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Stocking density of cattle and herbage production on Mediterranean grassland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

N. G. Seligman ,
M. Gutman ,
Z. Holzer ,
I. Noy Meir  and
H. Baram
N. G. Seligman
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, 50 250, Israel
M. Gutman
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, 50 250, Israel
Z. Holzer
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, 50 250, Israel
I. Noy Meir
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, 50 250, Israel
H. Baram
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, 50 250, Israel
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Summary

A Mediterranean grassland was grazed with beef cattle at 0·5, 0·67 and 0·83 cows/ha, all the year round for 5 years. Range forage became increasingly scarce during the dry season, especially at high stocking density, and more supplementation was needed to maintain the animals. Herbage consumption was calculated from standard requirements for recorded body weight and performance. Maintenance requirements were multiplied by a grazing activity factor of 1·6.

Mean annual herbage dry matter production was estimated at c. 3·06 ± 0·137 t/ha. Most of the variation between years was due to a particularly productive year in 1978. Contrary to expectation, stocking density had a small effect on total herbage production, despite significant differences in animal performance. It appears that herbage production of the seasonally temperate herbaceous range, typical of the basaltic hills in eastern Galilee in Israel, is not limited by total annual rainfall. Alternative limiting factors are nutrient deficiency and restricted rooting zone, or a combination of both.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 113 , Issue 1 , August 1989 , pp. 51 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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