Tobosa (Hilaria mutica [Buckl.] Benth.) was seasonally grazed with cattle under high-density (2.1 to 5.1 animal unit/hectare [AU/ha]) rotation and low-density (0.33 and 0.39 AU/ha) continuous stocking in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Tobosa leaf and culm color were used to evaluate forage quality. At the end of the 1980-81 growing seasons, crude protein was highest in green tobosa (8.4%) and lowest in gray tobosa from the previous seasons (4.7%). Grazing strategies did not influence the proportion of green tobosa within the standing crop; however, flexible rotation produced a more uniform use of green tobosa within the cell when compared to grazing with fixed intervals between rotations. Grazing patterns result from improper utilization of green tobosa which in future years will senesce into gray colored tobosa that composed 46-91% of the standing crop. In this study, flexible rotation of cattle among paddocks, based on a 30-35% reduction of tobosa standing crop height, reduced gray tobosa within the standing crop more than did continuous stocking. Total heifer liveweight gain per ha in 1980 and 1981, respectively, was 43 and 24% less under continuous stocking compared to rotation grazing management. 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
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.