Traçar o perfil de uma determinada área de pesquisa é uma tarefa subjetiva que precisa ser devidamente orientada para apresentar resultados práticos e úteis para a tomada de decisões. A abordagem qualitativa de análise de textos é recente nas Ciências Agrárias e permite investigar a evolução dos estudos de interesse. A produção de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) é um fenômeno importante e vem ganhando destaque mundial. Pesquisadores de diversas comunidades científicas desenvolvem técnicas para quantificar a emissão de gases, motivados por diferentes questões sociais, políticas e ambientais. No Brasil, a pecuária bovina exerce pressão quanto à necessidade de conhecer as emissões e quantificá-las, pois a atividade é considerada uma fonte significativa de GEE, o que pode ser prejudicial aos exportadores brasileiros. A população mundial exige produtos de qualidade e eticamente viáveis, do ponto de vista do bem estar animal e da sustentabilidade do meio ambiente e isto será o que motivará o consumo consciente e sustentável. O objetivo desse trabalho foi identificar as estratégias de quantificação dos GEE produzidos in situ, por meio de técnicas de mensurações de gases e outras metodologias que acusam o uso da terra pela pecuária bovina. Realizaram-se buscas exaustivas nas bases de dados Google Scholar, Portal Capes, Biblioteca Brasileira Digital de Teses e Dissertações, ISI web of Science e CAB abstracts, no período de publicação de 2000 a 2010 para a recuperação de textos nacionais e de 2005 a 2010 para textos de referência internacional. Após os testes para a estratégia de busca e leitura dos textos, foram selecionados 79 estudos, 27 nacionais e 52 internacionais. Os temas revisados mostraram objetos de estudo como a mudança e uso da terra, emissão de gases por pastagem e dejetos de animais, emissão por fermentação entérica e análise de emissões gerais em escala micrometeorológica. Concluiu-se que as pesquisas nacionais analisadas, exceto estudos sobre mudança e uso da terra, ainda apresentam aspectos exploratórios sobre seus temas, mostrando estudos de casos com o auxílio de técnicas conhecidas e questionamentos direcionados aos processos de mitigação. / To trace a profile of a particular area is a subjective task that needs to be properly oriented to show practical and useful results for decisions. The qualitative approach of papers analysis is recent in Agricultural Sciences and it is is a way to know about the evolution of interest theme. The production of greenhouse gases (GHG) is an important phenomenon and has gained prominence in the world. Researchers from various scientific communities develop techniques to quantify the emissions, motivated by social, political and environmental questions. In Brazil, the livestock industry press about the need to know emissions and quantify it, because the activity is considered a significant source of greenhouse gases, which can be harmful to Brazilian exporters. The world population requires quality and ethically viable products, from the viewpoint of animal welfare and environmental sustainability, this is what will motivate the awareness and sustainable consumer. The aim of this study was to identify strategies for GHG quantification in situ, through measuring gases techniques and other methodologies that accuse the land use for cattle livestock. Exhaustive searches in the databases: Google Scholar, Portal Capes, Biblioteca Brasileira Digital de Teses e Dissertações (BDTD), ISI Web of Science and CAB abstracts, looking for national publication from 2000 to 2010 and from 2005 to 2010 to international publications were made. After testing for the search strategy and reading the texts, 79 studies were selected, 27 national and 52 international. The topics reviewed showed the objects of study: land use changes, greenhouse gas emissions by grazing and animal waste, emission by enteric fermentation and analysis of overall emissions in micrometeorological scale. It was concluded that national research analyzed, with the exception of studies on land use change, still present exploratory aspects of their topics, showing case studies with the aid of known techniques and questions directed to the mitigation processes.

The use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer is generally restricted on mixed species forage systems due to its stimulatory effect on grasses which increases competition with legume species. Reduced legume growth from this competition can compromise forage nutritive value and prospective yields. The controlled-release nature of several enhanced efficiency fertilizer N products holds the potential to improve legume persistence in mixed species pastures while providing supplemental N required by the grass component. The studies contained in this dissertation evaluated the effect of different enhanced efficiency N formulations (ATU, ESN, methylene urea, SuperU, and a 75% ESN: 25% urea blend) and untreated urea on yield, nutritive value, and legume persistence in a ‘Wrangler’ bermudagrass and ‘Durana’ white clover mixture (2014-2016 growing seasons), ‘KY-31’tall fescue and ‘Kenland’ red clover mixture (2015-2016 growing seasons), and ‘KY-31’ stockpiled tall fescue (2015-2017). The three studies were conducted at the University of Kentucky Spindletop Research Farm in Lexington, KY in a randomized complete block design. In the bermudagrass-white clover study, all enhanced efficiency N sources maintained white clover populations similar to the unfertilized grass/clover control, but only ESN caused greater clover composition than standard urea. Total forage yields increased linearly with N rate in all years, but dry weather conditions in the second and third years resulted in lower total yield. Forage nutritive value followed general trends throughout each growing season, but ESN’s ability to maintain clover resulted in higher nutritive value. In the tall fescue-red clover, total forage yields curvilinearly increased with N rate in 2015 but did not vary in 2016. ESN and ESN+urea blend treatments retained clover composition similar to that of the unfertilized control. Stockpiled forage yield increased with higher N rates. Enhanced efficiency N fertilizers with the ability to control N release can enhance forage yield while maintaining clover in mixed species swards.

Conventional production of meat products from ruminant animals in the United States requires inputs including the cultivation and nitrogen fertilization of annual grains such as corn and barley, and transportation of cattle and grain to feedlots. Consumers have concerns about the impact of feedlot conditions on animal health, and about the implications of pharmaceutical inputs such as growth hormones and antibiotics on the environment and human health. These concerns have led to a growing interest in pasturefinished meat production by consumers. Such smaller-scale livestock production systems can be healthier and lower-stress for animals, are integrated into local food systems and are more transparent to consumers, and have higher potential profitability for producers than traditional ruminant production methods. There is a strong market for pasture-finished beef products, and prices for naturally or organically raised beef have remained well above feedlot-produced product prices. There is also concern about the impact of ruminant production on the environment, including air and water pollution from feedlot production and greenhouse gasses that are emitted from ruminant animals during feed digestion. This thesis project explored the potential of a beef production system based on perennial legumes, including the non-bloating legume birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus L.) for producing meat products from cattle while reducing concentrate feeding and methane production. The condensed tannins that are produced by BFT bind proteins in the rumen but allow them to be digested in the abomasum and intestines, which in turn leads to better utilization of forage nutrients during the finishing period and higher gains or milk production. The higher digestibility of legumes compared with grasses reduces methane emissions in cattle both through higher digestibility of the forage and through direct impacts on methanogens operating in the rumen. As reported in this thesis, steers finished on BFT gained significantly more weight per day than steers fed another perennial forage legume, cicer milkvetch, but did not gain as rapidly as feedlot-fed steers. At the end of summer grazing, the blood plasma of pasture-fed steers was lower in saturated and omega-6 fatty acids and higher in transvaccenic and omega-3 fatty acids than the blood plasma of feedlot-fed steers. When beef cows grazed grass and legume pastures, enteric methane emissions were lower on the legume pastures than the grass pasture. These results demonstrate that, compared with other feed sources, perennial legume pastures used for cattle production can improve cattle gains and reduce environmental impacts.

Two experiments were conducted in the semi-arid (400 millimeter annual rainfall) Macquarie region of New South Wales, Australia, at the Trangie Agricultural Research Station (31° 59'S; 147° S7'E), to examine (a) the way botanical parameters can be used to separate grazing and climatic impacts on range vegetation, and (b) how this delineation affects application of range science tenets (site, condition and trend) to different pasture types. Two range sites were studied: Site 1, a light soil type, was dominated by annual grasses, legumes and forbs, whereas perennial grasses (mainly Chloris acieularis and Chloris truncata) dominated the heavy soils of Site 2. Although designed to determine carrying capacity of these sites grazed at 2.5, 3.7 and 4.9 sheep per hectare, botanical data (plant cover by species, and density, diameter and basal area of Chlorisgrasses) collected during a seven year (1967 to 1974) grazing trial provided botanical inputs for Experiment 1 which was designed to: (1) determine range condition in 1967 and 1974 using two methods (Quantitative Climax Method - Method 1, and Christie's Method - Method 2); (2) determine if range condition and sheep production are positively correlated; (3) distinguish the roles of grazing and climate in community change; and (4) determine the value of demographic parameters in defining processes of community change. For Objective 1, the efficacy of Method 1 was hindered by inadequate reference areas, climate-induced variability in plant cover, and uncertainty in classifying perennial grasses as "increasers" or "invaders". Method 2 was superior because slower response of basal cover to weather enabled it to detect grazing-induced changes. Rated by Method 2, grazing treatments improved condition over the seven years, although moderate grazing was most successful, and Site 2 was in better range condition than Site 1. Contrary to the expected pattern for Objective 2, "poor" condition Site 1 produced more wool and higher sheep liveweight than Site 2. This occurred because invading annuals are more palatable, nutritious and productive than native perennial grasses. For Objective 3, simple climatic models showed that quantity and composition of pastures on both sites are determined first by timing and effectiveness of autumn rainfall, and subsequently modified by grazing intensity and plant competition. Two important demographic results were observed for Objective 4. First, population size of important Chloris grasses was regulated by density-dependent mechanisms when average density exceeded 10 plants per meter square for Chloris aciaularis (the dominant grass) and 1.6 for Chloris truncata, a weak perennial. Spatial distribution explains the differential between species. Second, constant death risk in cohorts and long life-span produce mixed-age Chloris acicularis populations which are stable to changing climate and grazing. For Chloris truncata, short life-span and exponential death risk in cohorts renders it unstable to climate and grazing. The management implications of these results are discussed. Community stability was examined further in Experiment 2 by observing regeneration of perennial grasses on both sites at the three stocking rates following five months of grazing at 25 sheep per hectare. The results confirmed Experiment 1: on neither site did Chloris aciaularis density decline significantly under abusive grazing. The reasons for the tenacity of the species are discussed in terms of physiological adaptations. In contrast, Chloris truncata populations. were decimated by abusive grazing, but produced enormous cohorts in the post-perturbation period suggesting that the species exercises a r-strategy for survival. It is concluded that while plant cover and basal area describe functional stability of vegetation to grazing and climate, they cannot detect structural changes in communities. Using plant size, age and density, demography can fulfill this function. Suggested applications of demography to practical situations are given and the implications discussed.

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This thesis examines the hypothesis that, in southern New South Wales and northeast Victoria, Australia, palatable taxa of E. curvula offer advantages that complement those of the species that are traditionally sown in temperate pastures in a landscape context.This hypothesis was based on a review of literature showing that, prior to European settlement, the vegetation, the landscape and the climate were broadly in balance, and the wateruse pattern of the vegetation of southeastern Australia resulted in water being used more-or-less completely by the end of summer. This maximised the capacity of the soil to take up and store water during autumn and winter.Three grazing experiments and one spaced-plant species evaluation study were used to assess the role of summer-growing, C4 Eragrostis curvula in pastures in the temperate zone of southeastern Australia.Issues relating to pasture production and the productivity of wool-growing sheep were investigated. Factors affecting the sustainability of the pastures and their potential on and off site impacts were emphasised.Modelling was used to explore issues of water use, arising from the grazing experiments. It is concluded that the persistence, production, water use patterns, and the adaptability of palatable varieties of E. curvula make it a useful and complementary addition to the range of species that are currently available for use as sown pastures in southern Australia. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Clearance of Eucalyptus woodlands has resulted in soil deterioration and lost agricultural production, due to wind erosion, salinity and soil acidity. Despite increasing efforts to reverse these trends through Landcare and other revegetation and agroforestry programs, there is a lack of experimentally-based information about the effects of trees on native pasture performance. The study was carried out in a temperate environment (Southern Tablelands, New South Wales). The altitude at the study sites ranged from 740 to 880m and the aspect at the experimental plots varied from SE to SW. The nearest site was 16 km from Canberra Airport and all sites were situated within similar rainfall isohyets as Canberra Airport. Thus climatic conditions were expected to be similar. Climate records at Canberra Airport indicate that January is the hottest month with mean maximum temperature of 27.7 �C and July is the coldest month with a maximum of 11.1 �C. Rainfall in the area ranges from 37.5 to 66.0 mm monthly average in June and October respectively. The main tree species in the study area were Eucalyptus pauciflora, E. melliodora and E. mannifera. Furthermore, Poa labillardieri, P. sieberiana, Themeda australis, Danthonia penicillata and Microlaena stipoides were the most abundant pasture species on the experimental plots. Species of clover (Trifolium spp.) were also abundant among the herbs. This study used pasture assessment techniques to quantify the effects of remnant patches of Eucalyptus open woodlands on the composition, quality and biomass production of herbaceous understorey vegetation. Microclimate and soil nutrients were also compared under trees and in the open. In addition, consumption by vertebrate grazers under Eucalyptus trees and in the open was compared. Tree density and basal area were compared with herbage standing crop. Remnant patches of Eucalyptus open woodlands modify the microclimate by reducing wind reaching the understorey vegetation. However no significant effects on ambient air temperature and relative humidity were recorded. The effect of trees on soil moisture was contingent to differences between the four sites and soil depth. Despite a 13% higher soil organic matter in the top 15 cm of soil under trees, soil total nitrogen and total phosphorus did not differ from that in the open. Surface soil pH values were lower (by 0.2 units) under the trees. No significant effect of trees on pasture species richness was found. However the classification of quadrats on the basis of species presence showed a distinction between species composition under trees and in the open at one of the four sites. vi The contribution of pasture species to total dry weight on plots under trees and in the open did depend on the particular species involved and was also contingent to differences between sites. However at the sites where Vulpia bromoides and Poa sieberiana were abundant, the two species dominated the biomass under trees. Whereas Microlaena stipoides var. stipoides dominated the biomass under trees at two sites and in the open at only one of the four sites. Pasture total N content differed between sites. Two of the sites had significantly higher (5.9% and 19.7%) N content under trees. On the contrary, pastures at one site contained 18.7% higher N content in the open. The total P content was 18% higher in pastures under trees. Overall, the pasture standing crop under trees was 15% less than in the open during August to May. Vertebrate grazers consumed about the same amount of pasture under the trees and in the open at the four experimental sites.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2009. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Kura clover was successfully established via sod-seeding in different environments. Its establishment and yields were initially inferior to that of red clover and white clover. But, its presence slowly increased in the sward and, by the first harvest of the second post seeding season, it was yielding significantly more than the legume species presently recommended for pastures. Clover establishment increased with increasing intensity of herbicide suppression. Best overall results were obtained with glyphosate at low rate (0.8 kg a.i. ha-1). Paraquat (0.9 kg a.i. ha -1) did not suppress sufficiently the grass population for clovers to establish while glyphosate applied at high rates (3.3 kg a.i. ha -1) led to excessive grass suppression, excessive legume content and temporary weed encroachment. N fertilization at seeding did not consistently increase establishment of sod-seeded Kura clover. Forage quality was positively correlated with clover content.

In Quebec, 62% of agricultural land is devoted to forage production and 20% of this is pasture. Pasture management provides the opportunity for farmers to maintain and improve the productivity of agricultural land, and to engage in sustainable ruminant production. An experiment was conducted on 42 hectares of pasture land to study the impact of management intensive grazing (MIG) on cow-calf productivity. The pasture area was divided into 18 paddocks and the experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with two blocks. The treatments were arranged as a 3 x 3 factorial of stocking rate and rotational frequency. The stocking rates (SR) were 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 hectares per cow (HSR, MSR and LSR respectively); the rotation frequencies (RF) were two days, six days and continuous grazing (2d, 6d and C). Sixty-one purebred Angus cow-calf pairs were randomly assigned to each of the nine treatments, and the animals were grazed during two consecutive grazing seasons (1997 and 1998). Hay harvested early in the season was used for pasture supplementation late in the season. Increasing RF had no effect (P > 0.05) on forage mass available. Increasing SR from 0.9 to 0.5 cow-calf pairs ha -1 resulted in a linear reduction (P < 0.01) in individual cow gain, but increasing the SR caused a linear increase in cow gains ha-1. Calf gain ha-1 increased linearly (P < 0.01) in response to SR, but was unaffected (P > 0.05) by RF. A system of 6d rotation and high SR generated the greatest net revenue. The study showed little benefit of MIG on animal performance, but substantial benefits on efficiency of land use and economic performance.