Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Herbage production of Mediterranean grassland under seasonal and yearlong grazing systems
Author
Gutman, M.
Seligman, N. G.
Noy-Meir, I.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1990-01-01
Body

Data from 2 consecutive grazing experiments conducted over 7 years on a Mediterranean type grassland were used to calculate forage consumption by herds of beef cattle maintained at different stocking rates and in different grazing systems. In the first experiment the animals were on the experimental range for 8 months of the year; in the second, grazing was yearlong. Total production of herbage mass was estimated from these data and from the residual litter in the paddocks at the end of the dry season. Production of dry herbage mass varied between 2,600 and 3,800 kg/ha, with a mean and SD of 3,060 +/- 300 kg/ha. While variation between years was relatively small but significant (P<.01), the effect of stocking rate or grazing system (seasonal, yearlong) was smaller and not significant. It is concluded that the attained level of herbage production of Mediterranean grassland on relatively shallow basaltic protogrumosols is not sensitive to total precipitation over a very wide range or to grazing system. It may be dependent on the availability of nutrients, especially nitrogen, and the seasonal distribution pattern of available soil moisture in a restricted rooting zone. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3899124
Additional Information
Gutman, M., Seligman, N. G., & Noy-Meir, I. (1990). Herbage production of Mediterranean grassland under seasonal and yearlong grazing systems. Journal of Range Management, 43(1), 64-68.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/644878
Journal Volume
43
Journal Number
1
Journal Pages
64-68
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
performance traits
Mediterranean region
Israel
cows
liveweight gain
continuous grazing
grazing trials
rotational grazing
dietary supplements
grazing
forage