Cattle Pasture Seed: Overview, Classifications, Benefits and 21 Types of Goad Pasture Seed

Overview

Cattle are ruminant animals with complex stomach structures that can easily digest forages. Forage grasses are the major food source for cattle because of their ability to supply a good source of protein, fiber, and energy for daily usage.

Cattle are large animals and require a high amount of forage for optimum growth and production, so rearing them in an intensive system (ranch) is the best practice for cattle farming. In developing countries, Cattle are reared in extensive and semi-intensive methods which are not the best practices for sustainable agriculture.

Whichever methods are adopted by the farmers’ cattle rearing, there must be adequate provision of forages for the feeding of cattle. Cattle require a good mixture of grasses and legumes for growth, energy, and productivity, therefore there must be an adequate quantity of grasses and legumes in the ratio of 60:40 in the pasture.

In restricted ranches, forages are harvested naturally from the wild where there is abundant natural pasture or from man-made pasture. In sub-Sahara Africa and other developing countries with an abundance of land, pasture can be harvested naturally from the wild, while in developed countries with inadequate land and high technology pasture is harvested from the man-made or artificial pasture that is harvested for feeding cattle.

Cattle pasture grasses like any other grasses reach a threshold level where they can flower and produce seed. These seeds are carefully harvested, preserved, and stored for future purposes. Cattle pasture seed refers to the seeds of pasture grass species that are cultivated and harvested for the purpose of regenerating and establishing pasture.

Harvesting and storing of cattle pasture seeds are usually difficult due to their small nature and weather conditions. It is advisable to harvest cattle pasture seed when the seed is fully mature and turns brown because late harvesting will lead to wastage of cattle pasture seed.

Classification of Cattle Pasture Seed

Cattle Pasture seeds can be classified based on morphology and their uses. Cattle pasture seeds are classified based on the following headings.

a) Cattle Grass Pasture Seed: These belong to the grass family known as Gramineae. They are rich in energy with low crude protein. Members of this family have fast growth rates with cylindrical stems and they are mostly monocot grass, i.e. grasses with parallel leaf venation patterns and hollow stems, and they have fibrous or adventitious rooting systems with light and small seeds. Examples of grasses under this category are Penicum maximum, Pennisetum purpureum, axonopus compresus, andropogon gayanus, etc.
b) Legumes Grass Pasture Seed: These are pod-producing grasses, members of this family are usually creeping grasses and rich in high-quality crude protein. They belong to different types of family depending on the nature and shape of their flowers. They are usually broad leaves with net leaf venation patterns. They are herbaceous plants with flowers producing part. Examples include Centrosema pabescens, stylosanthese gracilis, Alysicarpus varginalis, Mucuna pruriens and Medicago sativa.
c) Grazed Pasture plant Seed: grazed pasture plant seeds such Brachiaria ruziziensis, Digitaria spp, Arachis pintoi, and others are cattle pasture grasses whose leaves and stems can be consumed at the same time.
d) Browed Pasture Plant Seed: The browed plants are woody plants whose leaves and twigs are eaten while the woody stem is left uneaten, e.g. Gmelina aborea.
e) Annual pasture Grass seed: Chloris spp, Brachiaria spp, hypherrania spp, and others are cattle pasture seeds that complete their life cycle within a season but their seed has the ability to survive till dry season.
f) Biennials Pasture Grass Seed: Cattle pasture Grasses such as Cynodon dactylon, Andropogon tectorum, and others are biennial cattle pasture seed that can grow and reproduce within two growing season years
G) Perennial Pasture Grass Seed: These are cattle pasture seeds that have the ability to grow, flower, and reproduce throughout the years. Examples include Centrocema pubescence, Penicum maximum, Pennisetum purpureum, Andropogon gayanus, Axonopus compressus, and others.

Benefits for the Selection of Good Quality Cattle Pasture Seed

The optimum performance of cattle pasture grasses depends on the selection of good quality pasture seed for pasture establishment. Some of the benefits of selecting high-value cattle pasture seed for the animal, farmers, and the pasture are enumerated as follows.

Aid cattle Growth and Productivity: Good quality cattle pasture seed serve as a good source of nutrient for animal growth and productivity. A mixture of good-quality grasses and legumes will increase the palatability of forage in the pasture. High-quality cattle pasture seed leads to improved weight, energy, and productivity among cattle. Legume grass, stylosanthese glacilis, Trifolium spp, centrocema pubescence, and so on are good sources of protein for cattle, while grasses help to supply energy.
Improved cattle Health: Good quality cattle pasture seed help to supply cattle with the nutrient required for growth and development. Cattle are large ruminate animals that require good quality nutrients for good health. A good mixture of cattle pasture seeds is a good choice for the animal. The farmers should be able to mix the pasture with legumes and grasses. Some pasture grasses and legumes are medicinal to the animal.
Lower the Cost of Production: good quality cattle pasture seed can boost cattle’s immune system and be able to resist the attack of pathogens. When cattle are healthy it reaches market value quickly and help to reduce the cost of consulting veterinarian and medications for cattle. Good quality cattle pasture seed will also help to reduce the cost of production by lowering the cost of purchasing supplementary feeds for cattle. The cost of purchasing inorganic fertilizer will also be reduced by the presence of legumes in the pasture. Legumes are a good source of soil nitrogen to the soil.
Enrich Soil with high-quality nutrition: legumes such as Stylosanthese glacilis, pruriaria phaseolodes, centrosema pubescens, madicago sativa, and others have the ability to increase soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. Other grasses such as Pennisetum purpureum, Penicum maximum, and Cynodon dactylon can help enrich the soil with high-quality good organic matter content of the soil. Creeping cattle grasses such Cynodon dactylon, Calapogonium mucunoides, Axonopus compressus, and Stylosanthese glacilis can help conserve soil by preventing soil erosion.
Help to Put Land into Quality Uses: good quality cattle pasture seed can help to put land to productive use. Land that is not good for sowing or planting food crops can be used for planting cattle pasture.
Increase biodiversity: good quality pasture serves as a habitat for diverse varieties of grasses, small animals, and microorganisms. These animals, plants, and microorganisms interact and hinge on each other in the ecosystem.

Factors to Be Consider in the Selection of Cattle Pasture Seed

Cattle pasture seed selection is necessary for the establishment of good quality pasture grasses. It is advisable to consider the following factors when sourcing for a good pasture seed.

Nutritional Constituent: The nutritional constituent of a good cattle seed is one of the factors that must be considered in the choice of a good cattle pasture. The seeds selected for the establishment of cattle pasture seed should be able to supply the nutritional need for cattle growth and productivity. It should have high-quality grasses, legumes, and shrubs in the right proportion. The cattle pasture seeds selected should have high dry matter yield seed. Good quality legume seeds with high crude protein should be selected and seeds of grasses that are succulent should be selected and grasses seeds that are rich in fiber and energy are the best cattle pasture seed.
Palatability: Palatability is another factor to consider in the choice of a good quality cattle pasture seed. The cattle pasture seed selected for establishment must be palatable to the animals. Cattle pasture seeds that are succulent and sweet are very palatability in the pasture. When establishing good quality pastures, forages that are palatable with high-quality energy, fibers, and crude protein should considered first in the establishment of cattle pastures.
Adapt to Climatic conditions: Good quality cattle pasture seed should have the ability to adapt to the prevailing climatic conditions of the area. Temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity which are factors of climate have both positive and negative influences on cattle pasture seeds. optimum temperature and rainfall, (i.e. not too low or too high )is considered for the establishment of pasture, as too high and low temperature have a negative effect on cattle pasture seeds.
Adaptability to Soil Condition: Soil condition such as the soil Ph. level is another factor to be considered in the establishment of cattle pasture seed. The soil that is slightly acidic and alkaline should be considered for the establishment of good cattle pasture seeds. The soil with high acidity and alkaline should not be considered for the establishment of good cattle pasture seed as such soil will prevent seed germination. The soil texture and structure should also be considered before planting cattle pasture seed. The growth and productivity of cattle pasture seed are based on the nature of the texture and structure of the soil. Sandy soil should be not selected for the establishment of cattle pasture seed unless it has been improved with a mixture of organic matter and calcium carbonate to reduce the soil Acidity. Sandy loamy soil is the best soil for cultivating cattle pasture seed. Soil with undulating and sloppy topography should not be considered for the establishment of cattle pasture seed as the speeds up the rate of water runoff therefore leading to washing away the soil nutrient, pasture grass seed, or burying pasture seed deeply above germination period depth
Growth Rate: Cattle pasture seed should have a good growth rate, pasture with poor and slow growth rates should not selected for the establishment of forages. Cattle are good browsers of forages, so the cattle pasture seed selected should have a good growth rate and the ability to regenerate frequently. Seeds that are dull and hollow should not be selected. Only seeds that that shinny appearance should be considered. A good cattle pasture seed should be able to grow irrespective of the seasons, i.e. dry season, rainy season, winter, and summer.
Resistant to Trampling: Cattle are heavy ruminate animal animals, with their pointed hoof, that can easily damage pasture grasses. The pasture seed considered should be able to resist trampling. They should withstand long-time grazing without depletion, which is why Axonopus compresus should be used as ground cover in the pasture because of its ability to withstand trampling. Legumes such as Centrosema pubescens, Arachis pintoi, and Pueraria phaseoloides have the tendency to withstand trampling.
Weed Competition: Weeds like Tridax procumbens, Ageratum conyzoides, and others exhibit Allelopathy tendency which affects the growth and productivity of pasture grasses at the early stage of establishment. The seed selected for pasture sowing should be able to grow vigorously to outgrow these toxic weeds. They should be able to compete effectively with weeds for water, space, and nutrients. Pasture legume seed like Mucuna puriense, Medicago sativa, Calapogonium mucunoided and graases Pennesetum purperium, Penicum maximum, and Axonopus compresus also exhibits high allelopathy that can kill tridax and ageratum conyzoides.

Types of Cattle Pasture Seed

Cattle Pasture Grass Seed

The Grasses family is known for their good source of fiber, and energy for cattle, the pasture should be stocked with good numbers of grass. The following are some of the common cattle pasture grass seeds:

S/no	Common name	Botanical name
1	Elephant grass	Pennisetum purpureum
2	Guinea grass	penicum maximum
3	Carpet grass	Axonopus compresus
4	Barmuda grass	cynodon dactylon
5	Gamba grass	Andropogon gayanus
6	Rhodes grass	Chloris gayana
7	Rhygrass	Lolium multflorum
8	Signal Grass	Brachiaria decumbens
9	Woolly Finger Grass	Digitaria smutsii
10	Almond Blossom grass	Giliricidia sepium
11	Carpet grass	Axonopus compresus

Legume Cattle Pasture Seed

Some of the common cattle legume seeds that are often used in the establishment of pasture are enumerated below.

S/no	Common name	Botanical name
1	Stylo legume grass	Stylosanthese glacilis
2	Centro legume grass	Centrosema pubescens
3	Alfafa legume grass	Medicago sativa
4	Clover legume grass	Trifolium spp
6	Birdsfoot trefoil grass	Lotus corniculatus
7	Vetch grass legume	Vicia spp
8	Tropical Kudzu legume grass	Pueraria phaseoloides
9	Mucuna legume grass	Calapogonium mucunoides, Mucuna pruriens
10	Pinto peanuts legume grass	Arachis pintoi

Methods of Propagation of Cattle Pasture Grass Seed

The following are the common name, botanical name, and methods of propagations of cattle pasture grass seed.

S/no	Common name	Botanical name	Methods of propagation
1	Elephant grass	Pennisetum purpureum	Seed, stem, and stolon
2	Guninea grass	Penicum maximum	Seed and root stolen
3	Carpet grass	Axonopus compresus	Rhizomes and seed
4	Barmuda grass	cynodon dactylon	Rhizomes and seed
5	Gamba grass	Andropogon gayanus	Stolon root and seed
6	Rhodes grass	Chloris gayana	Stolon root and seed
7	Rhygrass	Lolium multflorum	seed
8	Signal Grass	Brachiaria decumbens	Stolon root and seed
9	Woolly Finger Grass	Digitaria smutsii	seed
10	Almond Blossom grass	Giliricidia sepium	Seed
11	Carpet grass	Axonopus compresus	Stolon and seed

Methods of Propagation of Cattle Pasture Legume Seed

The methods of propagating cattle pasture legume seed are:

S/no	Common name	Botanical name	Methods of Propagation
1	Stylo legume grass	Stylosanthese glacilis	seeds
2	Centro legume grass	Centrosema pubescens	seeds
3	Alfafa legume grass	Medicago sativa	seeds
4	Clover legume grass	Trifolium spp	seeds
6	Birdsfoot trefoil grass	Lotus corniculatus	seeds
7	Vetch grass-legume	Vicia spp	seeds
8	Tropical Kudzu legume grass	*Pueraria phaseoloides*	seeds
9	Mucuna legume grass	Calapogonium mucunoides, Mucuna pruriens	seeds
10	Pinto peanuts legume grass	Arachis pintoi	seeds

Techniques for Establishing Cattle Pasture Seed

Some of the operations to be followed in establishing cattle pasture seed are:

Land Preparation

The land for the cultivation of cattle pasture seeds can be prepared manually or mechanically before cultivating the seed. The land be should clear, stumped, and burned.

The land can tilled using a plough or harrow to make a fine tilt. The tilled land should not be too smooth or rough to prevent water accumulation as this will have negative effects on the pasture seeds.

Stone and logs of wood should be removed completely from the pasture so as not to prevent seed germination and restrictions of animal movement in the pasture. The land for cattle pasture seed should not be a ridge.

Seed Selection

Dull and damaged pasture seed should not be selected, the seed for cattle pasture should be shiny in appearance.

The seed selected should be a good seed mixture of legumes and grasses in the right proportion. The cattle pasture seed selected should have good nutritional value.

Seed Treatment

The Cattle Pasture seed should be treated with fungicides and insecticides before planting to prevent the attack of pests and disease while in the soil.

Legume seeds should be soaked in water or scarified in hot water, acid and mechanically to break dormancy and facilitate germination Legume seeds should be inoculated to enable rhizobium bacteria to colonize the seeds.

Seed Rate and Methods

The seeds selected for cattle seeds should be 40 to 60% of legumes and grasses. The pasture should be well-seeded with enough quantity of seed. For the legume, the spacing should be 25cm by 75 intercropped with seeds.

The seeds can be drilled or broadcasted. The planting depth for both legumes and grasses should be between 2- 4cm deep. During planting by broadcasting the seed should mixed with a small quantity of wet sand or sawdust to avoid being blown away by wind.

Planting Date

Planting can be done at any time depending on the system adopted. In the dry season, planting can be done under an irrigation system but if irrigation facilities are not available.

The planting should done during the wet season when there is abundant rain. In the spring or early summer, cattle pasture seed should be planted when the summer is coming to an end.

Fertilizer Application

Single or compound fertilizers are generally required for cattle pasture seed. Fertilizers such as single super phosphate or urea 45 are ideal for pasture grasses.

Fertilizers are not necessary for areas where the soil is rich in humus or where there is an abundance of legumes.

Legumes have the ability to enrich the soil with nitrogen and other grasses in the pasture through leaves liter, adding soil nutrients to the soil. Creeping pasture seeds that serve as cover cropping can help to conserve soil thereby increasing soil nutrients.

Watering / Irrigation

Water or irrigation is necessary in the pasture for proper seed germination and regeneration. Watering should be done regularly in the morning and the in evening.

Pasture requires adequate watering either in the early or maturity stage to remain succulent for the animals. Sprinkler or dripping irrigation Irrigation be effectively used in the pasture.

Weed Control

Weeds such as Tridax procumbens, Ageratum conyzoides, and some others are very dangerous in the pasture because of their ability to secret toxic chemicals that can kill pasture grasses.

Weeding should be done frequently until pasture weed has reached 30 -50 cm or when pasture has been fully established. Weeding can be done manually and mechanically.

Chemical weeding should be done during land preparation because when pasture grasses have been fully developed weeding by the use of herbicide becomes very difficult except when it is a sole planting.

Grazing Management in Cattle Pasture.

Cattle are veracious grazers that can consume pasture on a large expanse of land in a very short period.

Grazing should be done in the pasture when it has attained a reasonable height or is well established to avoid grazing. The following grazing management should be done for adequate maintenance of pasture seed.

Control or Rotational Grazing

In this management system, the entire grazing field is divided into paddocks or grazing areas, where the animals are allowed to graze in a portion in a rotational pattern.

The pasture can be fenced with a wire gauge or barricaded with pieces of plank to prevent the animal from grazing in an authorized area. Rotational grazing is adopted to protect the grazing of the site.

Control Stocking

Before stocking, the carrying capacity of the grazing site should be determined. The numbers of cattle on the pasture should not exceed the carrying capacity of the pasture, above can be dangerous for the pasture as this may lead to overgrazing.

In conclusion:

Good quality pasture seed should be selected for the establishment of good quality cattle pasture as this will improve the growth, development, and reproduction of cattle as well as reduce the cost of production.