Winter sheep grazing in the irrigated Sonoran Desert: II. Soil properties and alfalfa regrowth
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Authors: A. R. Mitchell, J. N. Guerrero, and V. L. Marble
Date: 1991
Journal: Journal of Production Agriculture
Volume: 4
Number: 3
Pages: 422-426
Summary of Methods: Mitchell et al. conducted a two-year lamb grazing trial, at the University of California Imperial Valley Research and Extension Center near El Centro, California, to test the effects of lamb grazing by measuring alfalfa (Medicago sativa) yield for the first harvest following grazing, and the soil parameters of penetration resistance and infiltration rate. Authors used a severe degree of grazing, after 600 hd d/acre, only bare ground and grazed alfalfa crowns remained. Despite this severity, yields were 5.4% greater at the first spring cutting in comparison to mowed, ungrazed alfalfa. Although sheep trampling increased soil penetration resistance at the surface, there was no injurious effect on water infiltration rates or on subsequent yield of alfalfa. The results for water infiltration rates contradict other literature for arid rangeland, which they believe is a consequence of the nature of water flow in cracking clay soil. They concluded that intensive winter grazing of alfalfa by lambs was not detrimental to subsequent hay yield, nor to the soil of an irrigated pasture in the Sonoran Desert.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: sheep, ovis aries, alfalfa, medicago sativa, sonoran desert, winter grazing, water infiltration rate, soil penetration
Annotation: The lamb grazing trial took place on a 3-year old stand of alfalfa and treatments consisted of 0, 20, 40, and 60 hd d of grazing (0, 200, 400, and 600 hd d/acre). Penetrometer measurements were taken on February 20, 1987 and again February 9-12, 1987. Prior to grazing trial, the experimental area was irrigated in mid-November 1986 and then again February 9-12, 1987. In order to provide a uniform test of regrowth, all alfalfa was mowed at a height of approximately 2 inches on March 10. Regrowth estimates were taken on April 20.
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