Evaluation of Cenchrus ciliaris: II. A comparison of bushveld, de-bushed veld and bushveld combined with Cenchrus pastures.

Abstract

During the period 1974/77 a comparison of natural bushveld (treatment A), veld mechanically cleared during July 1973 of most woody plants (treatment B) and a combination of natural bushveld and Cenchrus ciliaris cv. Molopo pastures (treatment C) was carried out at the Mara Research Station. The areas were grazed by beef cows and calves. Fodder production from the three treatments never reached a level where the animals were unduly stressed by a scarcity of feed. The mean stocking rate of treatments A, B and C (over three seasons) was approximately 9, 1, 7, 3 and 5, 3 ha per animal unit respectively. Although the livemass gains of the dry cows and weaning livemass of the calves in treatments B and C were on the average greater than those of treatment A, the lactating cows of treatment C generally showed a loss of livemass. It is suggested that this result could have an adverse effect on the efficiency of an animal production system as a whole. Methods to overcome this problem are postulated. It is concluded that the use of C. ciliaris pastures or bush control measures could play an important role in the improvement of veld and in increasing livestock production in the bushveld area. The economical use of such practices would probably depend on the application of highly sophisticated management techniques.

Keywords: animal production; bush control; bushveld; cenchrus ciliaris; control measures; efficiency; live mass gain; management; mara research station; pastures; production; south africa; stocking rate; techniques; treatments; woody plants