Stocking Method Affects Plant Responses of Pensacola Bahiagrass Pastures

Stocking method is an important management tool that may affect plant responses, but there are few studies that have evaluated these responses under a wide range of stocking methods. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of different stocking methods on herbage accumulation and nutritive value. Treatments were four rotational stocking strategies differing in length of grazing period (1, 3, 7, and 21 days) but with the same resting period of 21 days, and one continuous stocking treatment of ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures. Herbage accumulation did not differ among rotational strategies, but rotational stocking lead to greater herbage accumulation than continuous stocking (62 versus 37 lb/acre of DM per day). Herbage crude protein (CP), P, and in vitro organic matter digestion (IVOMD) were not affected by grazing method (continuous versus rotational) or length of grazing period (rotational treatments) in more than 1 out of 3 years. The results suggest that rotational stocking, across a range of lengths of grazing period, promotes greater herbage accumulation than continuous stocking but there is little variation among grazing methods in herbage nutritive value.