roots and stolon grow out | | | along the ground which helps | - Not as persistent as white | | mat the soil together. This | clover  | | prevents weeds from growing - | | | this helps to reduce poaching | - Better at fixing nitrogen  | | on the land.  | | | | | | - Persistent | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ ***[Managing a multispecies sward]***\ A black and white text Description automatically generated **Stocking rate** is the amount of livestock units per hectare (LU/ha)\  1. **Paddock Grazing:**                              +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Advantages  | Disadvantages  | +===================================+===================================+ | - Most efficient use of grass. | - It is expensive to set up as | | Grass is always in the leafy | a roadway is needed, lots of | | stage of growth.  | water pipes + troughs and | | | fencing.  | | - Field is divided into | | | paddocks using an electric | - It is suited to dairy | | fence.  | farming.  | | | | | - Cattle graze paddock by | - On average 21 paddocks is a | | paddock. On average one | rotation. Cows graze the | | paddock per day.  | paddock and 21 days to regrow | | | before next grazing.  | | - Once the paddock is grazed | | | fertiliser is applied.  | - If paddock is too strong for | | | grazing can be mowed and | | - Each paddock is supplied with | baled for silage.  | | water and opens up to a road | | | way.  | - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ B. **Strip Grazing**A diagram of a diagram of a cow Description automatically generated with medium confidence +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Advantages  | Disadvantages  | +===================================+===================================+ | - Inexpensive to set up.  | - Must have movable water | | | supply or access at all | | - Suited to dairy farming  | times. | | | | | - Efficient method of grazing  | - Labour intensive  | | | | | - Highly leafy, digestible | | | grass that is high is DMD.  | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+  C. **Block Grazing. ** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Advantages  | Disadvantages  | +===================================+===================================+ | - Not labour intensive  | - Reduced productivity of the | | | crop | | - Cheaper than paddock to set | | | up (Less fencing and water) | - Poor quality grass can be a | | | result of poor grazing.  | | | | | | - Less efficient method of | | | grazing  | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ D. **Zero Grazing ** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Advantages  | Disadvantages  | +===================================+===================================+ | Land is not poached by animals  | Labour intensive  | | | | | Energy is not wasted by animals | Expensive to buy machinery | | through movement.  | needed  | | | | | Less chance of lameness  | Need adequate shed space  | | | | | Access to fresh grass all of the | Need adequate slurry storage  | | time | | | | | | Slurry production increases | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Creep Grazing ** | **Leader Follower System ** | +===================================+===================================+ | A creep gate or gap in a fence is | Younger animals graze ahead of | | created to allow calves or lambs | the older animals in the herd. | | access to another field. The | Young animals are more selective | | older animals do not have | grazers than their older | | access.  | counterparts. They have access to | | | the more fresh leafy grass.  | | The field is disease free and has | | | fresh leafy grass available to | Young animals eat the top of the | | eat.  | grass and do not graze close to | | | the ground/soil. This reduces the | | It can be used to coincide with | chance of picking up unwanted | | rotational grazing.  | microorganisms Which may cause | | | disease such as worms and liver | | | fluke. Older animals graze the | | | grass after down to a height of | | | 4cm.  | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Mixed Grazing ** | **Topping** | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Cattle and sheep graze in the | Grass is mowed to a height of 4cm | | same field.  | to 6cm. Topping mimics the | | | grazing of grass to an ideal post | | Sheep eat the grass the cattle do | grazing height of 4cm.  | | not eat. Sheep eat the grass | | | around dung and urine patches.   | It encourages tillering.  | | | | | Tillering increases in the field | Carried out on land that has been | | | grazed to ensure any old ungrazed | | Both sheep and cattle experience | grass is cut to the correct | | higher growth rates.  | height.  | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Conservation of Grass. ** **Silage:** Fermentation of carbohydrates in the grass produces acids, which lowers the pH of the grass and inhibits microbial growth/activity.  **Hay:** Grass is dehydrated to remove the majority of the water present. In the absence of water, microbial activity is inhibited.  To make good quality silage: Cut at the leafy (Vegetative stage) of growth Perennial RyeGrass and clover seed mixture ------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- Cut in the evening (photosynthesis) - producing the sugar glucose Concentrated sugar  Low water content - dry weather  Cut when dry + let grass wilt.  Fermentation of grass is carried out by anaerobic bacteria. It does not require oxygen. These conditions are achieved by: wrapping, rolling grass and placing plastic polythene + tyres (weight) on the pit.  **Carbohydrate concentration** **High** **Low** -------------------------------- -------------------- ---------------------- Bacteria present Lactobacillus Clostridium  Acid produced Lactic acid Butyric Acid Silage quality Good Poor Nutritional value Good Poor Palatability  Palatable to stock Unpalatable to stock Storage duration  A number of years A few months +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Ensiling/Pit Silage ** | **Round Bales** | +===================================+===================================+ | - Common on large scale farms | - Popular on smaller farms | | | | | - Grass is picked up by a | - Grass is picked up and baled | | forage harvester  | and wrapped using a baler and | | | wrapper | | - Grass is placed in a | | | pit/clamp and heaped.  | - The bales are wrapped in | | | polythene.  | | - Silage pit should be away | | | from a water coarse and have | - Bales are stored standing on | | suitable drainage to an | flat side on concrete if | | effluent tank.  | possible.  | | | | | - Silage effluent | - Bales should be stacked no | | (by-product of | more than 2 bales high as it | | fermentation) is high in | is hazard - risk of falling.  | | Biological Oxygen Demand | | | | | | - Pit is rolled with a | | | tractor/loader to remove | | | oxygen  | | | | | | - Covered in polythene to | | | create anaerobic conditions.  | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Production of Hay: ** Hay is left for approximately 8 weeks to grow. Cut with similar conditions to silage production. Grass should be in the elongation phase of growth. Grass is left to dry/dehydrate. The grass is turned once a day using a hay bob to shake out the grass to accelerate drying. It is baled but not wrapped.  It is stored in hay sheds that are well ventilated.  **Sowing and Reseeding ** **Reasons for reseeding grassland:** 1. Weed infestation: dock leaves (seeds spreads in slurry) 2. Low proportion of good quality grass E.g. ryegrass 3. Lack of clover  4. Animal activity  **Benefits of reseeding grassland include: ** 1. Improves grass quality - more digestible  2. Improves silage quality - more digestible  3. Improves animal output - milk and meat production  4. Increase in grass growth - higher stocking rates on land  **Methods of sowing and reseeding grassland.** - Direct sowing  - Undersowing  - Direct drilling  - Slit seeding Minimum Cultivation - is the sowing of a crop without ploughing the land.  **Direct Sowing ** - Spray the soil before with a glycophosphate e.g. round-up, to kill the existing crop. - Test soil and fertilise appropriately - Plough the soil at depth of 14-16cm  - Till the ground using a Power harrow or disc harrow - this provides a fine seed to produce a fine tilth  - Sow using a 'hay seeder' or 'combine drill' - Roll the soil after to increase soil seed contact.     **Undersowing: ** Grass seed is sown with another tillage crop. +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Advantages ** | **Disadvantages ** | +===================================+===================================+ | Loss of Nitrogen is reduced due | Crop is in competition with each | | to two sets of roots taking up | other  | | water + nutrients.  | | | | Cereal yield is reduced  | | Growth of weeds is reduced.  | | | | Not suited to intensive cereal | | Soil erosion is reduced  | production  | | | | | Grassland can be used for | No growth of clover in sward if | | grazing  | herbicides needed  | | | | | No need for second seedbed to be | | | prepared  | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Direct Drilling/Direct Seeding ** - Direct drilling/direct seeding a slit is made in the ground by a direct drilling machine and the seed is placed into the slit.  - The land is sprayed using a glyphosate before seeding to remove any broadleaf weeds.  - The grass is left to die for 5 to 7 days and then grazed bare by livestock.  - The land is not ploughed.  - It is useful on shallow soils that cannot be ploughed.  - When sowing the seed fertiliser and slug pellets can be placed in with the seed.  - A form of minimum tillage. Which reduces impact on the soil.  **Slit seeding/stitching in** - Existing sward is not killed. It is tightly grazed before reseeding. Knock-back old grass to ensure not too strong and less competition for new reseeded grass.  - Done using a one pass system. A disc open up a slit/channel in the soil. The seed is placed in. A light roller closes the slit once the seed is placed.  - Quick method of reseeding as the land is not out of action for long. ** **