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Perennial Irrigated Pastures. I. Plant, Soil Water, and Animal Responses Under Rotational and Continuous Grazing 1
Author(s) -
Raguse C. A.,
Henderson D. W.,
Hull J. L.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1971.00021962006300020032x
Subject(s) - lolium perenne , grazing , dactylis glomerata , trifolium repens , agronomy , perennial plant , pasture , biology , field experiment , poaceae , environmental science
Continuous grazing favored strawberry clover ( Trifolium fragiferum L. ‘Salina’), and rotational grazing (5‐field; 1‐week grazing, 4‐week recovery) favored Ladino clover ( T. repens L.) in a sward containing Ladino clover, ‘Salina’ strawberry clover, orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L), and perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.). A 2‐field rotation (I‐week, I‐week) favored strawberry clover but had less influence on botanical composition than either 5‐field rotation or continuous grazing. Continuous grazing resulted in a higher percentage of plant cover than did 5‐field rotational grazing. Yields of beef per unit area were similar under the three systems. Water infiltration increased progressively during the 4 years of the experiment, and final infiltration rates were 2 to 3 cm/hr in both continuous and rotationally grazed pastures.