During the past 15 years many new pasture species and cultivars have been released and are now commercially available. However, with the exception of Nui and Ellett ryegrasses, only a few have received enthusiastic acceptance by farmers. Acceptance depends in part to the extent to which the new plant can overcome periods of low productivity. Other reasons which are the frequent subject of comme...

While we know that deforestation in the tropics is increasingly driven by commercial agriculture, most tropical countries still lack recent and spatially-explicit assessments of the relative importance of pasture and cropland expansion in causing forest loss. Here we present a spatially explicit quantification of the extent to which cultivated land and grassland expanded at the expense of fores...

The cattle and sheep industries of Australia are almost entirely dependent on grazing animals. Weston and Hogan (1973) estimated that less than 5% of the feed consumed by domestic ruminants in this country is derived from sown grain crops, and only 5 or 6% from conserved forage. Consequently effective management and use of pastures are of prime importance for efficient animal production. Althou...

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The intensification of dairying can have adverse impacts on the environment through diminished soil quality and greater loss of nutrients to water bodies. Poor soil quality can reduce the productivity and sustainability of pastoral farming systems. The effects of increased stocking rate (SR) (3, 4 and 5 cows/ha) and introducing a cut and carry system on soil, pasture and water quality were comp...

The base of this review is to consider the relevant role that animal factors (potential milk yield, body weight, body condition score, state of lactation, parity and fertility) play on milk performance (considering the energy balance and the rumen function across the full lactation curve of animals) and milk quality (milk protein content, milk fat content, milk lactose content, vitamins, minera...

Concentrations of selected trace minerals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Se) were determined from annual cool-season grass pasture forages over four consecutive winter-spring grazing seasons (2001-2005). Twice monthly forage samples were taken from eight experimental pastures used in beef cattle grazing trials. Two, 2-yr experiments were conducted; animal and pasture data were reported previously. Each e...

Physical, chemical, biochemical and microbial properties of riparian soils beneath native scmb (Leptospermum scoparium), grazed pasture, and set-aside pasture along the edge of a third order stream near Taupo, New Zealand were compared. In the 12 years since retirement from grazing, dominant vegetation in the set-aside areas changed from pasture grasses to native tussock (Poa cita). Riparian se...

Pasture renovation entails introduction of desirable forage species, usually legumes such as red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.) or birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), into a grass dominated pasture. A commonly used method of pasture renovation consists in drilling seeds into the grass sod (sod-seeding). Introduced legumes benefit the pasture in three w...

Bioenergy related land use change would likely alter biogeochemical cycles and global greenhouse gas budgets. Energy cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a sugarcane variety and an emerging biofuel feedstock for cellulosic bio-ethanol production. It has potential for high yields and can be grown on marginal land, which minimizes competition with grain and vegetable production. The DayCent biogeoc...