Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-g4j75 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-06T07:50:03.648Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Practical pasture management in hill and upland systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. Johnson  and
B. G. Merrell
J. Johnson
Affiliation:
ADAS Leeds, Lawnswood, Otley Road, Leeds LS16 5PY
B. G. Merrell
Affiliation:
ADAS Redesdale, Rochester, Otterburn, Newcastle upon Tyne NE19 1SB
Get access

Abstract

The imbalance in area of conservation to grazing has resulted in systems which attempt to maximize grazing and minimize winter feeding. This is rendered more difficult by the short growing season and generally poorer quality of indigenous vegetation when compared with, for example, perennial ryegrass and white clover. Recent changes in government policy discourage land improvement and emphasis nowadays concentrates on maximizing use of, for example, moorland whilst at the same time maintaining its longer-term production and environmental quality. Sward height guidelines can be used to optimize production and utilization of sown grassland for sheep and cattle. Information is also available to integrate heather moorland into farming systems, as a result of an increased understanding of grazing preferences. It remains as important as ever to maintain production from the limited area of improved ground, and improvements in perennial ryegrass and white clover varieties can be introduced successfully into hill and upland systems. Change in such systems however is often constrained by both social and economic factors and this needs to be acknowledged if the agricultural emphasis in the hills and uplands is to have proper direction.

Type
Research Article
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 18: Livestock Production and Land Use in Hills and Uplands , January 1994 , pp. 31 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agricultural Development and Advisory Service/Fertilizer Manufacturers Association 1991. Suwey of fertilizer practice 1991.Google Scholar
Agricultural Development and Advisory Service. 1992. ADAS grassland calendars. Upland sheep. Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Appleton, M. 1985. Advances in sheep grazing systems. Occasional symposium, no. 19. British Grassland Society.Google Scholar
Armstrong, R. H. 1991a. Modelling the agricultural and environmental consequences of sheep grazing heather moorland. Macaulay Land Use Research Institute annual report 1990–91, p. 43.Google Scholar
Armstrong, R. H. 1991b. The effect of direction of change in sward height, and in sward structure, on the ingrestive behaviour and performance of weaned lambs grazing ryegrass. Macaulay Land Use Research Institute Annual Report 1990–91, pp. 42–43.Google Scholar
Armstrong, R. H., Grant, A. and Hodgson, J. 1987. Grazing choices and hill management. In Efficient sheep production from grass (ed. Pollott, G. E.), occasional symposium, British Grassland Society, no. 21, pp. 175–178.Google Scholar
Armstrong, R. H. and Hodgson, J. 1985. Grazing behaviour and herbage intake in cattle and sheep grazing indigenous hill plant communities. Grazing research at northern latitudes, NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Hvanneyri, Iceland.Google Scholar
Barron, J. D. 1984. ADAS Trawsgoed, Dyfed. Training Project Report.Google Scholar
Chapple, D. G. 1990. Clover rich swards for suckler cows. Second Research Conference, Auchincruive, Ayr, British Grassland Society.Google Scholar
Cowdy, A. P. M. and Taylor, T. 1985. Grass fertility in Brecon and Radnor. ADAS/MAFF Powys Report.Google Scholar
Eadie, J. 1967. The nutrition of grazing hill sheep: utilization of hill pastures. Hill Farming Research Organisation fourth report, 1964–1967, pp. 38–45.Google Scholar
Fothergill, M., Daniel, G., Morgan, C. T. and Danes, D. A. 1991. Performance of light white clover cultivars under intensive sheep grazing at an upland site 1988–1990. In Grass on the move. (ed. Hopkins, A.), occasional symposium, British Grassland Society, no. 26, pp. 186–188.Google Scholar
Frame, J., Newbold, P. and Munro, J. M. M. 1985. Herbage production from the hills and uplands. In Hill and upland livestock production. (ed. Maxwell, T. J. and Gunn, R. G.), occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 10, pp. 9–38.Google Scholar
Grant, S. A., Suckling, D. E., Smith, H. K., Torvell, L., Forbes, T. D. A. and Hodgson, J. 1985. Comparative studies of diet selection by sheep and cattle: the hill grasslands. journal of Ecology. 73: 987–1004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gurnett, L. R. and Waterhouse, A. 1985. The management and performance of beef cattle in the hills and uplands. In Hill and upland livestock production. (ed. Maxwell, T. J. and Gunn, R. G.), occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 10, pp. 67–76.Google Scholar
Hodgson, H. 1985. Grazing and its interference on hill vegetation. In Vegetation management in northern Britain, (ed. Murray, R. B.) B. C. P. C. monograph. 30, pp. 21–31.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J., Forbes, T. D. A., Armstrong, R. H., Beattie, M. M. and Hunter, E. A. 1991. Comparative studies of the ingestive intake of sheep and cattle grazing indigenous hill plant communities. Journal of Applied Ecology. 28: 205–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, J. and Evans, B. 1987. Grass production for sheep. In Efficient sheep production from grass. (ed. Pollott, G. E.), occasional symposium, British Grassland Society, no. 21, pp. 13–28.Google Scholar
Jones, J. R., Munro, J. M. M., Sibbald, A. R., Rees, M. E., Preen, R. N., Vale, J. E., Donaghy, D. T. and Deans, E. V. 1992. Evaluation of low input sheep systems. Proceedings of third British Grassland Society research meeting, N. Ireland, pp. 87–88.Google Scholar
Jones, J. R., Rees, M. E., Preen, R. N., Fothergill, M. and Sibbald, A. R. 1991. Upland clover sheep systems. In Management issues for the grassland farmer in the 1990s, (ed. Mayne, C. S.), occasional symposium British Grassland Society, no. 2, pp. 240–242.Google Scholar
Jordan, W. J. 1988. Improvements in ryegrass varieties due to plant breeding. Research meeting, British Grassland Society, Aberystwyth.Google Scholar
Lowman, B. G. and Chalmers, A. J. 1985. Cattle systems in the hills and uplands. In Hill and upland livestock production. (ed. Maxwell, T. J. and Gunn, R. G.), occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 10, pp. 107–111.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H., Armstrong, R. H., Thompson, J. R. and Powell, T. L. 1985. Sheep production systems in the hills. In Hill and upland livestock production, (ed. Maxwell, T. J. and Gunn, R. G.), occasional publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 10. pp. 85–94.Google Scholar
Maxwell, T. J. and Treacher, T. T. 1987. Decision rules for grassland management. In Efficient sheep production from grass. (ed. Pollott, G. E.), ocasional symposium, British Grassland Society no. 21, pp. 67–78.Google Scholar
Milne, J. A. and Grant, S. A. 1987. Sheep management on heather moorland. Efficient Sheep Production from Grass. (ed. Pollott, G. E.), occasionai symposium, British Grassland Society, no. 21, pp. 165–167.Google Scholar
National Economic Development Organisation 1986. The adoption of technology in agriculture — improved grassland management in hill sheep farming systems.Google Scholar
Rushton, S. P. and Byrne, J. P. 1990. The dynamics of vegetation changes and flock output of hill land. Research meeting, British Grassland Society, no. 2, session V, poster 4.Google Scholar
Skinner, R. J. and Allen, J. W. 1988. Late season nitrogen for upland sward in Wales. Research meeting, British Grassland Society, no. 2, session II, poster 6.Google Scholar
Swift, G., Mackie, C. K., Harkess, R. D. and Franklin, M. F. 1988. Response of grass in early season to spring-applied phosphate. Research and Development in Agriculture. 5: 49–52.Google Scholar
Torvell, L., Common, T. G. and Grant, S. A. 1988. Seasonal patterns of tissue flow and responses of Molina to defoliation. In Ecological changes in the uplands. (ed. Usher, M. B. and Thompson, D. B. A.), pp. 219–222.Google Scholar
Vipond, J. E., Milne, J. A., Swift, G., Fitzsimons, J., McClelland, T. H. and Hunter, E. A. 1989. Ewe and lamb performance on perennial ryegrass and perennial ryegrass plus white clover swards under controlled sward heights. Animal Production. 48: 648 (abstr.)Google Scholar
Vipond, J. E. and Swift, G. 1991. Development of legume use on hills and uplands. In Grass on the move. (ed. Hopkins, A.), occasional symposium, British Grassland Society, no. 26, pp. 54–65.Google Scholar
Wright, I. A. and Russel, A. J. F. 1986. Responses of spring calving cows and their calves to sward height. Animal Production. 42: 468 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Wright, I. A., Russel, A. J. F. and Hunter, E. A. 1986. The effect of winter feed level on weaned suckled calves grazed at two sward heights. Animal Production. 43: 211–224.Google Scholar