Search results for "Forage production"
showing 5 items of 5 documents
Effects of stubble height and cutting frequency on regrowth of berseem clover in a Mediterranean semiarid environment
2011
Defoliation management of forage crops affects endogenous reserves (in the root and in the stubble), the residual leaf area, and, consequently, the regrowth and biomass yield. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cutting frequency (28-d vs. 35-d intervals) and stubble height (3 vs. 6 cm) on forage yield, regrowth, and persistence of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.). Neither cutting interval nor cutting height affected plant survival during the crop cycle. Frequent clipping reduced crop yield. Residual biomass and leaf area were less when plants were cut at a height of 3 cm compared with 6 cm, but stubble height did not affect the total amount of dry matter (DM) remo…
Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on growth and N2 fixation of Trifolium alexandrinum under late drought stress conditions.
2010
Several experiments, mostly carried out under controlled conditions, have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis enhances nutrient uptake and improves drought tolerance of host plants. The present research, carried out in a typical Mediterranean environment, evaluated the effect of AM symbiosis on berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) grown in the field under both late drought stress and well-watered conditions. The crop was subjected to repeated defoliation. N2 fixation was estimated using the 15N dilution method and using ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum var. Westervoldicum) as the reference crop. In late drought conditions, AM symbiosis resulted in a significant increase in bi…
Functional ecology for evaluating and predicting the aptitude of permanent grassland to provide services
2013
National audience; Applying the principles of functional ecology helps better predict the services which can be provided by permanent grassland. Farming practices and environmental characteristics influence the functional composition of grassland. Functional plant types have a generic effect on forage services which can be assessed. 13 types of grassland composed of distinct functional types were defined based on 1,283 sample grassland fields located on 8 sites. This approach was validated by checking 8 Ellenberg indicator values (used to evaluate environmental characteristics and farming practices) against climatic data and descriptive data for farming practices. The interest of a function…
Les impacts du campagnol terrestre sur les systèmes fourragers : le cas de l’élevage bovin allaitant en Bourgogne
2014
EAAgroSupECOLDUR; Do vole outbreaks have the same effects on suckler beef farms in Burgundy as they do on daily farms in Auvergne and Franche-Comte? Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 19 farmers from Burgundy who had been affected by a water vole outbreak in 2011. The results indicate that, just like farmers in Auvergne and Franche-Comte, farmers in Burgundy witnessed a decrease in forage quantity and quality. Farmers used diverse measures to deal with the outbreak (e.g., avoidance strategies or the use of bromadiolone). Farmers that described water voles as pests were more likely to have used bromadiolone, while those who described water voles in morphological terms or in ter…
Gestion du pâturage au printemps en système bovin allaitant : diversité des pratiques en Saône-et-Loire
2009
National audience; Grazed grass is the cheapest forage for making meat'. In order to incite farmers to make their forage systems more self-sufficient and thrifty, the 'Chambre d'Agriculture de Saone-et-Loire' (a professional agricultural organization for that departement) has been monitoring for five years the management of spring grazing on 23 farms. The analysis of farmers' practices lead to considerations as to put to the best use the grazed grass, according to the pedo-climatic conditions and the constraints of the farms. With the aim of optimizing the pasture resources in order to limit the purchase of concentrates and to cope with the climatic hazards, the study of the management of s…