MEANING OF PASTURES AND FORAGE CROPS | FULL EXPLANATION

Pasture: This is a piece of land on which forage crops grow.

Forage Crops: These are plants cultivated (or growing naturally) whose vegetative parts (leaves and stems) are fed on by livestock.

USES OF FORAGE CROPS

  1. They are used as livestock feed
  2. They are used as cover crops, which conserve soil moisture.
  3. They help in discouraging weed growth
  4. Some are leguminous, which enrich the soil nutrients.
  5. For the prevention of erosion
  6. Used as green manure
  7. Used for roofing farmsteads
  8. As bedding materials

 TYPES OF PASTURES

  1. Natural pasture: also called natural grassland or rangeland, isa piece of land on which grasses and legumes grow naturally on their own and are fed upon by farm animals

CHARACTERISTICS OR FEATURES OF NATURAL PASTURE

  1. It contains poor-quality grasses and legumes.
  2. It contains soil types that are low in fertility or nutrients.
  3. It contains a wide variety of grasses and legumes, some of which may not be eaten by livestock.
  4. It has good regenerative ability.
  5. Crops here can withstand trampling.

EVALUATION

  1. What are pastures and forage crops?
  2. List five uses of forage crops.

Artificial pastures

This is also referred to as established or sown pasture is a piece of land that is where grasses and legumes are cultivated and managed by man to be fed by livestock.

CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES OF ARTIFICIAL PASTURES

  • It contains high-quality grass and legumes
  • It contains no weed.
  • Selected grasses and legumes are grown in adequate proportion
  • Have high regenerative ability
  • Can withstand trampling by farm animals.

 QUALITY OF A GOOD PASTURE PLANT

  1. Ability to regenerate fast after being browsed
  2. Ability to withstand trampling
  3. It must be highly palatable
  4. It must possess the high value of nutrients
  5. Ability to withstand extreme climatic conditions
  6. It should have moderate moisture content or be succulent
  7. It must have a high leaf-to-stem ratio

EVALUATION

  1. List five characteristics of a natural pasture.
  2. List five characteristics of artificial pasture.

COMMON GRASSES AND LEGUMES OF LIVE STOCK

GRASSES

COMMON NAME               BOTANICAL NAME

  1. Elephant grass Pennisetum purpureum
  2. Guinea grass Panicum maximum
  3. Giant star grass Cynodon plectostachyum
  4. Carpet grass Axonopus compressus
  5. Spear grass Imperata cylindrical
  6. Bahama grass Cynodon dactylon
  7. Northern gamba Andropogon gayanus
  8. Southern gamba Andropogon tectorum 

LEGUMES

COMMON NAME               BOTANICAL NAME

  1. Centro Centrosema pubescens
  2. Stylo Stylosanthes gracilis
  3. Kudzu or puero Pueraria phaseoloides
  4. Calapo Calapogonium mucunoides
  5. Mucuna Muccuna utilis
  6. Sun hemp Crotalaria juncea

FACTORS AFFECTING THE DISTRIBUTION OF PASTURE

  1. Climatic factors
  2. Soil or edaphic factors
  3. Biotic factors

CLIMATIC FACTORS

The type of climate in an area influences the type of vegetation in the particular area, e.g sudan Sudan-type of climate will favour the growth of grass and legume, while equatorial climate does not. The elements of climate which affect the distribution of pastures are rainfall, wind, temperature, relative humidity, etc.

EDAPHIC FACTORS

This refers to the level of fertility of the soil. Fertile soil enhances pasture growth and vice versa. Edaphic factors include soil PH, soil texture, soil structure, soil topography, etc.

BIOTIC FACTORS

Biotic factors like diseases, pests, parasites, and predators generally influence the distribution of pasture. Also, human and animal activities such as bush burning and overgrazing will affect the distribution of pastures.

EVALUATION

  1. List four grasses and their botanical name
  2. List four legumes with their botanical name

FACTOR AFFECTING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF PASTURES

  1. Persistence: ability to survive and spread by vegetative means.
  2. Aggressiveness: the ability to compete favourably with other weeds.
  3. Resistance to trampling.
  4. Seed viability or profuseness, or ease of propagation.
  5. Resistance to drought.
  6. Absence of pests and diseases.
  7. Good management.
  8. Adequate stocking.

 ESTABLISHMENT OF PASTURES

Before pasture can be established, the following factors should be considered

  1. Adaptation of species
  2. Palatability
  3. compatibility
  4. Time of maturity: should be short
  5. Lifestyle of the species

 STEPS IN ESTABLISHING A PASTURE

  1. Site selection.
  2. Clearing of land.
  3. Removal of debris
  4. Cultivation of the site (land preparation).
  5. Planting of pasture crop.
  6. Promotion of tillers (more points of growth).
  7. Fertilizer application..

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN PASTURE

  1. Burning (when forage becomes fibrous to ensure regrowth of lush forage).
  2. Fencing to discourage overgrazing or facilitate rotational grazing.
  3. Fertiliser application or manuring.
  4. Regular weed control.
  5. Adequate pest and disease control.
  6. Irrigation.
  7. Adequate stocking.

 GENERAL EVALUATION

  1. List three pasture grass and their botanical names.
  2. List three pasture legumes and their botanical names.
  3. List three factors affecting the distribution of pastures.
  4. List five factors affecting the productivity of pastures.
  5. List five management practices in the pasture.

PROJECT

Produce a forage album containing no less than twelve mixtures of grasses and legumes to be submitted before the sixth week.

 WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

SECTION A

  1. Which of the following is not a climatic factor affecting pasture distribution? A. Temperature B. Light C. Humidity D. Soil PH
  2. The following are edaphic factors except A. soil PH B. soil texture C. soil structure
  3. relative humidity
  4. Diseases, pests, predators and parasites are ____ factors. A. biotic B. abiotic C. edaphic
  5. climatic
  6. The act of re-planting pastures that fail to germinate is ______. A. thinning B. supplying C. weeding D. mulching
  7. The following are legumes except _____. A. centro B. stylo C. calapo D. gamba

 SECTION B

  1. What is pasture?
  2. Briefly discuss three factors affecting the productivity of pasture.
  3. Explain what is meant by natural grassland.

B. List five grasses and legumes, each with its botanical name

See also

LIVESTOCK PARASITES AND THEIR LIFE CYCLES

ANIMAL PROTOZOAN DISEASES | SYMPTOMS, TRANSMISSION, EFFECTS, PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE CONTROL

ANIMAL FUNGAL DISEASES | SYMPTOMS, TRANSMISSION, EFFECTS, PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE CONTROL

ANIMAL BACTERIAL DISEASES | SYMPTOMS, TRANSMISSION, EFFECTS, PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE CONTROL

CONTROL OF ANIMAL VIRAL DISEASES | SYMPTOMS, TRANSMISSION, EFFECTS, PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE

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