Effects of post-grazing forage mass on a beef cattle grazing system on Tanzânia grass pastures

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of grazing intensity on herbage accumulation, animal performance, and total system yield on irrigated Tanzania grass pastures under rotational stocking. The experiment was conducted from October 1999 to January 2001, in a complete randomized block design with four replications. Treatments consisted of three grazing intensities, represented by the following quantities of green forage dry mass remaining after grazing: 1,000 (high intensity), 2,500 (intermediate intensity) and 4,000 (low intensity) kg ha−1. Grazing cycles were of 36 days (33 rest and 3 grazing). The values observed at the end of the experiment for post grazing forage mass were close to the proposed values. Forage yield was 25,278, 36,850, and 34,144 kg DM ha−1, whereas animal performance was 0.398, 0.541, and 0.564 kg BW day−1for high, intermediate and low intensities, respectively. Grazing intensity was positive related to the stocking rate (6.5, 5.2 and 4.1 AU ha−1 at high, intermediate and low intensities, respectively). Total system yield was not affected by treatments, ranging between 1,518 and 1,287 kg BW ha−1 year−1.