Husbandry of Ruminants

National Diploma in Agriculture Science ND/AGR/03

Dr Liew Shin Min MVS, M Ed, MVM, BVM

338: Pasture and Fodder Husbandry

1. Indicate grazing and cutting intervals 2. State planting distance and rate of fertilizer application, and their effects on herbage yields 3. Determine hay and silage production and its importance in the tropics 4. Perform job related to pasture and fodder management practices: - weed control - fencing - irrigation and drainage - replanting - pasture rotation 5. Identify and name various types of pasture and fodder found in Brunei Darussalam 6. Perform species selection and propagation of pasture and fodder crops 7. Evaluate yields of pastures and fodder crops

PASTURE AND FODDER

BDTVEC ND AGRICULTURE SCIENCE/Pasture and Fodder/Dr Liew 1 HR

Ruminants including cattle and buffalo have the ability to convert low value roughages such as grass and leaves of trees etc. to high value products such as milk, meat and hides etc. The ability of the animals to produce milk, meat etc. has increased over the years with the implementation of various selection and breeding programmes. But their ability to consume and utilize larger quantities of roughages has not increased in keeping with the increase in productivity. Therefore, animals capable of producing higher quantities of milk and meat have to be supplied with high quality roughages or concentrates, or both.

Common pasture varieties are:

Brachiaria decumbens (Signal grass); Brachiaria milliformis; Brachiaria mutica (Para grass, Water grass), Digitaria decumbens (Pangola grass); Setaria sphacelata; Tripsacum laxum (Gautamala grass) etc. Brachiaria ruziziensis (Ruzi grass); Cenchrus ciliaris (Buffel grass); Panicum maximum (Guinea grass); Panicum maximum (Hamil grass); Paspalum plicatulum; Paspalum urvillei; Pennisetum clandestinum; (Kikuya grass);

Common pasture varieties are:

Centrosema pubescens; Desmodium intortum (Green leaf desmodium); Desmodium uncinatum (Silver leaf desmodium); Dolichos axillaris; Dolichos lab lab (lab lab bean); Gliricidia maculata; Glicine javanica; Glicine wightii; Leucaena leucocephala (ipilipil); Phaseolus atropurpureous (Siratro); Pueraria phaseoloides (Tropical Kudzu); Stylosanthes guyanensis (Cook stylo); Stylosanthes hamata; Stylosanthes humilis (Townsville lucerne); Styzolobium atterimum (Velvet bean); Trifolium pratense (Red clover); Trifolium repens (White clover); Trifolium rupellianum (African clover); Trifolium semipilosum (Kenya white clover).

Common fodder varieties are:

Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass or Elephant grass) and its newly developed hybrids such as "NB 21" or Poosa Giant Napier"; fodder maize varieties and newly developed hybrids; fodder sorghum varieties and newly developed hybrids etc.

1. Indicate grazing and cutting intervals

BDTVEC ND AGRICULTURE SCIENCE/Pasture and Fodder/Dr Liew 2 HR

 The rate of growth of the pastures/fodders/legumes depend on the varieties used, rainfall (or irrigation), fertility of soil, cutting or grazing intervals etc. The time for first cutting/grazing depends on several factors like the species and fertility of soil of pasture. Too early cutting/grazing will damage the growth of grasses due to the weak root system. Generally it could be done a few days before flowering. As the grasses mature, the dry matter yield increases but the overall digestibility and crude protein content decrease. Therefore, for animals to obtain the maximum amount of nutrients, the grasses have to be grazed or cut before they are too mature. Different varieties have different optimum grazing/cutting intervals Seeded varieties need about 5 6 months before they can be used Napier grass (stalk planting) requires about 30 days for first harvest. The most suitable height of Napier grass for harvesting is 4 feet. (hip height and down to ankle height)

Cutting intervals
The rate of growth after cutting reaches a much higher optimum level compared to freshly grown grass. The resting period or the interval between each cutting or grazing of several kinds of pasture or fodder is listed in the below
Types of pasture/fodder Brachiaris decumbens Pennisetum purpureum Brachiara mutica Panicum maximum Setaria Common name Signal grass Napier grass Para/Water grass Guinea grass Guatamara grass Resting period (weeks) 45 56 34 45 45

2. State planting distance and rate of fertilizer application, and their effects on herbage yields
Two types of fertilizer (Organic and Chemical fertilizer) and there are two types of fertilizer (initial fertilization, maintenance fertilization) Chemical fertilizer N : P: K = 60 : 30 : 30 60 kg. Nitrogen/ha 30 kg. Phosphorus/ha 30 kg. Postash/ha Fertilization is done after each cutting or grazing.

3. Perform job related to pasture and fodder management practices:

BDTVEC ND AGRICULTURE SCIENCE/Pasture and Fodder/Dr Liew 3 HR

weed control fencing irrigation and drainage replanting pasture rotation

4. Identify and name various types of pasture and fodder found in Brunei Darussalam
Napier grass Pennisetum purpureum (or Elephant grass) Signal grass Brachiaria decumbens Para grass Brachiaria mutica ( or Water grass), Mardi Pangola Digitaria Decumbens Var Mardi Centro Centrosema Pubscens

Napier grass

Signal grass

Para grass

Mardi grass

5. Perform species selection and propagation of pasture and fodder crops

Pasture or fodder, once established, can be used several years continuously. Thus it would be advantageous to have yield distributed over a long period of the year, this will reduce the cost of keeping fodder and the loss of nutrients. The pasture and fodder should be able to resist insects, disease and drought

6. Evaluate yields of pastures and fodder crops

There is no single variety of pasture or fodder that can supply the nutrient requirements of ruminants in a balance manner. The overall quality can be improved by having a mixture of varieties.

References BDTVEC ND AGRICULTURE SCIENCE/Pasture and Fodder/Dr Liew 4 HR

Guideline for growing pasture and fodder. Internet source. PDF Lloyd D. Livestock nutrition; Sown pastures and fodder crops for prime lambs. Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland. Australia Signal Grass. Internet source: http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Brachiaria_decumbens.htm Signal Grass. Internet source: http://www.tropicalgrasslands.asn.au/pastures/signal.htm Tom and Maud Powell. 2007. Goat husbandry. Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Farm Internship Curriculum and Handbook. http://attra.ncat.org/intern_handbook/goat_husbandry.html

BDTVEC ND AGRICULTURE SCIENCE/Pasture and Fodder/Dr Liew 5

HR