Gierus, M.

Glindemann, T.

Mueller, K.

Schiborra, Anna

Schoenbach, P.

Susenbeth, A.

Tas, B. M.

Taube, Friedhelm

Wang, C. J.

English

University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky UKnowledge International Grassland Congress Proceedings 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress Rotational and Continuous Grazing of Sheep in the Inner Mongolian Steppe of China C. J. Wang Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany B. M. Tas Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany T. Glindemann Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany K. Mueller Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany A. Schiborra Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc  Part of the Plant Sciences Commons, and the Soil Science Commons This document is available at https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/21/9-3/19 The 21st International Grassland Congress / 8th International Rangeland Congress took place in Hohhot, China from June 29 through July 5, 2008. Proceedings edited by Organizing Committee of 2008 IGC/IRC Conference Published by Guangdong People's Publishing House This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant and Soil Sciences at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Grassland Congress Proceedings by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu. Presenter Information C. J. Wang, B. M. Tas, T. Glindemann, K. Mueller, A. Schiborra, P. Schoenbach, M. Gierus, Friedhelm Taube, and A. Susenbeth This event is available at UKnowledge: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/21/9-3/19 瞯 ]136　 瞯 　 Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World 　 Volume Ⅱ 　Grasslands/Rangelands Production Systems——— Livestock Production SystemsRotational and continuous grazing of sheep in the Inner Mongolian steppe of ChinaC . J . W ang ,B . M . Tas ,T . G lindemann ,K . Mueller ,A . Schibor ra ,P . Schoenbach ,M . Gierus ,F . Taube and A . SusenbethInstitute o f A nimal Nutrition and Physiology ,Christian‐A lbrechts‐University K iel ,Hermann‐Rodewald‐Str . 9 ,24118 K iel ,Germany ,E‐mail address : susenbeth＠ aninut .uni‐kiel .deKey words : rotational and continuous grazing ,feed intake ,digestibility ,live weight gainIntroduction The Inner Mongolia steppe of China is traditionally used for grazing . In the last three decades overgrazing by sheepled to a sparse cover of vegetation in winter that enables soil erosion and hence degradation of the grassland ,which may beinfluenced by grazing system . The objective of this study‐which is part of the Sino‐German DFG research cooperation MAGIM‐was to investigate the effects of rotational and continuous grazing on chemical composition of herbage ,herbage mass ( HM ) ,feedintake and digestibility ,and live weight gain ( LWG) of sheep grazing at a moderate stocking rate of ４ .５ sheep/ ha on the InnerMongolian steppe of China .Materials and methods In the growing season from mid June until mid September in ２００５ and ２００６ a grazing experiment wasconducted comparing a continuous and rotational grazing system with one replication . In the continuous system the sheepremained on one ２ ha plot throughout the season ,whereas in the rotational system the plot was subdivided into four paddocks of０ .５ ha each and sheep were moved to the next paddock every １０ days . The stocking rate was ４ .５ yearling sheep per ha . Thechemical composition of herbage was determined with NIRS and HM was measured using exclosure cages . The intake oforganic matter ( OMI) was calculated by daily output of fecal OM ,estimated by the external marker titanium dioxide ,and byOM digestibility ( dOM ) of herbage ingested by sheep . The dOM was estimated by the fecal crude protein ( CP) method (Wang２００７ ) . Intake of digestible OM ( dOMI) was calculated by OMI multiplying with dOM ,and intake of metabolisable energy( MEI ,MJ/ d) by multiplying dOMI ( kg / d) with １６ ( MJ/ kg ) ,as described by McDonald et al . (１９８８) .Results The concentration of CP was lower and NDF higher witht rotational than with continuous grazing . The OMI ,dOM andMEI with rotational grazing were lower with １ .０９ kg / d ,５４ .９ ％ and ９ .６ MJ/ d ,respectively ,than with continuous grazing with１ .３１ kg / d ,５７ .４ ％ and １２ .０ MJ/d ,respectively . However ,the grazing systems did not affect HM and LWG of sheep . Theannual precipitation was low with １６６ mm in ２００５ and ３０４ mm in ２００６ compared with the average value of the last ３０ years of３５０ mm ,which influenced the measured variables in different years .Table 1 The measured v ariables in rotational and continuous graz ing system in ２００５ and ２００６ .Item Rotational grazing２００５  ２００６ 腚Continuous grazing２００５ ２００６ 觋SEMP valueGS YearOM ,％ ９４ 技.３ ９３ 弿.１ ９４ 汉.９ ９２ 帋.７ ０ 排.１２ ０ +.７８ ＜ ０ |.００１CP ,％ ８ ゥ.１ １１ 弿.９ ８ ＃.８ １３ 帋.０ ０ 排.２１ ０  .００１ ＜ ０ |.００１NDF ,％ ７３ 技.３ ６９ 弿.１ ７２ 汉.０ ６７ 帋.８ ０ 排.２４ ０  .０１６ ＜ ０ |.００１HM ,kg / ha ５９２  ４９０ 栽５４６ �３１４ 佑３５ 篌.９ ０ +.１４ ０ e.０３OMI ,kg / d/ sheep １ 帋.０３ １ a.１４ １ 寣.２１ １ `.２７ ０ 排.０２ ＜ ０ B.００１ ＜ ０ |.００１dOM ,％ ５３ 技.３ ５６ 弿.５ ５６ 汉.３ ５８ 帋.４ ０ 排.１４ ＜ ０ B.００１ ＜ ０ |.００１MEI ,MJ/ d/ sheep ８ ゥ.８ １０ 弿.３ １０ 汉.９ １１ 帋.３ ０ 排.１７ ＜ ０ B.００１ ＜ ０ |.００１LWG ,g / day ６８ 觋８４ 浇６２ 梃８１ 技２ 排.５３ ０ +.４１ ０ e.０１Conclusions The results based on these two years showed that the grazing system affected quality of feed ,digestibility and intakein sheep grazing on the Inner Mongolian steppe ,but the LWG was not affected . Further studies are required in years with meanprecipitations before final evaluation of the grazing systems can be made .ReferencesWang CJ (２００７) Dissertation ,University of Kiel .McDonald P ,Edwards RA ,Greenhalgh JFD (１９８８) A nimal Nutrition .Copublished in United State with John Wiley and Sons ,Inc . ,New York . pp . ２４５‐２５９ .

Rotational and Continuous Grazing of Sheep in the Inner Mongolian Steppe of China

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Rotational and Continuous Grazing of Sheep in the Inner Mongolian Steppe of China

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