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Relationship between sward height and herbage mass for integrated crop‐livestock systems with trees
Author(s) -
Pontes Laíse da S.,
Carpinelli Sandoval,
Stafin Giliardi,
PorfíriodaSilva Vanderley,
Santos Betina R. C. dos
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
grassland science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.388
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1744-697X
pISSN - 1744-6961
DOI - 10.1111/grs.12147
Subject(s) - lolium multiflorum , shading , forage , grazing , dry matter , agronomy , pasture , stocking , intercropping , crop , mathematics , zoology , biology , art , visual arts
Sward height ( SH ) is an important management variable for both continuous and intermittent stocking, since it is easily measured and highly correlated to herbage mass ( HM ). However, in systems with trees, tree shading can alter the relationship between SH and HM by changes in the sward structure. Understanding these relationships under shading could help identify and design management practices for swards in association with trees. The aim of this study was to investigate the SH and HM relationship for a continuously stocked mixed black oat ( Avena strigosa Schreb.) + annual ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.) pasture in two systems, i.e. with and without trees, with two levels of nitrogen (N) (90 vs. 180 kg N ha −1 ), three replicates and over 2 years (2014/2015). Comparison of regression lines was performed between SH ( x ‐variable) and HM ( y ‐variable), showing mainly a system effect. Shading altered the relationship between SH and HM in order of magnitude (i.e. different intercepts), but not in the rate of change (i.e. equal slopes). Regardless the SH , oat + ryegrass mixture under trees produced 698 kg of dry matter ( DM ) ha −1 less than those without trees. Therefore, a target SH used at full sun systems as an index for management (e.g. 20 cm) might not apply under trees with >50% shade, since HM may be limiting to ensure intake of grazing animals (e.g. <1200 kg DM ha −1 ). The shade level must be controlled to optimize the yield of these forage species and to maintain the necessary HM to ensure the sustainability of no‐till silvopastoral systems.