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Milk‐production potential of different sward types in a temperate southern Australian environment
Author(s) -
Chapman D. F.,
Tharmaraj J.,
Nie Z. N.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.2008.00627.x
Subject(s) - grazing , perennial plant , pasture , agronomy , biology , temperate climate , lolium perenne , dry matter , zoology , ecology
Summary The milk‐production potential of different sward types was measured in each of the four seasons of the year in a replicated experiment in south‐west Victoria, Australia. Dairy cows were offered ad libitum allowances of a ‘short‐term winter’ sward, based on Italian ryegrass (treatment STW), a ‘long‐term winter’ sward, based on a winter‐active tall fescue (treatment LTW), a ‘long‐term summer’ sward, based on a summer‐active tall fescue (treatment LTS) and a Control sward (perennial ryegrass) in four seasons (days in milk in parentheses): spring (November dairy cows, 124), summer (February, 227), autumn (May, 234) and winter (August, sixty‐four). A ‘short‐term summer’ sward, based on chicory and white clover (treatment STS), was also included in summer. There was a significant season × treatment interaction caused by a more gradual decline in milk yield from peak for cows grazing treatment LTS compared to the Control treatment in the transition period from spring to summer. In summer, cows grazing treatment STS produced more milk (1·41 kg fat plus protein per cow d −1 ) than cows grazing all other treatments (0·92 kg per cow d −1 ) because of the superior nutritive value of herbage of pre‐grazing pasture and higher apparent dry‐matter intakes. Swards based on alternative species to perennial ryegrass are capable of supporting milk production that is at least comparable over an annual cycle.