Utilization of tobosa standing crop by cattle under seasonal-rotation and seasonal-continuous grazing on a semidesert rangeland

TitleUtilization of tobosa standing crop by cattle under seasonal-rotation and seasonal-continuous grazing on a semidesert rangeland
Publication TypeConference Paper
Year of Publication1983
AuthorsToloumbaye T., Anderson D.M., Pieper, Rex D.
Conference Name36th Annual Meeting, Society for Range Management
Date PublishedFebruary 14-18,
Conference LocationAlbuquerque, NM
Keywordsgrazing, seasonal continuous, seasonal rotation, semidesert rangeland, standing crop, tobosa
AbstractA seasonal-rotation, 10-paddock-1 herd cell was compared to seasonal-continuous stocking on a tobosa (Hilaria mutica) range located on the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico during the 1980 and 1981 summer grazing seasons. Bos taurus and Bos taurus x Bos indicus cattle were used to stock the two treatments. Standing crop was sampled throughout the season in 1980 and 1981 in both treatments using the step-point intercept method to determine the degree of defoliation, except in 1980 when a line-intercept method was used initially to estimate plant cover. The number of tobosa plants grazed per day was significantly (P<0.05) greater in the cell than in the continuously stocked paddock. Likewise, grazing reduced the mean height of the tobosa significantly (P