Abstract 246

Chen,-CP; Othman,-O

Livestock Res. Div., MARDI, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

MARDI-Research-Bulletin. 1986, 14: 1, 69-80; 11 ref.

An experiment was designed to study the effects of stocking rate and grazing management on pasture DM and animal production, and botanical and chemical composition of N-fertilized D. setivalva pasture over a period of 4 years at Serdang. In the first 2 years, at stocking rates of 4.0-6.7 animals/ha, daily liveweight gain and annual animal production/ha were higher under continuous grazing than under rotational grazing with 1 week on and 3 weeks off. When stocking rates were increased to 6.0-8.0 animals/ha, rotational grazing gave higher production, especially in the 4th year. This system conserved more pasture DM on offer, maintained a higher percentage of D. setivalva in the sward and reduced weed (especially Paspalum conjugatum and Axonopus compressus) invasion compared with that under continuous grazing. Rotational grazing at 6.7 heads/ha and continuous grazing at 5.3 heads/ha maintained a stable pasture to achieve the highest animal production/ha and daily liveweight gain/head. However, higher plant mineral levels were detected in continuously than in rotationally grazed pasture.