Description
Next to demonstration plots with different mixes and varieties, the importance of good grazing management was high-lightened at the annual largest open fair in Sweden, Borgeby Field Days in the very south of Sweden. It is important to different strategies to show the potential of grazing instead of feeding cattle and sheep indoors all year around. There are difficulties in measuring the dry matter (DM) yield of the sward. From one of the innovation farms, Skogsgård, Anna Carlsson had brought some pots with samples in different development stages from pastures with grasses. By cutting a 0.25 m² area it is simple to measure the amount of grass available in a paddock. The biomass is weighed and DM content is easily estimated. Another take-home message was a system for fast fencing with plastic wires to delimit a paddock when you know the exact area for the daily feeding needs for your grazing stock. As an example, one of the samples showed a canopy closure at 2,800 kg DM/ha. By demonstration of the described pots, it is easy to understand and discuss the theory behind the optimal time for grazing – when the plant has three leaves – to achieve a biologically and economically viable grass growth.
