A comparison of grass and grass/legume pastures under irrigation in the Outeniqua area of the southern Cape.

Abstract

Two grass and five grass/legume pastures were evaluated over a period of two seasons at two seasonally set grazing pressures and under two grazing management systems, involving five and seven paddocks per flock and a seven-day period of stay. Grazing capacity was most limiting during winter. Pastures with fescue as grass component had, overall, the highest grazing capacity, while white clover-based pastures had the highest animal production. The legume content of the grass/legume pastures was markedly higher on the seven than on the five-paddock system. Dry matter and animal production of white clover-based pastures was favoured by a seven-paddock system as opposed to a five-paddock system, while mixtures containing lucerne and pure grass pastures were either not influenced by grazing management or promoted by a five-camp system.

Keywords: animal production; average daily gain; dry matter; fescue; george; grasses; grazing capacity; grazing management; grazing pressure; irrigation; legumes; lucerne; meat production; outeniqua experiment station; pastures; south africa; temperate grass; white clover; wool production