Pasture
|
Cattle herd grazing in pasture. |
Pasture is land with lush
herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of
ungulate livestock as part of a
farm or
ranch. Prior to the advent of mechanized farming, pasture was the primary source of food for
cattle and
sheep. It is still used extensively, particularly for
free range and
organic farming, as pasture gives much better living conditions for the animals. Advances in
managed intensive grazing (MIG), and improvements in
fence technology, led to renewed interest in grazing in the 1990s.
Pasture growth can consist of
grasses,
legumes, or a mixture.
Alfalfa,
clover, and
birdsfoot trefoil are legumes used in intensive pasture management. Many grasses, including
ryegrass (
Lolium),
meadow-grass (
Poa),
foxtails (
Alopecurus), and
bents (
Agrostis) are used, depending upon conditions, of which
soil type, minimum annual
temperature, and
rainfall amount are most important.
*
Rangeland - Cattle grazed on "native" vegetation where there is low rainfall.
*
Transhumance*
Field (agriculture)
