Editor's note
The following abstract describes a publication that is only available for purchase.
James R. Gerrish
College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
This manual is designed to acquaint readers with the principles on which successful grazing management is based. This manual brings together a group of researchers, educators and producers with broad experience in land management and forage/livestock systems to provide a comprehensive guide to understanding and managing grassland ecosystems. The authors collectively believe that a forage/livestock system cannot be managed effectively without a basic understanding of how the soil, plant, and animal components of the system interact and how management decisions and climatic conditions affect those interactions. Producers can enhance the efficient use of this system of interacting components through an approach referred to in this manual as management-intensive grazing.
Readers will find in-depth discussion of the day-to-day practical concerns of grazing management. Included are strategies for improving the quality of pastures and extending the grazing season, soil fertility management and nutrient cycling, water availability and distribution, design and construction of fences, calculation of carrying capacity of pastures, pasture-based sheep production, enhancing wildlife habitat, and more.
The manual also introduces readers to the properties of soils, the fundamentals of plant growth and animal nutrition and the economics of beef and dairy production based on grazing as the primary source of forage.
Topics
- Grazing systems
- Management-intensive grazing
- MIG
- Pasture management
- Sustainable agriculture
Pages
- 172