With the current interest in the environmental and economic sustainability of dairy farming, grass forage crops have emerged as a potential solution to some of the nutrient management problems now encountered on intensively managed dairy farms. The expansion and reintegration of grass-based systems into the mainstream of dairying systems will require a major paradigm shift involving economic, social and ecological, as well as biological factors.

This book examines the role of grass in milk production in sustainable agricultural ecosystems. It provides a current summary of the role of grass in dairy cattle systems, including the breeding, management, storage, feeding and economics of grass for both lactating and dry dairy cows. Written by leading specialists from Australia, Europe, New Zealand, North and South America.

Ideal for: researchers, dairy industry professionals and advanced students of forage and dairy cattle nutrition

CONTENTS:

SECTION ONE: The Future of Grass for Dairy Cattle, G W Fick, Cornell University, USA and E A Clark, University of Guelph, Canada

SECTION TWO: Breeding Cool-Season Grasses, M D Casler, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

SECTION THREE: Breeding Tropical and Subtropical Grasses, J B Hacker, CSIRO Tropical Agriculture, Australia and L Jank, CNGGC/EMBRAPA, Brazil

SECTION FOUR: Sward Characteristics and Management Effects on Cool-Season Grass Forage Quality, C C Sheaffer, P Seguin, University of Minnesota, USA and G J Cuomo, West Central Experiment Station, USA

SECTION FIVE: Tropical and Subtropical Grass Management and Quality, R T Cowan, University of Queensland, Australia and K F Lowe, Australian Tropical Dairy Institute, Australia

SECTION SIX: Potassium Management, J H Cherney, D J R Cherney, Cornell University, USA and T W Bruulsema, Potash and Phosphate Institute, Canada

SECTION SEVEN: Nitrogen Management and Sustainability, S C Jarvis, Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, UK

SECTION EIGHT: Phosphorus Management and Sustainability, B W Mathews, University of Hawaii at Hilo, USA, J P Tritschler II, Applied Epidemiology Inc., USA and S Miyasaka, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

SECTION NINE: Grass Silage, P O'Kiely, Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Ireland and R E Muck, USDA-Agriculture Research Service, USA

SECTION TEN: Grass Baleage, C Ohlsson, Danish Institute of Agricultural Science, Denmark

SECTION ELEVEN: Principles of Grass Growth and Pasture Utilization, A J Parsons, AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, New Zealand and D F Chapman, University of Melbourne, Australia

SECTION TWELVE: Grazing Management Systems for Dairy Cattle, D A Clark, Dairying Research Corporation Ltd., New Zealand and V R Kanneganti, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, USA

SECTION THIRTEEN: Supplementation of Cool-Season Grass Pastures for Dairy Cattle, L D Muller and S L Fales, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

SECTION FOURTEEN: Modelling Grass Utilization by Dairy Cattle, D J R Cherney, Cornell University, USA and D R Mertens, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, USA

SECTION FIFTEEN: Economics of Grass for Dairy Cattle, K C Moore, University of Missouri, USA