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grassland Flashcards

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1
Q

Dry Matter - DM

A

The matter remaining in a food sample after the water has been removed.

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2
Q

Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD)

A

The amount of dry matter that can be digested by an animal.

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3
Q

Tillering

A

The ability of a plant to produce side shoots from the bottom of the plant.

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4
Q

Sward

A

Term used to describe a field of grass

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5
Q

Scutch grass

A

A perennial ryegrass that is an invasive weed

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6
Q

Waterlogged

A

Damage caused to wet or waterlogged land

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7
Q

Grassland value factors to consider

A

Botanical composition
Production level
Stocking rate

Botanical composition affects the amount of grass produced and in turn the production levels affect how many animals can be put on the land.

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8
Q

Botanical Composition

A

The range of grasses, plants and other vegetation present.

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9
Q

Production Level

A

The amount of herbage produced by the pasture, this will influence livestock production e.g. LWG

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10
Q

Stocking rate

A

Number of animals on a set area of land.

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11
Q

Rough mountain / Hill grazing

A

-Land is peaty & acidic
- Difficult to cultivate.
- Botanical composition : Varies greatly, poorer quality grasses, heather & gorse.

  • Production levels: Poorer grasses leads to lower LWG
  • Stocking rate: Low nutrition leads to lower stocking rate.

Plant species : Heathers, Purple Moor grass, Meadow grasses

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12
Q

Permanent Grassland

A
  • Land is never ploughed or reseeded
  • Can be fertilised which improves quality & productivity.
  • Botanical composition : Dominated by perennial ryegrass and trees & scrub are scarce or absent.
  • Production levels : Can be improved with fertilisation & liming leading to higher production.

Stocking Rate: Improved production levels leads to improved stocking rates.

Plant species : Meadow grasses, cocksfoot, Timothy , Perennial ryegrasses

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13
Q

Leys

A

Field or pasture sown by a farmer.
- Temporary in nature, reseeded regularly.

Botanical composition: 1 or 2 productive grasses and clover dominant.

Production level : productive grasses used for a high LWG

Stocking rate: High levels of nutrition leads to high stocking rates.

Plants Species : Cocksfoot, Timothy , perennial ryegrass, white clover, red clover.

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14
Q

Growth cycle of grass

A
  1. Vegetative : Tillers produced, leafy grass with lots of sugar and protein.
  2. Elongation : Stem develops and grows taller.
  3. Reproduction : Seed Heads emerge (headed out) and stems harden to support the extra length and produces more fibre.
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15
Q

Growth cycle of grass

A
  1. Vegetative : Tillers produced, leafy grass with lots of sugar and protein.
  2. Elongation : Stem develops and grows taller.
  3. Reproduction : Seed Heads emerge (headed out) and stems harden to support the extra length and produces more fibre.
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16
Q

Characteristics of grass

A
  1. PALATABILITY
  2. PRODUCTIVITY
  3. DIGESTIBILITY
17
Q

Palatability

A
  • A measure of how pleasant the grass tastes.
  • Cattle and sheep are selective grazers which means they only eat the grasses that re most palatable to them.
  • Livestock ignore unpalatable grasses.
  • The grasses left uneaten will continue to develop and begin to dominate the pasture.
  • This lowers overall productivity and quality of the pasture.
18
Q

Productivity

A

A measure of the quantity of herbage produced by a grass.
- The higher the productivity, the more grass there is available for livestock.
- Higher stocking rates are more possible on productive grasses.

19
Q

Productivity

A

A measure of the quantity of herbage produced by a grass.
- The higher the productivity, the more grass there is available for livestock.
- Higher stocking rates are more possible on productive grasses.

20
Q

Digestibility

A

Refers to the amount of food material that is retained & used by the body in comparison to the amount of food consumed.
- Grass consists of protein , cellulose , fibre & soluble carbohydrates.
- These vary in digestibility

Digestibility Bar chart

21
Q

Digestibility

A

Refers to the amount of food material that is retained & used by the body in comparison to the amount of food consumed.
- Grass consists of protein , cellulose , fibre & soluble carbohydrates.
- These vary in digestibility

Digestibility Bar chart, measures digestibility of various constituents ; protein, sugar, carbs, cellulose , fibre

22
Q

Changes in DMD during growing season.

A

When grass is green and leafy (vegetative stage) , It produces sugar and protein meaning it is highly digestible. (80%)

  • Once grass flowers (reproductive stage) , the stem needs to support the head.
    This means stronger materials are needed and so fibre is produced at the expense of sugar and protein, reducing digestibility of plant (50%)
  • From heading date , DMD drops 0.5% per day.
23
Q

Benefits & encouraging tillering

A

Benefits : Closed sward (reduces weeds)
Higher production
prevents poaching

How to encourage:
Use certain species
Topping
Grazing

24
Q

Perennial Ryegrass

A

Requires well drained soils , pH 6 or greater.

Benefits :
High Productivity, palatability & digestibility
- Longer growing season- Reduces winter costs.
- Higher stocking rate- Due to high productivity
-Good tillering ability - leads to high production

25
Q

Italian Ryegrass

A

Requires: Well drained soils with a pH of 6 or greater.
Biennial (suitable for short term leys , 2-3 years)

Longer growing season that PRG
More productive than PRG
Ideal for intensive silage production
Can have stemmy growth
fast growing

26
Q

Hybrid Ryegrass

A

Cross between species of PRG and IRG , results in hybrid vigour.
High production levels of IRG
Less stemmy regrowth than IRG
Less reseeding needed than IRG

27
Q

Clover

A

Member of Fabaceae Family
- included in seed mixtures
- white clover used for grazing, red clover used for silage.
Have root nodules which contain Rhizobium Bacteria that fixes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates.
Reduces need for artificial fertiliser.

Symbiotic Relationship between clover and bacteria.
-clover gets nitrogen form the bacteria
- in return , the bacteria gets a suitable habitat.
Too much nitrogen can kill off clover in a sward.
Too much clover can lead to bloat in the rumen of animals ( feed dry hay before turning out onto legume pasture to avoid acidosis)

28
Q

Clover

A

Member of Fabaceae Family
- included in seed mixtures
- white clover used for grazing, red clover used for silage.
Have root nodules which contain Rhizobium Bacteria that fixes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates.
Reduces need for artificial fertiliser.

Symbiotic Relationship between clover and bacteria.
-clover gets nitrogen form the bacteria
- in return , the bacteria gets a suitable habitat.
Too much nitrogen can kill off clover in a sward.
Too much clover can lead to bloat in the rumen of animals ( feed dry hay before turning out onto legume pasture to avoid acidosis)

29
Q

Red Clover

A

-Short lived
-Used for soil fertility building and sale production.
- High quality silage
- High crude protein
- High mineral content
- High palatability
- Lambs fatten well on silage

Not to be fed to ewes 6 weeks either side of mating

30
Q

White clover

A
  • Persistent
  • Fixes nitrogen from air into soil
  • Cheaper fertiliser costs
  • High protein
  • High mineral content
  • High palatability
  • Good ground cover, reduces weeds

Risk of bloat.

31
Q

Seed mixture

A

A seed mixture is a mixture of either different species or varieties of grass often with clover.

  • PRG & IRG can be categorised as early, intermediate and late heading varieties based on how far into the growing season the influences emerges.
  • Heading out date of a grass species is the time of year when the seed head emerges on the plant.
32
Q

Types of seed mixtures

A

Category: Early
Heading out date: Mid May
Uses : Provide grass in spring

Category: Intermediate
Heading Out date : Late May
Use: Provide a good silage crop

Category: Late
Heading out date: Early June
Use : Provide silage & long term grazing

33
Q

Seed mixture for grazing

A

Grazing: PRG with different heading out dates with white clover.

ADV: Constant supply of fresh grass with high DMD levels from spring to autumn.
Grass does not go stemmy at the same time which would result in poor quality grass

34
Q

Seed Mixture for silage

A

IRG varieties with similar heading out dates & red clover.

Grass growth will be uniformed, and it will all be ready for cutting at the same time.
- So only one strain of grass is used or a number of different strains with the same heading out dates

Type of grassland influences level of food production.
Productivity and digestibility of a species affects the production levels of food producing animals.

35
Q

Regrowth of grass

A

regrowth of grass takes roughly 21 days,
sugar & protein have highest DMD

Ag Science (12 decks)

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