Grasslands are being replaced by urbanization and more profitable agricultural activities around the world. Producers may be faced with land constraints and need to consider intensification of the remaining grasslands as a means of maintaining overall production on a decreasing land resource. However, intensification of the grazing system is usually associated with greater nutrient inputs, including those from commercial fertilizers and supplement fed to animals. Excessive loading of nutrients in intensive grazing systems via fertilizer and animal wastes can cause nutrient buildup in the soil and subsequent water quality problems. Surface runoff and leaching of nutrients are the two major process affecting water quality. Nitrogen and P represent major nutrient concerns as related to water quality. Increased nitrate concentrations render groundwater unsuitable for drinking and can cause serious health issues for humans. Excessive N and P concentrations may contribute to eutrophication of streams and lakes. Maximizing efficiency of nutrient recycling through the soil-forage-animal system minimizes off-site nutrient transport and decreases production costs by reducing the quantity of commercial fertilizer needed. Management strategies to reduce soil and water contamination include refining the balance of nutrient inputs from feeds and fertilizers as well as accounting for the nutrients recycled through the decomposition of plant litter and animal wastes. Current interest in the development and adoption of efficient and sustainable agriculture systems has led forage researchers to amplify the scope of grasslands research by increasing multidisciplinary efforts. There is an increased interest in quantifying the impacts of forage-animal management strategies on the environment, with the goal of developing economically viable best management practices that result in optimum forage production and profitability, while protecting the environment. Furthermore, these best management practices will supply reliable information for future environmental policies that may be adopted by governmental agencies

No abstract

Overseeding warm‐season legumes into warm‐season perennial grass pastures is an option to improve forage quality and reduce the use of commercial N fertilizer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ‘Ubon’ stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis var. vulgaris × var. pauciflora) overseeded into bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures on forage production and nutritive value. Treatments were overseeding stylo into bahiagrass pastures, bahiagrass pastures fertilized with 60 kg N/ha/year, or control (bahiagrass pasture with no N fertilization or legume) arranged in a randomized incomplete block design with three replicates. All treatments were continuously stocked using a fixed stocking rate with two heifers (Bos spp.) per experimental unit. Forage evaluations were conducted every 28 days from July to October 2010 and 2011. Pastures fertilized with N had greater herbage mass (HM) and herbage allowance (HA) than overseeded or control treatments and there was no difference between overseeded and control treatments. Overseeded and N fertilized treatments had greater CP concentration than control. The proportion of Ubon stylo was constant in the overseeded pastures during the experiment (≈ 17%). The increased HM on N fertilized treatments may potentially allow greater stocking rates when compared to pastures overseeded with stylo.

SS-AGR-322, a 6-page illustrated fact sheet by Yoana C. Newman, Adegbola T. Adesogan, Joao Vendramini, and Lynn Sollenberger, defines forage quality, changes in forage quality, and what information can be obtained from commercial laboratory analyses. Includes reference. Published by the UF Department of Agronomy, June 2009. SS-AGR-322/AG332: Defining Forage Quality (ufl.edu)

This 10-page document discusses bahiagrass forage cultivars, forage production, nutritive value, animal performance, planting, pasture renovation, management, and more. Written by Marcelo Wallau, Joao Vendramini, José Dubeux, and Ann Blount, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised July 2019. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag342 Original version: Newman, Yoana, Joao Vendramini, and Ann Blount. 2010. “Bahiagrass (Paspalum Notatum): Overview and Management”. EDIS 2010 (4). https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/118607.