Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

The effect of grazing interval on forage quality and production of meadow foxtail

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/w6634837b

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  • For the last fifty years, meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis L.) has been invading native flood meadows throughout the Harney Basin in southeastern Oregon. The expansion of this grass species has been the result of its broad climatic requirements and ability to withstand drought while thriving in saturated soil conditions for a large part of the growing season. Meadow foxtail starts growth as soon as adequate soil moisture exists. Managing this early maturing hay species can prove to be a challenge because soil saturation and elevated water tables make it difficult to harvest hay when forage quality and yield are maximized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether planned grazing would retard maturation and thus prolong forage quality. Treatments included a non-grazed control and grazing durations of 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Grazing was initiated in May of 1998 and 1999 on six replications of each treatment arranged in a randomized block design. Within each treatment/replicate combination, ten 0.2 m² plots were clipped to ground level at about two week intervals from May to August. The samples were weighed and dried for standing crop estimation and 4 of the 10 samples were selected at random and analyzed for acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and crude protein (CP). Analyses of variance, least significant differences, and regression analyses were calculated to determine whether or not there were statistical differences of P≤0.05. We found that early spring grazing decreased forage yield significantly. An increase in CP with duration of defoliation was expected and obtained. The results of grazing on the fiber components of forage, however, were inconclusive. Grazing had minimal effect on fiber fractions, but did delay the decline in CP. However, there was a fairly severe decline in hay production, even with the shortest duration of grazing.
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