SEARCHING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO MANAGE PRAIRIE GRASS

Abstract

The perlormance of 'Grasslands Matua' prairie grass was compared under lax and hard grazing by sheep. Pasture utilisation and tiller densities were measured to determme If l"cremng utllsatlon would result I" sward decline Lax grazmg permitted ward persistence but resulted m only 56% pasture utilisatlon Hard grazmg at 75% pasture ut!llsatlon resulted m less total herbage harvested, owng primarily to ward decline. Nevertheless, it was shown that hard grazing can improve pasture utilisation without affecting sward persistence of grazing 1s delayed until new replacement tillers have appeared This allows significantly greater pasture utll1satlon than lax grazing and maintains prawe grass tiller density, Keywords: Bromus willdenoii Kunth. grazing intensity, pasture persistence, tiller appearance. Matua pra,w grass