This study was carried out to determine the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of grazable material, during the growing season of plants, in three different altitudinal zones, in native rangelands, northwestern Greece. Samples were collected during the period from May to October of the years 2004 and 2005. Sample collection was accomplished by cutting aboveground biomass...

Some effects of l&m endophyte (Acremonium lolioe) on sheep production were evaluated using pure swards of h igh (SO%>) and low (< 5%) endophyte Nui and Ar ik i ryegrass. The proportion of infected t i l lers in high endophyte treatments increased by 19% in 15 months. Ryegrass staggers occurred on both high endophyte ryegrasses being sl ight ly worse on Nui . The peak ryegrass staggers outbreak ...

Adapting feeding system is an effective way for improving the nutritional quality of milk as currently intended by dairy industry. The objectives of this work were (1) to characterize milk from feeding systems based on herbage or corn silage with or without flaxseed and (2) to authenticate the milk from the three systems on the basis of the fatty acid (FA) profile. Bulk milk samples were collec...

Infection with the gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus causes considerable losses in the sheep industry. In this study, we evaluated the effect that climate has on third-stage larvae (L3) of H. contortus in terms of their migration from sheep feces to Brachiaria decumbens grass, as well as their distribution among the forage plants. Fecal samples containing H. contortus L3 was deposi...

Growth data were collected over 4 yr from 349 Brahman-Hereford F1, first-calf, lactating females that had been allotted as weanlings to either semiarid extensive rangeland (Uvalde) or humid improved Bermudagrass pasture (Overton) and to one of four herbage allowance levels at each location as yearlings. Heifers were wintered according to systems in local practice and maintained on allotted fora...

The objective of the present experiment was to describe the sward canopy structures of 3 different wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) pastures and relate them to short-term herbage intake rate and foraging dynamics by steers. Pastures were sampled for leaf and stem fractions at the bottom, middle, and top canopy strata. Sward surface heights and tiller and bulk densities were measured. Herbage was se...

vegetation that is allowed to naturally decompose isn’t realized by many ranchers and some range mangers. Mulch plays a critical role in soil-water relationships that is often overlooked. This, coupled with current drought conditions in the southwestern United States justifies a consideration of the importance of mulch on rangelands. Several early classic studies (reviewed in this article) reve...

Field pea (Pisum sativum), canola (Brassica napus), turnips (Brassica rapa) and Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) were grown in north central Alberta to assess their potential yield and quality and to evaluate their utilization and preference by white-tailed deer. Herbage DM yield, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), absolute and relative herbage utilization, and dietary pr...