Description

Recent research suggests that the application of the old concepts of pasture management developed in Europe, USA and South Africa have been unsuccessful in the Tropics; in some areas under-utilisation has resulted in poor animal output and low economic returns, whereas in other areas overgrazing has resulted in soil erosion and weeds. This book sets out to examine the problems involved in the utilisation of tropical and subtropical pastures and to explain how pastures may be managed to meet the requirements of both plants and animals for growth and replacement. Following an overview of the livestock systems of the tropics, the effects of grazing animals on the edaphic, biotic and climatic environment of the pasture are described. The response of the animals to the available pasture are discussed in terms of pasture attributes of nutritive value and sward structure, selectivity and grazing behaviour. Methods for attaining continuity of forage supply are also described. The author, Professor L. R. Humphreys, has been involved for many years in extensive research of tropical and subtropical pastures. A central objective of his work has been to effect a synchrony between pasture available and the forage requirements of the animal. This book is a culmination of much of his research and will be invaluable to all disciplines with an interest in tropical and subtropical agricultural practices.