African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6915

Full Length Research Paper

Determination of grazing time with relationships between grass layer height and biomass change in natural pastures

Mustafa GUR
  • Mustafa GUR
  • Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution, 06550, Ankara, Turkey
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Murat ALTIN
  • Murat ALTIN
  • Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agricultural, Nam?k Kemal University, 59030, Tekirdag, Turkey.
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Ahmet GOKKUS
  • Ahmet GOKKUS
  • Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agricultural, Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
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  •  Received: 24 December 2014
  •  Accepted: 16 July 2015
  •  Published: 13 August 2015

Abstract

This research work was  conducted in Karahisar village of TekirdaÄŸ city during the years of 2010 and 2011. The basic purpose of this study was to determine the starting dates of grazing in pastures, and the relationships between grass layer height and biomass change in protected, as well as, the grazed areas of natural pastures of the said village. In pastures, 16 different points had been marked in 4 rangelands on tetrad sampling areas for measurements. The measurements were carried out with 10-day intervals between the dates of 10th March to 20th July. Height range of the grass layer in pastures had been changed from 5.04 to 48.73 cm in grazed pasture, while  6.47 to 56.83 cm in case of protected pasture. Grass layer height was reached to the highest range between 10 and 20 June in grazed pasture, but in 20th June in protected pasture. A significant relationship had been found between grass layer height and sampling dates of grazed pasture (R2 = 0.9773) and protected pasture (R2 = 0.9808). The highest biomass change was  observed in grazed pasture (242.39 kg/ha) in 10th of June, while in protected pasture (275.59 kg/ha) in 20th of June. The results of this evaluation have been reached to a conclusion that the appropriate grazing would be started between 20 and 30th of April when vegetation sorted to 15 cm in pastures.  

 

Key words: Pasture, grass layer height, fodder yield, biomass change.