Abstract
ABSTRACT Residual sward height (RSH) has a significant impact on temperate perennial grass growth, but its effect is rarely studied under grazing. We determined RSH effects on forage harvested (FH), seasonal yield distribution, nutritive value, and persistence of meadow fescue { Festuca pratensis Huds. subsp. pratensis [syn. Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv.]}, orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L.), quackgrass [ Elymus repens (L.) Gould], and reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea L.). Grasses were rotationally stocked with dairy heifers ( Bos taurus ) at vegetative stage (32‐cm height) to a 16‐, 8‐, or 2‐cm RSH or at mature stage (48‐cm height) to a 24‐, 12‐, or 4‐cm RSH in each of 2 yr. Grass FH and nutritive value were measured for each grazing event. Annual FH of grasses grazed at vegetative stage to a 2‐ or 8‐cm RSH was greater than that grazed to a 16‐cm RSH when precipitation was limiting, but few differences existed when precipitation was abundant. Annual FH of grasses grazed at mature stage increased as RSH decreased. As RSH increased, the mean grazing interval decreased, which increased the number of seasonal grazing events of vegetative but not of mature‐stage grasses. There was no apparent relationship between forage nutritive value and RSH. The primary risks incurred by grazing vegetative‐stage grasses to a shorter RSH (<8 cm) were reduced persistence in a dry year and delayed date of first grazing event the following spring. Little or no advantage in growth was gained by intentionally leaving a tall RSH when grazing mature‐stage grasses.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Grasses grazed at vegetative stage to a 2- or 8-cm residual sward height had greater annual forage harvested than at 16 cm when precipitation was limiting.
Verbatim
e1“Annual FH of grasses grazed at vegetative stage to a 2‐ or 8‐cm RSH was greater than that grazed to a 16‐cm RSH when precipitation was limiting”
Claim · model-written summary
Annual forage harvested of grasses grazed at mature stage increased as residual sward height decreased.
Verbatim
e2“Annual FH of grasses grazed at mature stage increased as RSH decreased”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean grazing interval decreased as residual sward height increased.
Verbatim
e3“As RSH increased, the mean grazing interval decreased, which increased the number of seasonal grazing events of vegetative but not of mature‐stage grasses”
Claim · model-written summary
Number of seasonal grazing events increased with residual sward height for vegetative-stage grasses but not mature-stage grasses.
Verbatim
e3“As RSH increased, the mean grazing interval decreased, which increased the number of seasonal grazing events of vegetative but not of mature‐stage grasses”
Claim · model-written summary
There was no apparent relationship between forage nutritive value and residual sward height.
Verbatim
e1“Annual FH of grasses grazed at vegetative stage to a 2‐ or 8‐cm RSH was greater than that grazed to a 16‐cm RSH when precipitation was limiting”
e4“There was no apparent relationship between forage nutritive value and RSH”
Claim · model-written summary
Grazing vegetative-stage grasses to a shorter residual sward height (<8 cm) reduced persistence in a dry year.
- Taxon
- grassese5
- Organ / stage
- vegetativee5
- Treatment
- grazing vegetative‐stage grasses to a shorter RSH (<8 cm)e5
- Outcome
- persistencee5
- Direction
- reducede5
- Qualifier
- in a dry yeare5
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e5“The primary risks incurred by grazing vegetative‐stage grasses to a shorter RSH (<8 cm) were reduced persistence in a dry year and delayed date of first grazing event the following spring”
Claim · model-written summary
Grazing vegetative-stage grasses to a shorter residual sward height (<8 cm) delayed the date of first grazing event in the following spring.
- Taxon
- grassese5
- Organ / stage
- vegetativee5
- Treatment
- grazing vegetative‐stage grasses to a shorter RSH (<8 cm)e5
- Outcome
- date of first grazing evente5
- Direction
- delayede5
- Qualifier
- the following springe5
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e5“The primary risks incurred by grazing vegetative‐stage grasses to a shorter RSH (<8 cm) were reduced persistence in a dry year and delayed date of first grazing event the following spring”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaving a tall residual sward height gave little or no growth advantage when grazing mature-stage grasses.
- Taxon
- grassese6
- Organ / stage
- mature-stagee6
- Treatment
- intentionally leaving a tall RSHe6
- Outcome
- growthe6
- Direction
- Little or no advantagee6
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e6“Little or no advantage in growth was gained by intentionally leaving a tall RSH when grazing mature‐stage grasses”