A comparison of grass and grass/legume pastures under irrigation in the Outeniqua area of the southern Cape

Abstract

Two grass and five grass/legume pastures were evaluated over a period of two seasons at two seasonally set grazing pressures and under two grazing management systems, involving five and seven paddocks per flock and a seven‐day period of stay. Grazing capacity was most limiting during winter. Pastures with fescue as grass component had, overall, the highest grazing capacity, while white clover‐based pastures had the highest animal production. The legume content of the grass/legume pastures was markedly higher on the seven than on the five‐paddock system. Dry matter and animal production of white clover‐based pastures was favoured by a seven‐paddock system as opposed to a five‐paddock system, while mixtures containing lucerne and pure grass pastures were either not influenced by grazing management or promoted by a five‐camp system.