/ . Br. Grassld Soc.
(1974) 29, 93
THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN, STOCKING RATE AND GRAZING METHOD ON THE
OUTPUT OF PASTURE GRAZED BY BEEF CATTLE
G. M . J. HORTON* AND W . HOLMES
Wye College, Ashford, Kent
ABSTRACT
An experiment was conducted in 1971 and 1972
to study the effects of two levels of fertilizer N (50
and 504 kg/ha) on the productivity of pastures
grazed hy young heef cattle. Two stocking rates
were imposed at the lower N level and three at the
higher. In addition to rotational grazing, set-
stocking and an integrated grazing-conservation
system were included. The responses/kg N were
approximately 1 kg liveweight gain, 19-24 Meal
ME and 8-9 kg DM. Maximum yields of 1200-
1300 kg liveweight gain/ha and 25,000-27,000
Meal M£/ha were recorded. Productivity of set-
stocked pasture was similar to rotational grazing
at the high N level, hut lower at low N. The inte-
grated system yielded comparahle results to
high-N rotational grazing. Performances and
herhage intakes per animal reflected the stocking
rates imposed.
INTRODUCTION
In two previous papers (5, 13) the effects of N
and stocking rate on production from pastures
grazed by beef cattle have been reported. The
present paper reports further work in which the
main objective was to discover whether satis-
factory responses to N could be obtained when
even higher levels of fertilizer N were applied.
Comparisons were also made of rotational
grazing with set-stocking, and with a system in
which grazing and herbage conservation were
integrated (IGC).
EXPERIMENTAL
The work was conducted on a pasture estab-
lished in 1970, following successive crops of
•Present address: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Research Institute, Pk/P.O. Onderstepoort, South Africa
wheat and barley in 1969 and 1970, which
consisted of short-rotation ryegrass Grasslands
Manawa, S24 perennial ryegrass, timothy, Kent
Wild white clover and SlOO white clover.
Three factors, N level, stocking rate and system
of grazing were examined in the treatments
described in Table 1.
The two N levels were 50 (low-N) and 504
(high-N) kg/ha in the form of Nitrochalk
(25 %N). A basal dressing of 75 kg/ha each of
PjOs and KjO was applied before grazing in
spring. All the N for the low-N treatments was
applied in a single dressing 4 weeks before
grazing began, when the high-N treatments
received the first of 6 applications. On the 4-
paddock rotation system, N was applied after
each of the first 5 cycles to each of the high-N
treatments at the rate of 3 kg/ha per day to
cover 28 days growth. To minimize the risk of
nitrate poisoning on the high-N set-stocked and
the grazed area of the IGC system, the appro-
priate allowance for 28 days was applied to one-
quarter of the area each week. The entire con-
servation area of the IGC system was fertilized 4
weeks before and again immediately after
harvest
Details of the stocking rates imposed are
shown in Table 1. The stocking rate on the low-N
set-stocked area was intermediate between those
used on the low-N rotational grazing plots; and
the stocking rate on the high-N set-stocked area
was the same as that on the intermediate high-N
rotational grazed plots (NgHj). The four
paddocks per treatment in the rotational system
were grazed for one week and rested for three
weeks in a fixed, predetermined order that was
maintained for the 168 days of the experiment.
Cattle on the set-stocked plots had free access
93
94 THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN, STOCKING RATE AND GRAZING METHOD ON THB
OUTPUT OF PASTURE GRAZED BY BEEF CATTLE
TABLE 1. The foiilizer levels, stocking rates and grazing systems compared

Treatment No NoH N. NaHiA N,H,B N,H, NoSet NjSet IG(

Grazing area, ha 1-00 0-75 0-66 0-55 0-55 0-46 0-83 0-55 1-0
N applied, kg/ha 50 50 504 504 504 504 50 504 5^
Stocking rate, Cattle/ha
1971
Maximum (for 12 weeks) 6-0 8-0 9-1 11-0 11-0 13-0 7-3 11-0 6-0
Mean over 24 weeks 5-0 6-7 7-6 9-2 9-2 10-9 6-1 9-2 6-0
1972
Maximum (for 12 weeks) 7-0 9-3 10-6 12-8 12-8 15-2 8-5 12-8 6-0
Mean over 24 weeks 5-7 7-5 8-6 10-4 10-4 12-3 6-9 10-4 6-0
Treatments with suflSx 'Set' were set-stocked. IGC represents an integrated grazing and conservation system. At the
beginning of the experiment the average weijjit of cattle was 217 kg in 1971 and 170 kg in 1972 (see text).

to the entire grazing area for the experimental
period.
The IGC area was divided into two paddocks,
representing one-third and two-thirds of the
total area. In both years the one-third area was
grazed first while the two-thirds area was con-
served. The two-thirds was then grazed while the
one-third was rested and cut. After the second
conservation cut, the entire area was grazed. In
1971 the conservation cut from the two-thirds
area was on 2 June and that from the one-third
area on 26 July. The respective dates in 1972
were 16 May and 7 July.
Stock numbers were reduced in mid-season
in an effort to maintain similar levels of available
herbage throughout the experiment. In each
year, this adjustment was made after 12 weeks,
when two cattle were removed from all treat-
ment, except in the IGC treatment where the
area was increased.
Estimates were made of the herbage DM
present before grazing in 1971 on each of the
treatments in Blocks 1 and 3 of the 4-paddock
system. Ten randomly chosen samples per
treatment, each 305x91 cm, were cut with an
autoscythe and, after harvesting these samples,
a further 10 samples, each 20x50 cm, were cut
to ground level with hand shears, one from
within each area cut by the autoscythe. Repre-
sentative samples from each autoscythe cut and
all the hand shear samples were used to estimate
the DM content and yield of herbage.
Experimental animals
In 1971 fifty-four young cattle with a mean
liveweight of 217 kg were randomly allotted to
9 groups of 6 on the basis of liveweight, sex and
breed
In 1972, of the 61 cattle used, 56 were aged
from 5 to 12 months with a mean liveweight of
about 170 kg. Since no more similar animals
were available, 5 Friesian heifers aged from
14-20 months and weighing on average 313 kg
were used on the IGC system for the first half of
the season and then replaced by 6 cattle drafted
from the other treatments. The 56 cattle had
a uniform growth rate of about 0-75 kg/day from
birth. They were allocated to the treatments
according to sex, breed and weight. In each year
the cattle were treated with anthelmintic and
warble-fly preparations prior to turn-out. The
anthelmintic treatment was repeated in mid-
summer.
Digestibility
Herbage digestibility was estimated from the
chemical composition of faeces from the grazing
animals. Ten random fresh dung pats were
sampled in each treatment area in each cycle 4
days after cattle had entered those plots sampled
for chemical analysis. A thoroughly mixed
sample was dried, ground and analysed for N,
cellulose and total ash. The OM digestibility was
estimated from the regression equation calcu-
lated by Escuder et al. (5).
Percentage OM digestibility
=63-04+4-16 (percentage N in faecal OM)
R.S.D.±l-58
 G. M. J. HORTON AND W . HOLMES 95

Voluntary intake of herbage TABLE 2. Estimated quantities of herbage DM aixtve

Herbage intake was estimated twice in 1971 ground level at the start of each grazing cycle in 1971,
kg/ha
and once in 1972.
Chromic oxide cubes (100 g containing 5% May June July Aug. Sept
CraOs) were offered twice daily to animals in No 4200 4340 4010 3670 3050
yokes at 09.00 h and 15.00 h for 12 days prior NoH 3240 3450 2560 1980 2260
to faecal sampling. Faeces were sampled for 6 N. 3890 4040 3340 2900 2150
successive days. Samples per rectum were NsH,A 2880 3130 2630 2270 1840
collected twice daily after the cattle had con- N,H,B 3380 3110 3730 3350 2040
N,H. 3480 3300 2770 2010 1450
sumed the chromic oxide pellets. In 1971, fresh
dung pats in each treatment paddock were also Mean
sampled twice daily. The mixed, dried and 50 kg N/ha 3720 3900 3290 2820 2650
504 kg N/ha 3410 3390 3120 2640 1870
ground samples were analysed for N, cellulose,
chromic oxide and total ash. Standard errors were from 5-10% of mean yields
Two measurements were made in 1971, on
13-18 and 19-24 Aug., with 4 animals/treatment. ment in July reduced grazing intensity so that
Treatments No, NoH, N3H1A and N3H1B in the quantities of herbage per head were roughly
4-paddock system and treatment N3 Set were similar over the season.
compared. In 1972 measurements were made on The highest estimates of herbage were on
treatments No, NQH, Ng and N3H2, from 25-30 treatment No, ranging from 25-0 to 35-9 kg
July, with 7 animals/treatment. DM/head per day; the lowest were on NgHj and
ranged from 6-0 to 11-4 kg DM/head per day.
Liveweight change
The cattle were weighed once a week on The estimated digestibility of herbage consumed
Thursday starting at 10.30 h, two days after the The mean values for percentage N in faecal
paddock change on the rotation system. Further OM and estimated digestibilities during each
details of methods and results are given by year are shown in Table 4.
Horton (9). There was little difference in the average N
content, or estimated digestibility of the OM
consumed in high-N or low-N swards in either
RESULTS
year. Mean values for both 1971 and 1972 were
In both years there was a cold late spring but similar at 76-5 and 76-3 %, respectively. Within
thereafter conditions for grass growth were each year the highest values for OM digestibility
reasonably good. (80%) were recorded in May and the lowest
(73%) in July.
Herbage yield
The quantities of herbage before grazing were Voluntary intake
estimated in 1971 only. Individual harvest data The range of intakes observed, 5-05-7-76 kg
are given by Horton (9). The estimated quantity OM was similar to that reported by Wilkinson
of herbage above ground level in May ranged and Prescott (12) with Friesian steers of a similar
from 2880 to 4200 kg DM/ha on the N3H1B and age.
No pastures, respectively (Table 2). Yield
estimates from June include any residues from TABLE 3. Estimated DM above ground levei in 1971,
earlier grazings. The decline in herbage yield kg/head per day
was greater on the high-N pastures than on the Treatment May June July Aug. Sept.
low-N swards. No 250 258 359 328 27-3
NoH 14-5 155 17-3 13-4 15-3
Quantity of herbage per animal N, 15-3 158 196 170 12-6
N,HiA 9.4 102 124 106 85
Table 3 shows the quantities of herbage per N,H,B 11-0 102 17-7 146 9-5
animal. The removal of 2 cattle from each treat- N,H, 9-5 91 11-4 8-3 60
96 THE EFFECT OF NrTROGEN, STOCKING RATE AND GRAZING METHOD ON THE
OUTPUT OF PASTURE GRAZED BY BEEF CATTLE
TABLE 4. Mean faecal N content and estimated per' measured per unit metabolic size were similar.
centage OM digestibility Intake on N3H2 was significantly less than on
1971 1972
the other treatments recorded.
Estimated Estimated
Nin OM Nin OM Liveweight change
OM digestibility OM digestibility
%* 0/
%** % The results are shown in Table 6 for 1971 and
/o Table 7 for 1972.
No 2-89 75-0 3-03 75-8
XT TT
2-93 75-5 2-93 75-4 In 1971 similar daily liveweight gains, averag-
N, 3-30 76-8 3-13 76-2 ing about 1 kg/day were observed in all treat-
3-39 77-1 3-18 76-3 ments during the first 12 weeks, with the excep-
NjHiB 3-37 77-1 3-27 76-6
tion of the IGC system which averaged 0-78 kg/
N.H, 3-37 77-1 3-21 76-5
No Set 3-01 75-5 3-11 76-0 day. Performances during the second half of the
NgSet 3-29 76-7 3-43 77-3 grazing period were lower, about 0-53 kg/day
IGC 3-42 77-3 3-32 76-8 on the low-N rotation paddocks, and 0-27 and
0-67 kg/day for NgHxB and NsHiA, respectively.
Mean 3-22 76-5 3-18 76-3
Gains on the low-N and high-N set-stocked
•Mean of 12 values **Mean of 6 values paddocks were 0-36 and 0-64 kg/day respectively;
and on the IGC system 0-88 kg/day. The average
Mean intakes in 1971 were highest on the No daily gains of those cattle that remained on the
and N3H1A treatments, 92-96 g OM/kg W - " , experiment for the full 24-week period ranged
and lowest on NjHiB and N3 Set, 75 g OM/kg from 0-64 on NoH to 0-86 kg on Ng and IGC.
W - " (Table 5). Intakes in the two successive In 1972, daily gains on the IGC system were
sampling periods were almost identical. Intakes again lowest during the first 12 weeks, at 0-57
estimated from randomly sampled fresh dung kg; on the other treatments, gains ranged from
pats in the field were similar to those estimated 0-82, on NgHjA, to 1-18 kg on No. Performance
from rectal samples, although the difference during the second 12 weeks was severely de-
exceeded the standard error in two out of the 10 pressed on all treatments except IGC (0-52
treatment samples compared. The overall mean kg/day) and ranged from 0-08 on No Set, to
values estimated from samples collected in the 0-42 kg/day on NQ. Daily gains of those cattle
field and per rectum were 87-5 and 86-6 g that remained on the experiment for 24 weeks
OM/kg W*-'*, respectively. averaged 0-66 kg and ranged from 0-55 on No
In 1972 daily intakes were lower than re- Set, to 0-85 kg on No. No value is shown for the
corded in 1971 and ranged from 6-30 kg OM on IGC treatment since the same animals did not
No, to 4-64 kg OM, on N3H2, but intakes remain on this treatment over the season.

TABLE 5. Volimtary intake of herbage, g OM/kg \V°-''S

No N,H,B N.Set
71 Samples per rectum S.E. mean
1 95-2a 85-4ab 92-4ab 70-Oc 77-lbc 5-7
2 96-6a 84-5ab 92-6ab 77-3b 72-7b 5-9

Field samples
1 95-2 81-6 85-3 70-0 74-8
2 100-8 96-1 93-3 81-8 73-4

72 No N, N,H. S.E. mean

95-5a 90-3a 92-5a 73-7b 4-7

Means followed by different letters differ significantly (P<0-01).

 G. M. J. HORTON AND W . HOLMES 97

TABLE 6. Mean daily liveweight gains and Uveweight gains/ha in 1971

No NjH N3 NaH,A N3H1B N,H, Set N.Set IGC S.E.

Liveweight gain, kg/day
Weeks 0-12 l-17a 0-97bc 1-llab 0-95C l-04abc 0-94C l-05abc l-05abc 0-78d 0-08
Weeks 12-24 0-54ad 0-52ad 0-63ac 0-67ab 0-27d 0-44bcd 0-36bcd 0-64ac 0-88a 0-18
Permanent cattle
Weeks 0-24 0-82 0-64 0-86 0-79 0-69 0-68 0-66 0-80 0-86 0-11
Grazing days/ha
Weeks 0-12 504 672 764 924 924 1092 588 924 504
Weeks 12-24 336 445 512 613 613 731 403 613 504
Total 840 1117 1276 1537 1537 1823 991 1537 1008
Liveweight gain/ha, kg
Weeks 0-12 590 652 848 878 961 1026 617 970 393
Weeks 12-24 181 233 323 411 166 322 145 392 444
Total 771 885 1171 1289 1127 1348 762 1362 837
Utilized ME, Mcal/ha**
Weeks 0-12 9374 10819 13523 14507 15431 17035 9996 15800 7106
Weeks 12-24 4704 5741 7731 8889 7050 10600 6078 9318 8568
Total 14078 16560 21254 23396 22481 27635 16074 25118 15674
26224*

Means followed by different letters differ significantly (P<0-05).

* Plus estimated contribution from conservation cuts as silage, with ME value of 2-11 Mcal/kg DM (1)
**C:alculated from ARC Tables (1), with 2-6 Meal ME/kg DM

TABLE 7. Daily Uveweight gains and Uveweight gains/ha in 1972

No NoH N, N,H,A N,H,B N,H, No Set N.Set IGC S.E.

Liveweight gain, kg/day
Weeks 0-12 l-16ac 0-93bc l-04b 0-80C 1-Olb 0-82C 0-90bc l-03b 0-57d 0-09
Weeks 12-24 0-45acd 0-19bcd 0-41 acd 0-29bcd 0-34acd 0-26bcd 0-07b O-33bcd 0-52ac
Permanent cattle
Weeks 0-24 0-76a 0-50b 0-62ab 0-49b 0-58b 0-49b 0-48b 0-62ab _ 0-07
Grazing days/ha
Weeks 0-12 546 728 827 1000 1000 1182 662 1000 420
Weeks 12-24 406 542 615 743 743 879 492 743 483
Total 952 1270 1442 1743 1743 2061 1154 1743 903
Liveweight gain/ha, kg
Weeks 0-12 633 677 860 800 1010 969 596 1030 239
Weeks 12-24 183 103 252 215 253 229 34 245 251
Total 816 780 1112 1015 1263 1198 630 1275 490
Utilized ME Mcal/ha**
Weeks 0-12 9064 10483 12570 13600 14800 15721 9202 15200 5838
Weeks 12-24 4872 5366 6827 7579 7653 8878 4723 8322 6120
Total 13936 15849 19397 21179 22453 24599 13925 23522 11959
22171*

Means followed by different letters differ significantly (P<0-05)

* Plus estimated contribution from conservation cuts as silage, with ME value of 2-11 Mcal/kg DM (1)
**Calculated from ARC Tables (1), with 2-6 Meal ME/kg DM
98 THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN, STOCKING RATE AND GRAZING METHOD ON THE
OUTPUT OF PASTURE GRAZED BY BEEF CATTLE
Liveweight gainsiha
In 1971, liveweight gains/ha during the first
12 weeks ranged from 617 kg on No Set to 1026
kg on NgHa; and during the second 12 weeks
from 166 kg on NgHiB to 411 kg on N3H1A
(Table 6). Total daily gains ranged from 771
on No to 1362 kg on Ns Set. In addition to the
gains from the IGC pasture, 5000 kg DM was
harvested as silage.
In 1972, total gains during the 24 weeks
ranged from 630 on No Set to 1275 kg/ha on
N3 Set. Approximately 4840 kg DM was
harvested from the IGC system in two harvests.
Estimated ME utilized
The ME utilized from the pasture was cal-
culated from an estimate of nutrients required
to support the observed performance (1), as
described by Escuder et al. (5). The results are
included in Tables 6 and 7.
In 1971 from 21 000 to 27 000 Meal of ME
were utilized on the high-N swards, including
the IGC treatment when allowance was made
for the grass harvested. Values for the low-N
treatments were about 15 000 Mcal/ME per ha.
In 1972 the estimated ME utilized on the low-N
pastures again averaged about 15 000 Meal, and
that on the high-N treatments including IGC
from 19 000 to 25 000 Meal.
DISCUSSION
The experiment suffered from the difficulty
commonly observed in grazing experiments,
lack of replication. An attempt was made to
meet this criticism by replicating one treatment
(N3H1), but rather ironically the results obtained
were discrepant, and inconsistent from year to
year.
On the rotationally grazed pastures compari-
son of stocking rates within N level showed the
usual trends of reduced gain/head but increased
gain/ha with increasing stocking rate. The
normal trend for stocking rate to become a more
dominant effect in the later part of the season
was also noted.
When account was taken of maintenance
requirements in assessing utilized ME, the data
in both years showed a continuing response to N
up to the highest level applied. Maximum yields
of 27 600 Mcal/ha were recorded in 1971 and
24 600 Mcal/ha in 1972, a cooler year. These
figures approach the yields recorded by Holmes,
Campling and Joshi (8) in a 20-week season with
dairy cows on similar pasture. The responses to
N calculated at similar levels of animal per-
formance approached 1 kg liveweight/kg N
and 19-24 Meal ME/kg N, figures equal to those
recorded by Yiakoumettis and Holmes (13),
although a much higher level of N fertilizer was
applied; the control NQ yield was also higher.
They substantially exceed the responses of
0-28 kg/kg N reported by Alder et al. (2).
The performance recorded from the No treat-
ments exceeded those recorded by Yiakoumettis
and Holmes (13) by 1000-2000 Meal ME/ha,
mainly because records were maintained for
24 weeks compared With 20 weeks in the previous
experiment. There would appear, therefore, to
have been little benefit from the more vigorous
species included in the sward.
The set-stocking treatments, each imposed at
stocking rates intermediate to the corresponding
rotationally grazed treatments gave similar
yields to those from rotational grazing. In both
years, particularly in 1972, performance per
animal was somewhat lower than expectation on
No Set and somewhat higher on N3 Set. In inter-
preting these results it must, however, be
remembered that set stocking in small paddocks
does not entirely simulate the field situation.
The integrated grazing and conservation
treatment as practised in this experiment im-
paired perfonnance per animal in the early part
of the season, because of overstocking, but it
did result in better performance later in the
season than any other treatment and the overall
gains and total yields of ME in the herbage
harvested for silage, equalled or exceeded the
corresponding rotational or set-stocked areas.
With more fiexible management it would prob-
ably be a successful treatment.
The data on herbage DM/animal (Table 3)
agree with the previous experiment, in that
animal growth was impaired when herbage DM
fell below about 10 kg/head per day.
The quality of herbage estimated from faecal
analyses (Table 4) did not differ markedly
between treatments and followed a similar
seasonal trend to that recorded by Leaver,
 G. M. J. HORTON AND W . HOLMES
Campling & Holmes (10). The estimated
digestibilities were identical in 1971 and 1972
and agreed closely with those estimated by
Leaver et al. (10), by Yiakoumettis and Holmes
(13) and by Alder et al. (3).
The close agreement between rectal and field
samples of faeces in chromic oxide and N
contents suggests that estimates of faecal produc-
tion and digestibility were unlikely to have been
biased by diurnal fluctuations in the concen-
tration of the indicator and support the con-
clusions of Curran, Leaver and Weston (4) on
the value of administering chromic oxide in-
cluded in a concentrate. The data further
suggest that sward sampling is satisfactory where
animal group estimates of faecal excretions are
required.
The intakes on the identical replicates N3H1A
and B in 1971 diifered significantly (P<0-01).
However, since the daily liveweight gains also
differed in a similar manner it may be concluded
that unthriftiness in some of the cattle resulted
in lower intakes, and not vice versa.
The results on intake observed in both 1971
and 1972 agree with the curvilinear relationship
between forage intake and forage allowance
reported by Greenhalgh et al. (7) and the
finding by Gordon (6) that intake was reduced
by only 14% when theoretical 100% utilization
was obtained. The low intakes observed on the
continuously grazed pasture in 1971 may be
related to the close-cropped nature of this
sward since Tayler (11) observed a significant
linear relationship between stubble height and
herbage intake.
The data recorded in both years suggest that
when high-N levels are applied at regular
intervals on a rigid 4-paddock grazing system,
herbage intake would not be depressed by a
two-fold increase in stocking rate compared with
low-N pastures. It is perhaps worth stressing,
however, that grass/clover pastures with a low
application of N fertilizer yielded about 800
Printed in Great Britain
99
kg/ha liveweight gain and about 15 000 Meal
ME/ha.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are indebted to the Meat and Livestock
Commission for a grant towards the conduct of this work.
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(,No. 982. Received for publication 14 August 1973)