Improving grassland and pasture management in temperate agriculture / edited by Athole Marshall, Rosemary Collins.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Marshall, Athole, editor.

Collins, Rosemary, editor.

Series:

Burleigh Dodds series in agricultural science ; Number 51.

Burleigh Dodds series in agricultural scence ; number 51

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Grasslands--Management.

Grasslands.

Pastures--Management.

Pastures.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xix, 466 pages) : illustrations, map.

Edition:

1st.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, 2017.

Summary:

The shift to more intensive livestock system has put more pressure on grasslands used for pasture. At the same time, there is a greater understanding of the role of grasslands in delivering a range of ecosystems services. This volume reviews the range of research on more sustainable use of grasslands to optimise livestock nutrition whilst protecting biodiversity and delivering a range of broader environmental benefits. Part 1 assesses grassland functions and dynamics, including plant-soil and plant-animal interactions. Part 2 reviews key aspects of grassland management, including sowing, soil health, irrigation and weed control as well as monitoring. The final part of the book considers wider aspects of sustainability such as protecting biodiversity as well as silage processing. With its distinguished editors and international team of subject experts, this will be a standard reference for grassland and rangeland scientists, livestock producers, government and non-governmental organisations responsible for grassland management.

Contents:

Intro

Series list

Introduction

Part 1 Grassland functions and dynamics

Chapter 1 The role of grasslands in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity conservation

1 Introduction

2 Biogeochemical cycles

3 Grassland biodiversity at the plot scale

4 Grassland roles in biodiversity conservation at the landscape scale

5 Future trends and conclusion

6 References

Chapter 2 The role of pasture in the diet of ruminant livestock

2 Energy

3 Proteins

4 Minerals and vitamins

5 Other nutritional factors

6 Anti-nutritional factors

7 Future trends and conclusion

8 Acknowledgement

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 3 Plant-animal interactions in grazing systems

2 Control of dry matter intake: pasture offered and herbage nutritive value

3 Control of DMI: managing sward canopy structure

4 Sward canopy structure: systems factors

5 Future trends

6 Conclusions

7 Where to look for further information

8 Acknowledgements

9 References

Chapter 4 Grazing management for sustainable grazing systems

2 Definitions and concepts of grazing management

3 Growth dynamics in grazed swards

4 Effects of grazing on soil C and N stocks

5 Defining targets for grazing management

6 Mapping future evolution of grassland ecosystems

7 Conclusion

8 Where to look for further information

Part 2 Management of grasslands

Chapter 5 Planning and sowing grasslands

1 Planning

2 Species and cultivar selection: overview

3 Species and cultivar characteristics: tolerances

4 Species and cultivar characteristics: further characteristics

5 Establishment and renovation: initial considerations

6 Sowing and initial management

7 Key issues in improving forage selection.

8 Review of existing selection tools

9 Future trends

Chapter 6 Managing grassland for forage production: an overview

2 Stocking rate

3 Grazing management

4 Reseeding/sward renovation

5 Silage

6 Feeding value of grass

8 References

Chapter 7 Managing grassland systems to optimise livestock production

2 Appropriate cows for successful temperate-grassland-based systems

3 Appropriate grazing management for successful temperate-grassland-based systems

4 Appropriate forage production for successful temperate-grassland-based systems

5 Decision support systems (DSSs) to develop efficient grassland-based dairy systems

6 Future trends

Chapter 8 Persistence and yield stability of temperate grassland legumes for sustainable animal production

2 Global cultivation of forage legumes

3 Improving red clover persistence

4 Abiotic stresses affecting plant persistence

6 Where to look for further information

7 Acknowledgements

Chapter 9 Balancing pasture productivity with environmental and animal health requirements

2 Nutritive value

3 Reduced nutrient loss

4 Greenhouse gas mitigation

5 Genetic resources

6 Animal health and welfare challenges

7 Future trends

Chapter 10 Managing soil health for grassland

2 Measurement of soil health

3 Managing soil health for grassland production

4 Fertilization for carbon (C) sequestration

5 Earthworms as an indicator of soil health

6 Soil nutrient status

7 Trace elements and heavy metals

8 Conclusion

9 Future trends.

10 Where to look for further information

11 References

Chapter 11 Management of water resources for grasslands

2 Water requirements of temperate pastures

3 Factors affecting soil health

4 Monitoring and modelling grassland vegetation and water use

5 Impact of drought on grasslands

6 Drought monitoring methods

7 Global climate change impacts on grasslands

8 Water resources management in grasslands

9 Future trends and where to find further information

Chapter 12 Biological weed control in temperate grasslands

2 Classical biological control of weeds

3 Prospects for classical biological weed control in temperate pastures

4 Biological herbicides

6 Conclusion

Chapter 13 Restoring degraded grasslands

2 Grass plant responses to defoliation

3 Agronomic practices to increase soil nitrogen levels

4 Effects of rhizosphere organisms on biogeochemical processes

5 Grazing graminivores

6 Management of grazing

7 Degradation of grasslands

8 Initial changes of restoration

9 Future trends and conclusion

10 Where to look for further information

11 Acknowledgement

12 References

Chapter 14 Advances in remote sensing for monitoring grassland and forage production

2 Technical principles of the most common sensors

3 Vegetation characteristics which can be monitored by remote sensing

4 Summary

7 References

Part 3 Sustainability and wider uses of grasslands

Chapter 15 Research challenges in adapting grasslands to climate change

2 Climate change impacts and challenges.

3 External context and the adaptiveness of European grassland systems

4 Case studies of climate change impacts and adaptation options

5 Challenges, limitations and priorities for research

Chapter 16 Protecting biodiversity in grasslands

2 Grassland biodiversity under pressure

3 Critical factors in grassland biodiversity

4 Maintaining biodiversity through grassland management

5 Integration of species-rich grasslands into modern livestock production systems

Chapter 17 Advances in feeding grass silage

2 Energy value and nutrient supply from grass silages

3 Effects of ensiling on silage protein value

4 Silage intake

5 Supplementing grass silage diets: energy supplements

6 Supplementing grass silage diets: protein supplements

7 Round bale silages

8 Future trends and conclusion

Chapter 18 Use of grassland for bioenergy and biorefining

2 Grassland biomass and biomass quality

3 Alternative uses for biomass from permanent grassland

4 Prospects for using grasslands for bioenergy

5 Conclusions

Chapter 19 Organic grassland

2 Key characteristics of organic grassland

3 Multifunctionality of organic grassland

4 Challenges in organic grassland

5 Case studies

6 Conclusions and future trends

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-78676-202-1

1-351-11456-5

9781351114561

OCLC:

1022762424