Listronotus bonariensis (Argentine stem weevil) is a stem-boring weevil that has become a major pasture pest in New Zealand, and cool climate turf grass in Australia. This species is also frequently found in native tussock grassland in New Zealand. Laboratory and field trials were established to determine the risk posed to both seedlings and established plants of three native grass species comp...

Methods: The establishment of four native fast-growing tree species in a tropical abandoned pasture was evaluated. Saplings of Cecropia obtusifolia, Hampea nutricia, Omphalea oleifera and Erythrina folkersii were transplanted using a split-plot design. Plant survival and growth were evaluated over 12 mo under two experimental treatments: presence and absence of grasses. Light incidence at groun...

Pasture-based dairy production is used widely on family dairy farms in Southern Brazil. This study investigates conventional high input (C-HI), conventional low input (C-LI), and organic low input (O-LI) pasture-based systems and their effects on quantity and quality of the milk produced. We conducted technical site visits and interviews monthly over one year on 24 family farms (n = 8 per type)...

The biological value of fodder is estimated on the basis of its content of particular macroelements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg). Concentration of these components in fodder depends on many factors, mainly on the properties of soil, type of land use and growth phase of crops. The aim of this paper was to estimate the effect of soil properties, land use and species composition of a sward mixture on the con...

In spring dairy cows are often gradually transitioned from a silage- and concentrate-based ration (total mixed ration, TMR) to pasture. Rumen microbiota adaptability is a key feature of ruminant survival strategy. However, only little is known on the temporal and spatial microbial alterations involved. This study aims to investigate how the rumen liquid (LAAB), particle (PAAB), and epithelium (...

The Canterbury Plains have lost most of their pre-Polynesian indigenous vegetation, primarily forest and shrubland. One of the few remaining areas is the 2.3 ha Eyrewell Scientific Reserve which consists mostly of low känuka (Kunzea ericoides) forest and a small area of grassland. We assessed the Reserve vegetation using a combination of plots and transect surveys at different times of the year...

Premise Epiphytes have commensal relationships with their host trees. Besides the influence of tree traits, little has been discussed concerning ecology epiphytes in disturbed habitats (e.g., pasture). We herein tested whether occurrences pasture and forest specialist pastures are affected differently by traits. hypothesized that (H1) richness abundance generalist would be positively associated...

Brazil has the largest commercial beef cattle herd in the world (over 190 million head in 2006) [1], with cultivated pastures occupying about 150 million hectares of its territory [2]. On a biome basis, the most extensive pasture occupation is found in the Cerrado (~ 546,251 km, amounting to about 26.8% of the total biome area and 36.8% of the total pasture area in Brazil), the Brazilian savann...