Forage Production

Total Hours in Course120

Number of hours for lectures24

Number of hours for laboratory classes24

Independent study hours72

Date of course confirmation09.04.2019

Responsible UnitInstitute of Soil and Plant Science

Course developer

Augsnes un augu zinātņu institūts

Aleksandrs Adamovičs

Dr. agr.

Prior knowledge

Biol1001, Botany

Biol3008, Microbiology

LauZ4031, Mechanisation of Agriculture

Replaced course

LauZB024 [GLAUB024] Forage Production

Course abstract

Forage production as a branch of agriculture. Research work in forage production, its main directions. Morphological features and bioecological characteristics of herbage. Growth and development of field crops Natural lawns. The system of measures for the improvement of natural grasslands; the establishment, fertilization and utilization of cultivated meadows and pastures. Preparation and storage of high-quality grass forage: hay, haylage and silage.
Field crop production technologies. Laws for the planning of sowing and harvesting, and their regulation possibilities. Types of crop production, and their use in food and forage. Product pretreatment and storage. Life processes in crop production; storage losses, and possibilities of their reduction. The most important quality indicators of crop production, their essence. Possibilities of influencing the quality of field crops during their growing and storage.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students obtain knowledge on agroecological factors influencing the herbage yield, and on their morphological composition, agroecological requirements, cultivation agrotechnique, and yield quality.
Students are skilled to evaluate the role of agroecological factors influencing the herbage yield, to identify different species of legumes and grasses, to choose the most suitable herbage management operations, and to draw up technological plans for grass forage production.
Students are competent to organize grass forage production, harvesting, storage and sale, to choose the most suitable grass species, to study scientific literature, and to continue self-education on topics included in the study course.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Forage production as an agricultural system; its main tasks. Scientific research in forage production.
2. Biological properties of the meadow and pasture grasses. Division of plants into economically botanical groups: grasses, and legumes. Characteristics of the most common forage grasses of different genera.
3. The effect of ecological factors on the growth and development of grasses. Water requirement of grasses. Water use with grasses, and the factors determining it. The effect of temperature and air on the growth, development and yield formation of grasses. Light regime. Soil conditions and their role in grassland life.
1st test on previously studied topics (points 1 to 3). Evaluated by a mark.

4. Natural grasslands. The areas, condition and proportion of natural meadows and pastures in Latvia.
5. The complex of measures for surface improvement of natural grasslands, and the conditions of its use. Cultural-technical works.
6. The complex of basic improvement measures for natural meadows and pastures, the conditions of its use.
7. Establishment of sown lawns. Lawn liming and fertilizing. Application of organic and mineral fertilizers.
8. Mixtures of grass species. Growing of grasses in the field and in mixtures. Establishment of the mixtures of the seeds of grasses.
2nd test on previously studied topics (point 8). Evaluated by a mark.

9. Sowing of grasses. Soil tillage. Sowing times. The types and technique for sowing grass mixtures. Maintenance of the sown area.
10. Establishment of cultivated pastures. Techniques for pasture establishment
11. Calculation of pasture area for different domestic animal species.
3rd test on previously studied topics (point 11). Evaluated by a mark.

12. Arrangement of pastures. Installation of pasture grounds, fences, pasture roads, and watering facilities.
13. Pastures for cattle, sheep, horses, sows, and poultry.
14. Rational use of pastures. Free-range, pasture-ground and portion grazing systems.
15. Types of pasture productivity evaluation.
16. Management of pastures. Preparation of pastures for grazing in spring. Mowing of uneaten grass. Animal manure spreading.
17. Covering of the shortage of pasture grass. Green conveyor. The meaning and types of the green conveyor.
4th test on previously studied topics (points 8 to17). Evaluated by a mark.

18. Theoretical basis of a rational use of meadows. Mowing. Optimal terms, frequency, and cutting height.
19. The role of hay, and its preparation technologies. Basic operations of the technological process.
20. Storage of hay in piles, heaps, and barns; the observance of hay handling rules.
21. The role of haylage, and its preparation technologies. The limits for green mass wilting. Basic operations of the technological process.
22. The importance and preparation technologies of silage. The factors influencing the acidification process. Basic operations of the technological process.
5th test on previously studied topics (points 18 to 22). Evaluated by a mark.

23. Cereals. Botanical origin of cereals; genera, species, varieties, and their scientific names.
24. The growth and development of cereals. The sown areas and productivity of cereals in the world, Europe and Latvia.
25. Agroecological requirements for spring cereals (spring barley, spring wheat, and oats).
26. Agroecological requirements for winter cereals (winter wheat, winter rye, triticale, winter barley, spring wheat).
27. Cereal cultivation technologies and their relation to the use of the harvest. Green cover crops.
28. Maize cultivation technologies, maize utility for animal feed and biogas production under Latvia’s conditions.
29. Peas, vetch, field beans, lupine, and soya – characteristics and agroecological requirements. Cultivation technologies.
30. Cabbage plants (fodder kale and kohlrabi), white mustard, black radish, sunflower, and other green cover crops, their characteristics and agroecological requirements. Peculiarities of cultivation.
31. Biological characterization of winter rape and turnip rape, their agroecological requirements and use. Agrotechniques of the rape and turnip rape cultivation. The use of harvest.
32. Biological characterization, agroecological requirements and cultivation techniques of potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes. The use of harvest.
5. Topic reports (points 23 to 33). Evaluated by a mark.

Laboratory work topics:
1. Morphological and economical-ecological characterization of legumes.
2. Morphological and economical-ecological characteristics of grasses.
3. Preparation of grass seed mixtures and calculation of seed rate.
4. Calculation of pasture areas and division into pens.
5. Determination of grassland productivity.

6. Balance of pasture grass and covering grass shortage.

Requirements for awarding credit points

1. Attendance of lectures, seminars and laboratory works at LLU is compulsory.
2. Five tests must be written:
1) be able to identify grasses and leguminous plants by certain morphological characteristics, biological and ecological properties of meadow and pasture grasses; 2) preparation of grass seed mixtures; 3) calculation of pasture area for different domestic animal species; 4) establishment and use of lawns; 5) grass forage preparation technologies.
3. Presentation of a report. Evaluated by a mark.
4. The overall assessment includes: the report and its 20-minute long presentation – 40 %; tests – 60 %.
5. Students who have earned an average grade of 7 points and higher during the semester are exempt from passing the course exam and receive an average grade for the tests, which can be improved.
6. Other students have to take a written exam on all study course questions. The evaluation of the exam also includes the average grade of tests and the report.

7. If all tests and the report have not been successfully passed, the examination is not allowed.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

1. Systematic acquisition of the course using the study and scientific literature. Studying scientific literature and summarizing the topics included in the course program.
2. Processing of laboratory works and the finalization of results, and their timely submission for evaluation.
3. Timely completion of homework assignments on the topics of laboratory lessons.

4. Each student writes a report (10-12 pages in a MS Word format). Free choice of topics from the list of themes offered by a teacher 23-33 in the paper. Students prepare a 20-minute long presentation (in a PowerPoint format). After the evaluation, the reports should be presented to a group of students in an auditorium.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Marked test entries are graded according to a 10-point scale transcript.
The semester exam is graded on a 10-point scale, focusing on:
1) the logic and completeness of the presentation of the question;
2) the ability to evaluate a theoretical question in relation to production practice;

3) the use of professional and scientific terminology.

Compulsory reading

1. Adamovičs A. (2017) Zālāju ierīkošana un izmantošana. Mācību grāmata; otrs, papildinātais izdevums. Jelgava, 140 lpp.
2. Augkopība // A. Ružas redakcijā. Jelgava, LLU, 2004. –374 lpp.
3. Augkopība // Rokasgrāmata / A. Ružas redakcijā. Jelgava, 2001. – 324 lpp.
4. Alfa and Alfa Improvement (1998) Ed. by Hanson A.A., Barues D.K., Hill R.R. et al. No. 29 in the series Agronomy, American Society of Agronomy. Crop Science Society of America J. Soil. Science Society of America. – Medison, Wisconsin, USA. 1084 p.
5. Champan G. P. (1996) The biology of grasses. Oxou: CAB International. XIV, 273 p.
6. Clover science and technology (1985) Editor N.L.Taelor, by Number 25 in the series Agronomy, Wisconsin, USA. 616 p.
7. Cool-season forage grasses. (1996) Ed. by L.E. Moser et al.; American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Society of America. Madison, Wiskonsin: USA. 841 p.
8. Forages. Volume I. An introduction to Grassland Agriculture (2013) Under the Editorial Authorship of Robert F. Barnes, C. Jerry Nelson, Michael Collins, Kennet J. Moore with 42 contributing authors, Jowa State University Press, Ames, Jowa, USA. 556 p.
9. Forages. Volume II. The science of Grassland Agriculture (2013) Under the Editorial Authorship of Robert F. Barnes, C. Jerry Nelson, Michael Collins, Kennet J. with 94 contributing authors, Jowa State University Press, Ames, Jowa, USA. 791 p.
10. Frame J. and Laidlaw A.S. (2014) Improved Grassland management. The Growood Press Ltd, United Kingdom. 352 p.
11. Frame J. (1992) Improved Grassland Management. Farming Press, United Kingdom. 351 p.
12. Grassland nitrogen (1995) D.C. Whitehead. – Wallinford: CAB International. 397 p.
13. Grundlagen der landwirtschaflicher Pflanzenproduktion (1997) Verlag Eugen Ulmen. 860 s.
14. Principles of Seed Science and Technology (1995) Larry O. Copeland, Miller B. McDonald. Chapman & Hall. 409 p.
15. Handbuch des Phlanzenbaues (1997) Hrsd. Des gesamtw. Herbert Hanus. Stutgart, Hohenheim: Ulmer.
16. Koломейченко В.В. (2015) Кормопроизводство. Санкт-Петербург, Москва, Краснодар, Лань. 656 c.

Periodicals and other sources

Zinātniskie žurnāli un rakstu krājumi, kas pieejami LLU FB abonētajās datu bāzēs, piemēram:
Rural Sustainability Research (LLU Raksti), Agronomijas Vēstis, Agronomy Research, Žemdirbyste=Agriculture, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Sec. B Soil and Plant Science, LF konferenču un semināru Rakstu krājumi utt.
Populārzzinātniskie žurnāli Saimnieks, AgroTops utt. – atbilstoši tematikai.

Notes

Compulsory course for Agriculture Professional Bachelor’s Degree Program in the specialization “Animal Husbandry”, 3rd semester.

Atsauksmes