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The development of stocking rate models for three veld types in Natal.

The overall objective was to develop stocking rate models



for three veld types. namely the Lowveld. the Southern Tall



Grassveld and the Natal Sour Sandveld. in Natal. Sub-objectives



were to determine the 1) residual herbage mass at



the end of the summer, 2) residual herbage mass at the end of



winter and 3) individual animal performance under grazing



conditions, and the effect of stocking rate on these three



variables. Multiple linear regression component models were



successfully developed to meet all three of the sub-objectives



for each of the three veld types.



Results show that veld condition is an extremely important



factor determining animal production from veld, and that



stocking rate on veld in good condition could possibly be



double that on veld in poor condition. Stocking rate did not



have the expected impact on individual animal performance in



the summer. although it did have an important moderating



influence under any particular set of environmental



conditions. Stocking rate did. however. have a marked effect



on herbage production and therefore on herbage availability in



winter and so also on the ability to overwinter cattle without



having to supply additional supplementary feed. Stocking rate



in summer therefore had a major indirect effect on animal



production in the winter. Carryover of residual herbage from



one year to the next is probably not as important in these



veld types as in some other parts of the country. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1990.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/10909
Date January 1990
CreatorsTurner, John Robert.
ContributorsTainton, Neil M.
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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