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MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION 1271, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Table 6. — Standing vegetation (kg. /ha.) avail- 

 able at the beginning of the period, and herbage 

 growth rate (kg. /ha./ day) for eight periods of 

 herbage growth 



Standing vegetation 





(kg. /ha) 



Herbage growth rate 



at beginning of period 



(kg./ha./day) 



187 



11.3 



299 



10.3 



390 



9.6 



425 



15.3 



436 



25.6 



566 



17.6 



819 



9.4 



939 



10.6 



Leaf Weight Management 



Optimum livestock production was made when 

 336 kg./ha. of herbage was left ungrazed. Stock- 

 ing rates which altered the amount of ungrazed 

 herbage only slightly from 336 kg./ha. reduced 

 livestock production emciencj r . Fast herbage 

 growth was made through a relatively wide 

 range in the amount of standing vegetation pres- 

 ent. The 336 kg./ha. of ungrazed herbage which 

 produced optimum livestock production is well 

 within the limits that produced fast herbage 

 growth. Therefore, the key to stocking rates and 

 grazing systems on this kind of range is 336 kg./ 

 ha. of ungrazed herbage. The objective should be 

 leaf-weight management to maintain 336 kg./ha. 

 of herbage throughout the grazing season. Strate- 

 gies used in managing blue-grama range should 

 be geared to this principle. 



