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Grassland Management

Course developer

Prior knowledge

Biol1001, Botany

Biol3014, Plant Physiology I

Fizi2036, Agrophysics

LauZ2042, Soil Science

LauZ4031, Mechanisation of Agriculture

Replaced course

LauZ4241 [GLAU4242] Grassland Management

Course abstract

Grassland management is a part of forage production, closely connected with the establishment of a stable forage basis, thus promoting animal production. The main goal of grassland management is to provide animals with quality grass forage produced in pastures and meadows. As a branch of science, grassland management deals with the morphological traits and bioecological properties of herbage, the formation of plant groups, and the possibilities of their regulation. The biological and ecological characteristics of grasses and legumes. The system of measures for the improvement of natural grassland, and the establishment, utilization and management of cultivated meadows and pastures. The preparation and storage of high-quality grass forage: hay, hay-silage and silage. The preparation of canned forage. Inventory and evaluation of forage. Seed production of the forage grasses and legumes.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students obtain knowledge on agroecological factors influencing the herbage yield, and their interaction, on the morphology, agroecological requirements and agrotechnology of grasses, and on the quality of herbage yield.
Students are skilled to evaluate the role of agroecological factors in the formation of herbage yield, to identify different species of legumes and grasses, to detect forage quality parameters, and to use them. Students are able to choose herbage management operations and to draw up grass forage management plans for hay, hay-crop silage and wilted grass silage.
Students are competent to organize grass forage production, harvesting, first-stage processing, storage and sale, to choose the most suitable grass species, to study scientific literature, and to continue self-education in topics included in the study course.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Grassland management as an agricultural system, the main tasks of meadow farming. Scientific research work in grassland management. (1 hour)
2. Classification of plants found in meadows and pastures. Biological groups of perennial grasses. Classification of plants into economic botanical groups - grasses and legumes. (0.5 h)
3. Longevity of meadow and pasture plants. Vegetation phases of annual and perennial grasses and duration of the vegetation period. (0.5 h)
4. Bioecological properties of grasses. Types of grasses depending on the formation of vegetative shoots, tillering, type of use etc. (1 hour)
5. Biology of growth and development of perennial grasses. The regrowth ability of grasses. Regrowth of grasses after cutting and grazing. Reserves and importance of nutrients, their accumulation and utilization during the vegetation period. (1 hour)
6. Characteristics of the most common fodder grasses of various species - grasses and their seeding material. (2 hours)
1st test on previously learned topics - perennial grasses (points 1-6).
7. The influence of ecological factors on the growth and development of grasses: moisture regime; temperature regime etc. (0.5 h)
8. Light regime. The use of photosynthetically active radiation (FAR) in grasslands, and factors affecting it.(0.5 h).
9. Soil conditions and their role in grassland life (0.5 h)
10. Economic characteristics of perennial grasses - yield, resistance to repeated mowing/grazing, diseases, pests, etc. (0.5 h)
11. Characteristics of the most common fodder legumes and their seed material. (2 h)
2nd test on previously studied topics - forage legumes (points 7-11).
12.Natural grasslands. The areas, condition and proportion of natural meadows and pastures in the
forage balance-sheet in Latvia. Classification of natural grasslands. (1 h)
13. Natural grassland improvement systems and techniques. The complex of measures for surface improvement of natural grasslands, and the conditions of its use. Cultural-technical works. (1 h)
16. The basic meadow and pasture improvement complex. The care of turf and sward in natural
meadows and pastures.
14. Establishment of sown grassland. Soil treatment depending on site conditions. Pre-crops. (1 h)
15. Liming and basic fertilization of grassland. (0.5 h)
16. Application of organic and mineral fertilizers: types, norms, times. (0.5 h)
17. Mixtures of grasses. Growing of grasses in pure-stand and in mixtures. Preparation of the mixtures of herbaceous seeds (1 h)
18. Sowing of grasses. Soil pre-sowing treatment and fertilization. (0.5 h)
19. Sowing times. The sowing types and techniques of grass mixtures. Maintenance of the sown area. (0.5 h)
3 rd test on previously studied topics (points 12-19).
20. Establishment of cultivated pastures. Techniques for pasture establishment. (0.5 h)
21. Calculation of pasture area for different livestock species. (0.5 h)
22. Arrangement of pastures. Installation of pasture grounds, fences, pasture roads and watering
facilities. (0.5 h)
23. Pastures for cattle, sheep, horses, sows, and poultry. (0.5 h)
24. Grazing systems. Free-range, pasture-ground and portion grazing systems. (0.5 h)
25. Rational utilization of pastures. Deadlines for grazing in spring, and the cessation of grazing in
autumn. The number of pasture sward grazing cycles. (0.5 h)
26. Types of pasture productivity evaluation. (0.5 h)
27. Maintenance of pastures. Preparation of pastures for grazing in spring. Mowing of uneaten
grass. Animal manure spreading. (0.5 h)
28. Covering the shortage of pasture grass. Green conveyor. The meaning and types of the green
conveyor. (0.5 h)
29. Theoretical basis of rational use of meadows. Mowing. Optimal terms, frequency, and cutting
height. (0.5 h)
4th test on previously studied topics (points 20-29).

30. The role of hay, and its preparation technologies. Basic operations of the technological process.
(0.5 h)
31. Drying techniques for hay. Physiological and biological processes of grass drying. Storage of hay in heaps, sheds, and barns; the observance of hay handling rules. (0.5 h)
32. The role of hay-silage, and its preparation technologies. The limits for green mass wilting. Basic operations of the technological process. (0.5 h)
33. The importance and preparation technologies of silage. The role of microorganisms in the
acidification process. The factors influencing the acidification process. Basic operations of the
technological process. (1 h)
34. Technology for the production of grass flour and cuts. Nutritional value of grass flour and cuts. (0.5 h)
35. Recording and evaluation of grass forage. Determination of grass forage quality. Evaluation
techniques. (0.5 h)
36. Forage grasses seed production, use of seed fields, harvesting of seed fields, etc. (1 h)
37. Cultivation of forage legumes for seed production, use of seed fields, weed control, harvesting of seed fields, etc. (1 hour)
38. Seed harvesting from perennial mixed herbaceous swards and from wild grasses.
(0.5 h)
39. Grass seed certification process. (0.5 h)
40. Identification of the seeds of grasses and legumes according to morphological characteristics.
Seed quality indicators. (0.5 h)
5th test on previously studied topics (points 30-40).

Topics of practical and laboratory works:
1. Morphological and economical-ecological characterization of legumes.
2. Morphological and economical-ecological characteristics of grasses.
3. Identification of seedling material of forage legumes species.
4. Identification of seed material of grasses species.
5. Preparation of grass seed mixtures and calculation of seed rate.
6. Fodder requirement calculations. Calculation of pasture areas and division into pens.
7. Calculation of pasture areas and division into pens.
8. Determination of grassland productivity.

Requirements for awarding credit points

1. Attendance of lectures and laboratory works at LBTU is compulsory.
2. Be able to identify grasses and leguminous plants and their seeds by separate morphological characteristics.

3. Five tests must be completed:
 1st test on previously learned topics (points 1-6).
 2nd test on previously studied topics (points 7-11).
 3 rd test on previously studied topics (points 12-19).
 4th test on previously studied topics (points 20-29).
 5th test on previously studied topics (points 30-40).

Students answer orally and in writing. Tests are evaluated by marks (evaluation system from 1 to 10 points).

4. Students with an average grade of 7 and higher during the semester will be exempt from passing the course exam and receive an average grade on the test that can be improved.
5. Other students have to take a written exam on all study course questions. The exam also includes the average grade received on the tests.
6. If all tests have not been successfully passed, the examination will not be 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. Elaboration of a course thesis.

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. Tērauds V. (1972) Pļavas un ganības. Rīga: Zvaigzne. 311 lpp.
3. Augkopība // Rokasgrāmata / A. Ružas redakcijā. Jelgava, 2001. – 324 lpp.
4. Champan G. P. (1996) The biology of grasses. Oxon: CAB International. XIV, 273 p.
5. 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.

Further reading

1. David J. Gibson (2009) Grasses and Grassland Ecology. Oxford University Press, USA. 320 p.
2. Freimanis P., Holms I., Lauva J. (1982) Lopbarības ražošana tīrumos. Rīga: Zvaigzne. 310 lpp.
3. Grassland Productivity and Ecosystem Services (2011) Ed. by Gilles Lemaire, John Hodgson, Abad Chabbi. CABI. 296 p.
4. Krūklande M., Priekulis J. (1981) Zālaugu onservēšana hermetizētās glabātavās. Rīga: Avots. 164 lpp.
5. Ramane I., Liberts V. (1987) Lopbarības ķīmiskā konservēšana. Rīga: Zinātne. 58 lpp.
6. Frame J. and Laidlaw A.S. (2014) Improved Grassland management. The Growood Press Ltd, United Kingdom. 352 p.

Periodicals and other sources

Zinātniskie žurnāli un rakstu krājumi, kas pieejami LBTU FB abonētajās datu bāzēs, t.sk.:
Rural Sustainability Research (LBTU Raksti), Agronomijas Vēstis, Agronomy Research, Žemdirbyste-Agriculture, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Sec. B Soil and Plant Science, LPTF konferenču un semināru Rakstu krājumi utt.
Populārzinātniskie žurnāli – Saimnieks, AgroTops utt. –
atbilstoši tematikai.

Notes

Compulsory course for Agriculture Professional Bachelor’s Degree Program in the subdiscipline “Field Crops”, the 5th semester.