Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-skm99 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T13:47:27.863Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stocking rate trials in Ankole, Uganda: II. Botanical analysis and oesophageal fistula sampling of pastures grazed at different stocking rates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. N. Harrington  and
D. Pratchett
G. N. Harrington
Affiliation:
Ministry of Animal Resources, Uganda
D. Pratchett
Affiliation:
Ministry of Animal Resources, Uganda
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Botanical analyses of trials grazed at 3·6, 2·4, 1·2, 0·8 and 0·6 ha/300 kg animal for 4 years are detailed. The two heaviest grazing pressures encouraged Brachiaria decumbens, a high quality grass, at the expense of Themeda triandra and Hyparrhenia filipendula. Rotational grazing allowed the weed grass Cymbopogon afronardus to regenerate after clearing more rapidly than did continuous grazing.

Bullocks with oesophageal fistulas sampled pastures grazed at 2·4, 1·2 and 0·6 ha/animal at 4-weekly intervals for 12 months. The 0·6 ha/animal treatment was repeated on pasture cleared of the weed grass Cymbopogon afronardus. Cattle growth rates, both long term and at the time of sampling, were recorded.

Cattle growth rates were greatest at 2·4 ha/animal but fistula sampling demonstrated that the diet was significantly lower in CP and higher in CF than the more heavily stocked treatments, which is contrary to the normal pattern. It is concluded that the differences in cattle growth rates at the different stocking rates were due to differences in dry-matter intake rather than the recorded differences in diet quality. The higher CP in the diet at the heavier stocking rates is ascribed to the increase of B. decumbens in the diet.

An unexplained ceiling to cattle growth rates of ca. 0·5 kg/day, and a calculated drymatter intake of < 2·1% body weight/day, in the presence of unlimited forage of 10% CP and 55% apparent digestibility, makes it more economic to stock for maximum production per ha than per animal.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 82 , Issue 3 , June 1974 , pp. 507 - 516
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council (1965). The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock No. 2. Ruminants. London: A.R.C.Google Scholar
Alexander, G. I. (1971). The use of NPN supplements for grazing cattle and sheep in Australia. F.A.O. ad hoc Consultation on Animal Nutrition. Kampala. 1971.Google Scholar
Blaser, R. E., Hammes, R. C., Bryant, H. T., Hardison, W. A., Fontenot, J. P. & Engel, W. R. (1961). The effect of selective grazing on animal output. Proceedings of the 8th International Grassland Congress, England, 1960, pp. 601–6.Google Scholar
Bredon, R. M., Harker, K. W. & Marshall, B. (1963). The nutritive value of grasses grown in Uganda when fed to zebu cattle. I. The relation between percentage crude protein and other nutrients. II. The relation between crude fibre and nitrogen free extract and other nutrients. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 61, 101–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bredon, R. M., Torrel, D. T. & Marshall, B. (1967). Measurement of selective grazing of tropical pastures using oesophageal fistulated steers. Journal of Range Management 20, 317–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cain, S. A. & Castro, G. M. de O. (1959). Manual of Vegetation Aanalysis. New York: Hafner Pub. Co.Google Scholar
Dradu, E. A. A. & Harrington, G. N. (1972). Seasonal crude protein content of samples obtained from a tropical range pasture using oesophageal fistulated steers. Tropical Agriculture (Trinidad) 49, 15–21.Google Scholar
Field, C. R. (1968). A comparative study of the food habits of some wild ungulates in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Symposia of the Zoological Society of London 21, 131.Google Scholar
Harrington, G. N. (1973). The eradication of Acacia hockii from Ugandan rangeland with notes on effects on productivity. Pesticides Abstracts and News Summary 19, 76–86.Google Scholar
Harrington, G. N. (1974). Fire effects on a Ugandan grassland. Tropical Grasslands (in the Press).Google Scholar
Harrington, G. N. & Pratchett, D. (1971). Annual report, Muko Range Experimental Station, Uganda Ministry of Animal Resources.Google Scholar
Harrington, G. N. & Pratchett, D. (1973). Cattle diet on Ankole rangeland at different seasons. Tropical Agriculture (Trinidad) 50, 211–19.Google Scholar
Harrington, G. N. & Pratchett, D. (1974). Stocking rate trials in Uganda. I. Weight gain of Ankole steers at intermediate and heavy stocking rates under different managements. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82, 497–506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrington, G. N. & Thornton, D. D. (1969). A comparison of controlled grazing and manual hoeing as a means of reducing the incidence of Cymbopogon afronardus Stapf in Ankole pastures, Uganda. East African Agriculture and Forestry Journal 35, 154–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horrocks, D. & Phillips, G. D. (1961). Factors affecting the water and food intakes of European and zebutype cattle. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 56, 379–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langlands, J. P. & Bowles, J. E. (1973). Studies on the nutritive value of the diet selected by grazing sheep. VI. The use of tritiated water as a marker to estimate the composition of the diet from material collected by oesophageally fistulated sheep. Animal Production 16, 59–66.Google Scholar
Little, D. A. (1972). Studies on cattle with oesophageal fistulae. The relation of the chemical composition of feed to that of extruded bolus. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 12, 126–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, M. I. E., Thornton, D. D. & Marshall, B. (1969). Nutritive value of grasses in Ankole and the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. II. Crude protein, crude fibre, and soil nitrogen. Tropical Agriculture (Trinidad) 46, 31–42.Google Scholar
McKay, A. D. (1971). Seasonal and management effects on the composition and availability of herbage, steer diet and live weight gains in Themeda triandra grassland in Kenya. II. Results of herbage studies, diet selected and live weight gains. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 76, 9–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, B., Bredon, R. M. & Juko, C. D. (1961). The nutrition of zebu cattle. I. The intake of dry matter by cattle with notes on the digestibility of Rhodes-grass and star-grass hays. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 56, 191–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, B., Torrel, D. T. & Bredon, R. M. (1967). Comparison of tropical forages of known composition with samples of these forages collected by esophageal fistulated animals. Journal of Range Management 20, 310–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minson, D. J. & McLeod, M. N. (1970). The digestibility of temperate and tropical forages. Proceedings of the 11th International Grassland Congress 1970, pp. 719–22.Google Scholar
Minson, D. J. (1972). The digestibility and voluntary intake by sheep of six tropical grasses. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture Animal Husbandry 12, 21–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mott, G. O. (1960). Grazing pressure and the measurement of pasture production. Proceedings of the 8th International Grassland Congress pp. 606–11.Google Scholar
Ndawula-Senyimba, M. S. (1972). Some aspects of the ecology of Themeda triandra. East African Agriculture and Forestry Journal 38, 83–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, D. D. & Harrington, G. N. (1971). The effect of different stocking rates on the weight gain of Ankole steers on natural grassland in Western Uganda. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 76, 97–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Topps, J. H. (1971). The use of non-protein nitrogen for grazing low protein pasture in Africa. Review article, F.A.O.ad hoc Consultation on Animal Nutrition, Kampala, 1971, pp. 21.Google Scholar
Trail, J. C. M., Sacker, G. D. & Fisher, I. L. (1971). Cross breeding cattle in western Uganda. III. Genetic analysis of body weight. Animal Production. 13, 153–63.Google Scholar
Waite, R., Macdonald, W. B. & Holmes, W. (1951). Studies in grazing management. III. The behaviour of dairy cows grazed under the close-folding and rotational systems of management. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 41, 163–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, O. (1965). Fire in vegetation and its use in pasture management. Mimeo publn No. 1/1965. Commonwealth Bureau of Pastoral and Field Crops, Hurley, England.Google Scholar