Misplaced Pages

#731268

41-508: Farmers may employ many different strategies of grazing for optimum production : grazing may be continuous, seasonal, or rotational within a grazing period. Longer rotations are found in ley farming , alternating arable and fodder crops; in rest rotation, deferred rotation, and mob grazing, giving grasses a longer time to recover or leaving land fallow. Patch-burn sets up a rotation of fresh grass after burning with two years of rest. Conservation grazing proposes to use grazing animals to improve

82-875: A feed source may cause economic losses due to sickness or death of the animals. The US Department of Health and Human Services regulates drugs of the Veterinary Feed Directive type that can be present within commercial livestock feed. Increasing intensities and frequencies of drought events put rangeland agriculture under pressure in semi-arid and arid geographic areas. Innovative emergency fodder production concepts have been reported, such as bush-based animal fodder production in Namibia. During extended dry periods, some farmers have used woody biomass fibre from encroacher bush as their primary source of cattle feed, adding locally-available supplements for nutrients as well as to improve palatability. Fodder in

123-414: A few percent, for example with an extremely expensive fertilizer , but if that cost is so high that it does not produce a comparative return on investment , his profits decline, and the higher yield can mean a lower agricultural productivity in this case. A yield is a 'partial measure of productivity', because it may fail to accurately measure the actual productivity of the farming operation by not including

164-447: A similar number in other zones, grazing livestock is the only possible source of livelihood." Grazing management has two overall goals: A proper land use and grazing management technique balances It does this by allowing sufficient recovery periods for regrowth. Producers can keep a low density on a pasture, so as not to overgraze. Controlled burning of the land can help in the regrowth of plants. Although grazing can be problematic for

205-478: A system of checks and balances, and allowing higher plant biodiversity. In Europe heathland is a cultural landscape which requires grazing by cattle, sheep or other grazers to be maintained. An author of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report Livestock's Long Shadow , stated in an interview: Grazing occupies 26 percent of Earth's terrestrial surface   ... feed crop production requires about

246-550: A third of all arable land   ... Expansion of grazing land for livestock is also a leading cause of deforestation, especially in Latin America... In the Amazon basin alone, about 70 percent of previously forested land is used as pasture, while feed crops cover a large part of the remainder. Much grazing land has resulted from a process of clearance or drainage of other habitats such as woodland or wetland . According to

287-488: Is a system, said to be more sustainable, invented in 2002; it uses very large herds on land left fallow longer than usual. Many ecological effects derive from grazing, which may be positive or negative. Negative effects of grazing may include overgrazing , increased soil erosion , compaction and degradation, deforestation , biodiversity loss , and adverse water quality impacts from run-off . Sometimes grazers can have beneficial environmental effects such as improving

328-644: Is allowed access to the same grazing area throughout the year. Seasonal grazing incorporates "grazing animals on a particular area for only part of the year". This allows the land that is not being grazed to rest and allow for new forage to grow. Rotational grazing "involves dividing the range into several pastures and then grazing each in sequence throughout the grazing period". Utilizing rotational grazing can improve livestock distribution while incorporating rest period for new forage. In ley farming, pastures are not permanently planted, but alternated between fodder crops and arable crops. Rest rotation grazing "divides

369-538: Is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock , such as cattle , rabbits , sheep , horses , chickens and pigs . "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them), rather than that which they forage for themselves (called forage ). Fodder includes hay , straw , silage , compressed and pelleted feeds , oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes (such as bean sprouts , fresh malt , or spent malt ). Most animal feed

410-711: Is from plants, but some manufacturers add ingredients to processed feeds that are of animal origin. The worldwide animal feed trade produced 1.245 billion tons of compound feed in 2022 according to an estimate by the International Feed Industry Federation, with an annual growth rate of about 2%. The use of agricultural land to grow feed rather than human food can be controversial (see food vs. feed ); some types of feed, such as corn ( maize ), can also serve as human food; those that cannot, such as grassland grass, may be grown on land that can be used for crops consumed by humans. In many cases

451-548: Is the major cause of degraded riparian habitat on federal rangelands". A 2013 FAO report estimated livestock were responsible for 14.5% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions . Grazing is common in New Zealand ; in 2004, methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture made up somewhat less than half of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, of which most is attributable to livestock . A 2008 United States Environmental Protection Agency report on emissions found agriculture

SECTION 10

#1732772788732

492-493: Is the use of grazing animals to help improve the biodiversity of a site. Due to their hardy nature, rare and native breeds are often used in conservation grazing. In some cases, to re-establish traditional hay meadows, cattle such as the English Longhorn and Highland are used to provide grazing. A form of rotational grazing using as many small paddocks as fencing allows, said to be more sustainable. Mob grazing

533-460: The Journal of Animal Science found four times as much, and stated: "these measurements clearly document higher CH 4 production for cattle receiving low-quality, high-fiber diets than for cattle fed high-grain diets". Agrivoltaics for grazing would allow for shade for the animals as well as the vegitation so the soil retains a higher moisture level. Crop yield In agriculture ,

574-493: The Green Revolution . Each technological advance increasing the crop yield also reduces the society's ecological footprint . Yields are related to agricultural productivity , but are not synonymous. Agricultural productivity is measured in money produced per unit of land, but yields are measured in the weight of the crop produced per unit of land. A farmer can invest a large amount of money to increase his yields by

615-538: The history of agriculture . Sheep were domesticated first, soon followed by goats; both species were suitable for nomadic peoples. Cattle and pigs were domesticated somewhat later, around 7000 BC, once people started to live in fixed settlements. In America, livestock were grazed on public land from the Civil War . The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 was enacted after the Great Depression to regulate

656-399: The yield is a measurement of the amount of a crop grown, or product such as wool, meat or milk produced, per unit area of land. The seed ratio is another way of calculating yields. Innovations, such as the use of fertilizer , the creation of better farming tools, new methods of farming and improved crop varieties , have improved yields. The higher the yield and more intensive use of

697-734: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Alexander Mitscherlich studied crop yields in 1909 and articulated a "law of physiological relations". It was compared to the law of diminishing returns in 1942, when Liebig's law of the minimum and the limiting factors of Frederick Blackman were also noted: The relation was reviewed by Hans Schneeberger in 2009. Ritchie, Hannah; Rosado, Pablo; Roser, Max (2022). "Crop yields" . Our World in Data . Retrieved 2024-04-20 . Fodder Fodder ( / ˈ f ɒ d ər / ), also called provender ( / ˈ p r ɒ v ən d ər / ),

738-454: The accumulation of litter ( organic matter ) in some seasons and areas, but can also increase it, which may help to combat soil erosion . This acts as nutrition for insects and organisms found within the soil. These organisms "aid in carbon sequestration and water filtration". When grass is grazed, dead grass and litter are reduced which is advantageous for birds such as waterfowl . Grazing can increase biodiversity . Without grazing, many of

779-595: The biodiversity of a site. Grazing has existed since the beginning of agriculture ; sheep and goats were domesticated by nomads before the first permanent settlements were constructed around 7000 BC, enabling cattle and pigs to be kept. Livestock grazing contributes to many negative effects on the environment, including deforestation , extinction of native wildlife, pollution of streams and rivers, overgrazing , soil degradation , ecological disturbance , desertification , and ecosystem stability . Sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were domesticated early in

820-446: The bison–fire relationship on a large landscape scale of 30,000 acres (12,000 ha). In the grazed heathland of Devon , the periodic burning is known as swailing. Riparian area grazing is intended to improve wildlife and their habitats. It uses fencing to keep livestock off ranges near streams or water areas until after wildlife or waterfowl periods, or to limit the amount of grazing to a short period of time. Conservation grazing

861-535: The ecosystem, well-managed grazing techniques can reverse damage and improve the land. On commons in England and Wales, rights of pasture (grassland grazing) and pannage (forest grazing) for each commoner are tightly defined by number and type of animal, and by the time of year when certain rights can be exercised. For example, the occupier of a particular cottage might be allowed to graze fifteen cattle, four horses , ponies or donkeys , and fifty geese , while

SECTION 20

#1732772788732

902-505: The farmland, the higher the productivity and profitability of a farm; this increases the well-being of farming families. Surplus crops beyond the needs of subsistence agriculture can be sold or bartered. The more grain or fodder a farmer can produce, the more draft animals such as horses and oxen could be supported and harnessed for labour and production of manure . Increased crop yields also means fewer hands are needed on farm, freeing them for industry and commerce . This, in turn, led to

943-536: The form of sprouted cereal grains such as barley , and legumes can be grown in small and large quantities. Systems have been developed recently that allow for many tons of sprouts to be produced each day, year round. Sprouted grains can significantly increase the nutritional value of the grain compared with feeding the ungerminated grain to stock. In addition, they use less water than traditional forage, making them ideal for drought conditions. Sprouted barley and other cereal grains can be grown hydroponically in

984-633: The formation and growth of cities, which then translated into an increased demand for foodstuffs or other agricultural products. The units by which the yield of a crop is usually measured today are kilograms per hectare or bushels per acre . Long-term cereal yields in the United Kingdom were some 500 kg/ha in Medieval times, jumping to 2000 kg/ha in the Industrial Revolution, and jumping again to 8000 kg/ha in

1025-469: The grower, or for livestock feed. In parts of Europe the seed ratio during the 9th century was merely 1:2.5, in the Low Countries it improved to 1:14 with the introduction of the three-field system of crop rotation around the 14th century. Seed multiplication ratio is variable, subject to several factors. Agricultural improvements can raise the ratio, and revisions were recommended in 2018 by

1066-485: The heavy grazing. This technique results in a diversity of habitats that different prairie plants and birds can utilize—mimicking the effects of the pre-historical relationship between bison and fire, whereby bison heavily graze one area and other areas have opportunity to rest, based on the concept of pyric herbivory . The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in northeastern Oklahoma has been patch-burn grazed with bison herds for over ten years. These efforts have effectively restored

1107-485: The numbers allowed for their neighbours would probably be different. On some commons (such as the New Forest and adjoining commons), the rights are not limited by numbers, and instead a 'marking fee' is paid each year for each animal 'turned out'. However, if excessive use was made of the common, for example, in overgrazing, a common would be 'stinted'; that is, a limit would be put on the number of animals each commoner

1148-643: The opinion of the Center for Biological Diversity , extensive grazing of livestock in the arid lands of the southwestern United States has many negative impacts on the local biodiversity there. Cattle destroy native vegetation, damage soils and stream banks, and contaminate waterways with fecal waste. After decades of livestock grazing, once-lush streams and riparian forests have been reduced to flat, dry wastelands; once-rich topsoil has been turned to dust, causing soil erosion, stream sedimentation and wholesale elimination of some aquatic habitats In arid climates such as

1189-412: The past, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") spread through the inclusion of ruminant meat and bone meal in cattle feed due to prion contamination. This practice is now banned in most countries where it has occurred. Some animals have a lower tolerance for spoiled or moldy fodder than others, and certain types of molds , toxins , or poisonous weeds inadvertently mixed into

1230-477: The period when no grazing occurs. Patch-burn grazing burns a third of a pasture each year, no matter the size of the pasture. This burned patch attracts grazers (cattle or bison ) that graze the area heavily because of the fresh grasses that grow as a result. The other patches receive little to no grazing. During the next two years the next two patches are burned consecutively, then the cycle begins anew. In this way, patches receive two years of rest and recovery from

1271-461: The production of grass for cattle fodder is a valuable intercrop between crops for human consumption, because it builds the organic matter in the soil. When evaluating if this soil organic matter increase mitigates climate change, both permanency of the added organic matter as well as emissions produced during use of the fodder product have to be taken into account. Some agricultural byproducts fed to animals may be considered unsavory by humans. In

Grazing - Misplaced Pages Continue

1312-423: The range into at least four pastures. One pasture remains rested throughout the year and grazing is rotated amongst the residual pastures." This grazing system can be especially beneficial when using sensitive grass that requires time for rest and regrowth. Deferred rotation "involves at least two pastures with one not grazed until after seed-set". By using deferred rotation, grasses can achieve maximum growth during

1353-418: The removal of wild grazing animals), or by other human disturbance. Conservation grazing is the use of grazers to manage such habitats, often to replicate the ecological effects of the wild relatives of domestic livestock , or those of other species now absent or extinct. Grazer urine and faeces "recycle nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other plant nutrients and return them to the soil". Grazing can reduce

1394-414: The same grasses grow, for example brome and bluegrass , consequently producing a monoculture . The ecosystems of North American tallgrass prairies are controlled to a large extent by nitrogen availability, which is itself controlled by interactions between fires and grazing by large herbivores. Fires in spring enhance growth of certain grasses, and herbivores preferentially graze these grasses, producing

1435-401: The soil with nutrient redistribution and aerating the soil by trampling, and by controlling fire and increasing biodiversity by removing biomass, controlling shrub growth and dispersing seeds. In some habitats, appropriate levels of grazing may be effective in restoring or maintaining native grass and herb diversity in rangeland that has been disturbed by overgrazing, lack of grazing (such as by

1476-619: The southwestern United States, livestock grazing has severely degraded riparian areas , the wetland environment adjacent to rivers or streams. The Environmental Protection Agency states that agriculture has a greater impact on stream and river contamination than any other nonpoint source . Improper grazing of riparian areas can contribute to nonpoint source pollution of riparian areas. Riparian zones in arid and semiarid environments have been called biodiversity hotspots . The water, higher biomass , favorable microclimate and periodic flood events together produce higher biological diversity than in

1517-708: The surrounding uplands. In 1990, "according to the Arizona state park department, over 90% of the original riparian zones of Arizona and New Mexico are gone". A 1988 report of the Government Accountability Office estimated that 90% of the 5,300 miles of riparian habitat managed by the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado was in an unsatisfactory condition, as was 80% of Idaho 's riparian zones, concluding that "poorly managed livestock grazing

1558-431: The totality of the inputs. The seed multiplication ratio is the ratio between the investment in seed versus the yield. For example, if three grains are harvested for each grain seeded, the resulting multiplication ratio is 1:3, which is considered by some agronomists as the minimum required to sustain human life. One of the three seeds must be set aside for the next planting season, the remaining two either consumed by

1599-462: The use of public land for grazing purposes. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization , about 60% of the world's grassland (just less than half of the world's usable surface) is covered by grazing systems. It states that "Grazing systems supply about 9 percent of the world's production of beef and about 30 percent of the world's production of sheep and goat meat . For an estimated 100 million people in arid areas , and probably

1640-413: Was allowed to graze. These regulations were responsive to demographic and economic pressure. Thus, rather than let a common become degraded, access was restricted even further. Ranchers and range science researchers have developed grazing systems to improve sustainable forage production for livestock. These can be contrasted with intensive animal farming on feedlots. With continuous grazing, livestock

1681-460: Was responsible for 6% of total United States greenhouse gas emissions in 2006. This included rice production, enteric fermentation in domestic livestock, livestock manure management, and agricultural soil management , but omitted some things that might be attributable to agriculture. Studies comparing the methane emissions from grazing and feedlot cattle concluded that grass-fed cattle produce much more methane than grain-fed cattle. One study in

Grazing - Misplaced Pages Continue

#731268