Species preference by cattle and forage production in the Sourish Mixed Bushveld

Abstract

This study attempts to give a better understanding of some aspects of growth and utilisation of grass species in the Sourish, Mixed Bushveld. The results show that in the Sourish, Mixed Bushveld cattle exhibit a preference for Panicum maximum above that of T.triandra and S.sphacelata and that the degree of preference changes with time of year. It was also found that animals graze selectively even when grazing pressure is high and that at different times of the year animals will return to tufts and tillers of preferred species up to 4 times. The mean leaf height appears to have some influence on the selection of a particular species but the time of year has a much stronger influence. A significant amount of forage was removed from T. triandra but not from P.maximum or S.sphacelata.