IMPORTANCE OF GRASSLAND , FODDER & PASTURE MANAGEMENT IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

Grassland :(1) Any land in which the dominant vegetation is grasses. (2) More generally, any plant

community in which the dominant vegetation is grasses and/or legumes.Forage : (1) The edible parts of plants (other than separated grain) that can provide feed for animals or can be harvesting for feeding animals. (2) The material found, harvested, and consumed by livestock themselves that fulfils their nutritional needs.Fodder : Coarse grasses, such as maize and sorghum, harvested with the seed and /or Leaves/young stem green or alive, and then cured and fed in their entirety as forage.Foliage : The green or live leaves of growing plants. It

often refers to plant leaves collectively when referring to the aboveground development of forage plants.Pasture : A grazing management unit, enclosed and separated from other areas by fences or other barriers, that’s devoted to producing forage for harvest, primarily by grazing.Paddock : A relatively small subdivision of a pasture generally fenced (permanently or temporarily) and used to control livestock grazing. Intensive grazing management : A grazing management practice that attempts to increase production, utilization per unit area, or production per animal through a relative increase in stocking rates, forage utilization, labour, resources, or capital.Bloat : A livestock disorder resulting from an accumulation of gas in the rumen or intestines caused by the fermentation of green forages.Grass tetany : Also called hypomagnesemia. A livestock disorder that can occur in cattle on lush pastures that have soils that are generally low in phosphorus but high in potassium and nitrogen. This combination inhibits magnesium uptake. Grazing system/method : A defined procedure or technique of grazing management designed to achieve a specific objective or set of objectives. The Kharak system of grazing in Uttarakhand and Gol system in Rajasthan are two important migratory grazing systems .Rotational stocking/grazing : A grazing method that involves regularly recurring periods of grazing followed by regularly recurring rest periods among two or more paddocks in a grazing management unit.Variable stocking density : The practice of allowing a variable number of animals on a fixed area of land during the time when grazing is allowed.Sequence grazing : The practice of grazing two or more land units in succession that differ in forage species composition. In practice, sequence grazing takes advantage of differences among forage species and species combinations grown in separate areas to extend the grazing season, enhance forage quality or quantity, or achieve some other management objective.First-last grazing : A method of using two or more groups of animals (usually with differentnutritional requirements) to sequentially graze on the same land areas.Grazing pressure  : It is the demand/supply ratio between dry matter requirements of livestock and the quantity of forage available in a pasture at a specific time. Reducing the length of the

summer-grazing season and increasing herd size to obtain the same end-of-season stocking rate increases grazing pressure regardless of grazing system. Stocking Rate : Stocking rate is defined as the land area allocated to each grazing animal for a specific length of time. Stocking rate influences: • How well the plant can recover from grazing during the growing season • Future forage production • The quality of the available forage • Animal performance • Long-term change in species composition Optimum Stocking rate: 3-5 cows/hectare depending on body weight and milk yield Carrying Capacity . There are biological limits for animal numbers on every pasture. Carrying capacity is foremost a timing and a level of forage demand that does not reduce vigor of preferred plant species or the hydrological condition in consecutive years. Conversely, it is also a level of stocking that allows livestock to achieve target levels of production and reproductive efficiency. The proper number of animals depends on livestock weight and nutrient requirements, and the length of the grazing season. Grazing preference: Grazing animals will often prefer certain forages over others, and those preferred forages are said to be more palatable(tasty). The relative palatability of a plant species depends on factors such as the other species present, stage of growth of each species, and soil fertility level. Grazing animals will concentrate in areas where the plants are most palatable. Grazing formulas help in planning grazing management. To determine the number of paddocks needed, divide the number of paddock rest days by the number of grazing days and then add 1 to the result. For example, eight paddocks are needed for 4-day grazing periods with 28-day rest periods.

In India, grazing based livestock husbandry continues to play an important role in rural economy of the country as around 50 per cent animals depend on grazing in forests and other grazing areas in many parts of the country. India has an area of 10.24 million ha land under permanent pasture and other grazing lands categories during 2012-13. Rajasthan state with 1.69 m ha land under permanent pasture and other grazing lands has largest areas (16.54%) (Agriculture Statistics at a Glance, 2015). In addition to that Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states have significant area under this category. Grasslands provide numerous foods, goods and services, and are central to the livelihoods and economies of many low-income people.

PROTECTION OF GRASSLANDBush clearance. The natural grasslands in our country are heavily infested with undesirable bushes, shrubs, etc. These bushes and shrubs compete with grasses for space, light, nutrients, besides being poisonous to the grazing animals and harbouring some carnivorous animals which prove detrimental to economic livestock production and thus considerably reduce the biological yields. Adoption of soil and water conservation measures. The undulating topography in certain areas and ravine areas poses serious problems in their improvement. In such difficult areas, adequate soil and water-conservation measures, viz. pitting, contour-bunding and contour-furrowing, should be adopted. Enhancing herbage quality through legumes. The tropical and subtropical grasses at the time of their optimal utilization contain, on an average, 6% crude protein. The nutritive value and palatability of these grasses are increased at least twofold by overseeding them with leguminous forage species.Use of adequate fertilizers to boost yields. The tropical and subtropical grasses show a good response to the application of nitrogen, but in view of the shortage of chemical fertilizers, farmyard manure and sheep or goat foldings should be used. Their use will not only improve the fertility of this but also its structure, thereby also increasing its water-holding capacity. Reseeding with better species. Under the completely denuded and worst condition of the grassland, reseeding with better-yielding, adaptable, persistent and aggressive species would become essentialThe detail demand and supply fodder and concentrate :

Area under Permanent Pastures and Grazing Lands : Most of this type land is owned by the village ‘Panchayat’ or the Government. Only a small proportion of this land is privately owned. The land owned by the village panchayat comes under ‘Common Property Resources’ or Gochor.

Challenges of Fodder Development India has only 2.29% of the total land area of world and hosts 17% of the human population and 11% of the total livestock population of the world. The area under fodder production in India is stagnating at 4% of the gross cropped area for the last four decades. India is the highest milk producer country in the world but milk production per animal per year is very low. Deficiency in quantity and quality of fodder is one of the major causes for this low animal productivity. The animals need proper feeding to meet their nutrient requirement to express their full genetic production potential. Deficiency of green forage is mainly due to non-availability of land for fodder cultivation. Fodders are again cultivated or grown naturally on degraded and marginal lands with minimum input, in terms of fertilizers, water and operational energy. Moreover, in case of forages, regional and seasonal deficiencies are more important than the national deficiencies, as it is not economical to transport the forage over long distances. Fodders are roughages -

Pasture ManagementVARIATION IN FEEDING VALUE OF PASTURE1.Species and strains of plants2.Stage of maturity at the time of harvesting3.Climate and soil4.Stem-leaf proportion5.Fertilizer application6.Irrigation7.Methods of preservationNATURAL PASTURE : Most of the pasture lands in India are natural SOWN PASTURE Generally organized farm maintains sown pasture in India . Manager has direct control of FACTORS for pasture, higher return per unit of land is ensured. Advantages -

1. CHOICE OF GRASSES AND LEGUMES2. MANIPULATION OF AGRONOMIC PRACTICES EG. FERTILIZATION , WEED CONTROL ETC.3. SELECTION OF LIVESTOCK,TYPES OF ANIMALS

Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute

(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)Near Pahuj Dam, Gwalior Road, Jhansi - 284 003 (UP) India

4. CHOICE OF GRAZING SYSTEM & INTENSITY OF GRAZING

CAUSES OF DETERIOTION OF PASTURE : 1.Overgrazing 2.Bad drainage 3.Depletion of soil fertility

SOME OF THE IMPORTANT CULTIVATED PASTURE GRASSESIrrigated Rainfed 1.Napier (Pennisetum purpueum) 1. Anjan or Buffel (Cenchurus ciliaris)2.Guinea (Panicum maximum) 2.Rhodes (Chloris gayana)3.Para (Brachiaria mutica) 3.Doob (Cynodon dactylon) 4.Deenanath (Pennisetum pedicellatum)

DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRAZING SYSTEM1.Continuous grazing2.Rotational grazing3.Deferred rotational grazing4.Zero grazing

1.Continuous grazingCharacteristics1.Extensive system of grazing, livestock remain on pasture for prolonged time2.Common in tropics3.The number of animals per unit of area remains constant4.Grazing young with old animals cause heavy cross helminthic infection5.Growth of animals –not satisfactory6.Grazing continues till the abundance of certain grasses becomes minimum7.Satisfactory for low yielding animals ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

2.Rotational grazing1.Applicable where annual grasses are predominant2.Pasture is divided into three equal parts and fenced

3.Each compartment is continuously grazed for one-third of total grazing season and protected for remaining two-third of season for seed setting and manuring ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

3.Deferred rotational grazing 1.Grassland is divided at least into three compartments2.One of them is earmarked for seeding and the other two are subjected to be grazed alternatively3.Grazing is allowed in seeded compartment when seeds are mature but the plants are not too mature and unpalatable4.One plot out of three is left for seeding yearly in rotation so that in a period of three years one plot gets a period of rest5.Applicable where perennial grasses are predominant6.Lower loss of soil nutrient

4.ZERO Grazing1.Animals are not allowed to graze 2.They are fed on silage and hay3.Also known as mechanical grazing STUBBLE GRAZING1.In post-harvesting season sheep and goats are allowed on the stubble eg. Crop residue2. Animals get some amount of nutrients 3. Dung and urine acts as organic fertilizer

CUT AND CARRY METHOD OF PASTURE UTILIZATION 1.NO RETURN OF DUNG AND URINE IN THE PASTURE

2.LOW NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FODDER3.IF CHEMICAL FERTILIZATION IS NOT DONE, MARKED DEPLETION OF SOIL POTASSIUM4.LESS SOIL EROSIONSTRIP GRAZING1.Extreme form of grazing

2.Small section of pasture is separated by electric fence3.High productive pasture-high yielding livestock-high returns Hohenheim system or Leader-follower groups 1.This is a rotational system of grazing2.Animals are grouped in three groups high yielders, average yielders and low yields3.Higher producers enter first followed by average and low yielding animals4.Nutritious immature grasses available to high yielders Creep Grazing Creep grazing is a form of preweaning supplementation of nursing calves. It is the practice of allowing nursing calves to graze areas that their dams cannot access at the same time. This is accomplished through use of a creep gate that the calves can pass through freely but their dams cannot. Grazing characteristics of different speciesHorses have a preferred grazing height of 2 to 4 inches. Their upper and lower incisors permit closer grazing. Treading and hoof action may also damage forages. These factors contribute to overgrazing, poor pasture quality and weed growth. Efficient grazing heights for sheep are 2 to 6 inches. This demonstrates the need for managing forage stubble residues to prevent overgrazing. Cattle, on the other hand, prefer a taller sward of 4 to 10 inches tall to increase their bite efficiency. Sheep and Goats have more mobile upper lips than cattle. Goats prefer

browsing over grazing on rough and steep land. Goats can be considered renovators and are useful to control certain weeds and unwanted vegetation. Managed grazing needs the watchful eye of the pasture manager and 3 to 4 inch minimum of pasture residue remaining when animals leave a paddock. Paddock size should be small enough for uniform grazing by the animals.Mixed-species grazing can often improve pasture utilization, productivity and control problem of weeds and brush without the need for chemicals. This practice takes advantage of

different grazing habits and species’ forage preferences. Reduced parasite loads can occur with mixed species grazing or alternating species in a grazing program. Some predator control may be achieved from larger animals protecting the smaller ruminants. Economic returns can be greater from more productivity of livestock produced per acre. Generally in a good pasture system, six to eight goats consume as much as one cow or five to six sheep. Heavy brush-browse systems will support nine to 11 goats; six to seven sheep or one cow. With mixed-species grazing one or

two goats or sheep could be added per cow grazing to improve pasture utilization. This uses the different feeding habits to manage pasture and optimize animal production.  CONSTRAINTS OF FODDER PRODUCTION IN INDIA

BROWSING

Since India is characterized by tropical monsoon climate and active growth in grazing lands occur only during monsoon months, there is surplus fodder during rainy months and deficits of various levels in other months. Thus there is already growing emphasis on animal feed security systems and fodder banks to overcome such problems. The surplus production from grasslands during rainy season is to be carefully preserved in various forms to meet the forage requirements of the lean periods. The post harvest technologies such as biomass processing, enrichment and densification appear to be the key for better animal husbandry in the deficit zone .

How much of the herbage should remain when the animals are removed? As a general rule, no more than 50 percent of the current season’s growth should be removed during the growing season. By leaving sufficient leaf area, the plants can produce enough foodstuffs for current growth and to rebuild stored food reserves. To maintain 50 percent of the leaf area, about 2/3 of the current season’s leaf length can be removed at any one time (Figure 3). Season of use, length

of the grazing period, time available for re-growth after grazing, condition of the grazed lands, and current weather conditions influence this decision.

Silvipasture

The quality and quantity of grasses go down with the advent of winter owing to lack of sufficient moisture in soil. Thus during the lean periods of spring and summer , tree loppings(mango, jackfruits etc.) come to the rescue of the livestock farmers. The young leafy ,

succulent material , highly nutritive and rich in crude protein and minerals serve as concentrate even fed in small quantity with other dried grasses and crop residues. The loppings of the trees obtained in spring and summer also contain certain substances which bring the animals quickly into reproduction phase.

Such trees also planted as companion species with grasses. This practice of growing fodder cum fuel trees in association with the grasses is popularly known as silvipastural system. Trees like Babool and Siris and grasses like Anjan and Sain can be grown. Some of the important trees giving tree loppings are Soobabool and Sesbania. Acacia (Babool)tree produces many products, including animal feeds and Gum Arabic, a much-sought product globally as it is used widely in the value addition industry. Acacia tree’s pods and leaves are used as fodder for camel and goats.

Specimen Questions

Write TRUE or FALSE1.In continuous grazing , growth of animals are not satisfactory.2. Choice of grazing system and intensity of grazing can be achieved in sown pasture. 3.In zero grazing system , only kids and lambs are allowed to graze.MCQ

1. Which of the following is a unique behavior of goat ?a. Browsing b. Breezing c. Bowing d. Brewing

1.Discuss in brief the measures to protect grassland. 1. Differentiate between strip grazing and creep grazing 1. Write short notes on 1. Rotational grazing 2. Sequence grazing 3.Constraints of fodder production in West Bengal Fill in the blanks

1. In deferred rotational grazing, grassland is divided at least into _______compartments.2. Nutritious immature grasses available to high yielders in ____________ system of grazing.