Some effects of winter grazing of Dohne sour veld

Abstract

The utilisation of spared sour veld poses practical problems. As a result of the development of high level protein or nitrogen supplements it has however become possible to efficiently graze spared veld. Results of experiments during three winters where spared sour veld was grazed off either by sheep or by cattle are given. The regrowth of this veld during the subsequent seasons was compared with that of veld which had been either lightly winter grazed, or not grazed, and then cleaned off by mowing or burning in spring. Where defoliation was not unduly severe there were no indications that clean grazing in winter was more detrimental than any treatment which included a spring burn. Temperature readings and soil moisture determinations on grazed and ungrazed veld were recorded. It was observed that veld grazed cleanly early in winter commenced growth very early in the subsequent spring.

Keywords: problems|sheep grazing|treatments|defoliations|spring|burning regimes|mowing|regrowth periods|cattle grazing|grazing|nitrogen supplements|protein supplementations|winter|development|veld|sourveld|utilisations|experiments