By budgeting irrigated pasture growth rates, managers control forage levels and animal performance

Abstract

Traditionally, little control is exerted over grazing on irrigated pasture. Today, however, with controlled grazing and feed budgeting, the pasture manager can use grazing stock to control forage levels, and forage levels can be used to control animal performance. Pasture budgeting can be applied to California's irrigated pastures when estimates of expected pasture growth are available, according to an ongoing study.