DAP1108 Lecture Notes 1

DAP1108: PASTURE PRODUCTION AND
MANAGEMENT
Brenda Aleper Kiyonga

Tel:0786219910
Email: [email protected]
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Pasture: Pasture can be defined in many ways depending on purpose:
• An area of land occupied with forage plant species either natural or
planted by man for the purpose of providing qualitative feed to
livestock at the right quantity.
• It could also refer to any forage specie valuable as livestock or a
fenced area of domesticated forages usually improved and on which
animals are grazed.
• Land covered with grass and other low plants suitable for grazing
animals.
• Grass or similar plants grown for feeding/grazing animals
DEFINITION OF TERMS CONT..
• Pasture management :The practice of growing healthy grass and
related plants to profitably sustain forage availability and livestock
production while ensuring ecological health.
• Legume: is a plant with characteristic of forming nitrogen fixing
nodules on its roots and is able to fix nitrogen from atmospheric nitrate
• Forage: these are plants grown primarily for livestock feed to be
either harvested for hay, silage or green feed.
• Weeds: These are non-planted plant species that invade an area by
itself.
• Grasses: These belong to the family Gramineae. They are
characterized by cylindrical stems and leaves. They have fibrous
rooting system with light and small seeds
DEFINITION OF TERMS CONT..
• Silage: is a forage preserved in a succulent condition by partial

fermentation
• Hay: This is a feed produced by dehydrating green forage to a
moisture content of about 15% or less.
• Nodules: it is a swelling on leguminous roots with nitrogen-fixing
bacteria of the genus Rhizobia.
• Fodder: are cultivated plant species that are utilized as livestock feed.
It refers mostly to harvested crops used for stall feeding.
The socio-economic importance of pastures
❖ Cheapest source of animal feeds.

❖ Harnesses unproductive lands.
❖ Restore soil fertility/ combat soil erosion.
❖ Soil stabilization/holding soil particles together.
❖ Farmer revenue enhancement.
❖ Prevents build up of pests, diseases and weeds.
❖ Multiple usage of land for efficiently land utilization.
❖ It is the most effective way of land usage.
Classification of Pasture Plants
Pasture plants can be classified into the following:

Grasses:
❖They are characterized by low crude protein, fast growth rate,
cylindrical stems and leaves.
❖The leaves have parallel venation pattern and stem is hollow.
❖They have fibrous rooting system with light and small seeds.
❖Other related family members in this family include maize, millet
sorghum, barley and rye.
Classification of Pasture Plants cont..
Legumes:
❖They have broad leaves with a net venation pattern.
❖They are herbaceous plants with flowers occurring mainly at the
terminal buds. However, it is also possible to have flowers in other
parts of the plant such as auxiliary branches.
❖These flowers produce seeds in pods. Examples include Centrosema
pascourum, Alysicarpus varginalis and Mucuna pruriens.
❖They have tap root system
Grazed Plants: These are short herbs that are consumed with both
leaves and stems together. Examples include: Brachiaria ruziziensis,
Sorghum almum (Columbus grass).
Browed Plants: These are woody plants whose leaves and twigs (soft
stems and buds) are eaten while the woody stem is left uneaten. e.g.
Leucaena leucocephala, Gliricidia sepium .
Annuals: These are plants that complete their life cycle within one
growing season and survive the dry season as seeds. e.g. Chloris gayana,
Pennisetum purpureum and Hypherrania rufa.
Biennials:
• These are plants that complete their life cycle in two seasons. First season is for
vegetative growth and second season for reproductive growth. e.g. Panicum
maximum (Elephant grass).
Perennials:
• These are plants that grow throughout the year for many years producing flowers
and seeds without dying such as Acacia albida tree.
Weeds:
• These are non-planted plant species that invade an area by itself. e.g. Sorghum
bicolor, Amaranthus spinosis and Tridax procumbens.
Important grasses in tropics
❖Pannicum maximum (Guinea grass)
❖Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass)
❖Setaria anceps (Nandi seteria)
❖Brachiaria ruziensis (Congo signal grass)- several species occur.
❖Hyparrhenia rufa (Jaragua grass or thatching grass)
❖Cynadon plectosttachycis (Giant star grass)
❖Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass or Napier grass)
❖Cenchrus ciliaris (Buffel grass)
❖Setaria sphacelata var. anceps
❖Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyu grass).
❖Tripsacum lexum (Guatamala grass, Wideleaf gamagrass)
❖Cynadon dactylon (star grass)
Leguminous Pastures
❖Desmodium: there are two species of Desmodium in Uganda and East Africa:
Desmodium uncinatum (silverleaf desmodium) and D. intortum (greenleaf
desmodium).
❖Stylosanthes: Several species exist e.g S.humilis, S. guianensi, S. scatia, S.
hamata
❖Dolichos: the Hyacinth Bean, also known as Lablab
❖Centrosema: The most commonly used species in tropical pastures is
Centrasema pubescens, also known as Centrosema schiedeanum (ined.).
❖Neonotania: the synonyms is Neotonia wightii. The common names is
Glycine. Glycine is a herbaceous perennial with strong taproot and trailing,
climbing and twining stems.
❖Macroptilium/siratro or purple bean: The widely used species in tropical
Africa is Macroptilium atropurpureum.

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DAP1108: PASTURE PRODUCTION AND

Brenda Aleper Kiyonga

• Silage: is a forage preserved in a succulent condition by partial

❖ Cheapest source of animal feeds.

Pasture plants can be classified into the following:

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