Veld and Pastures

1. VELD

SOUR VELD

The plant cover of sour veld consists mainly of perennial species which provide palatable grazing only whilst growing. The rainfall which varies from 800mm minimum to 1500mm encourages rapid plant growth and infertile, leached, acid soils. These in turn, may result in a low mineral content of the grasses. The grass cover is relatively dense and so has a potentially high carrying capacity and is suitable for making veld hay. Spring and early grazing is usually of high quality and palatable, but late summer and autumn grazing is fibrous and not very appetising and is of low nutritive value. During the winter the grass is of very poor quality. Experimental evidence has shown that cattle weights begin to drop from the beginning of June owing to a deficiency of protein. The veld grasses contain a negligible amount of digestible protein from June to September.

Profusely: very plentiful; abundant.

SWEET VELD

The grasses are principally annuals which remain palatable for most of the year and retain their nutritive value to a certain extent during the dry season. In most areas of sweet veld, the average annual rainfall is low, at about 300 – 400mm per annum. Consequently the grass cover is sparse and the carrying capacity is low. Furthermore, the low rainfall means little or no leaching, and so the soils are reasonably well supplied with

calcium and other minerals. Due to this the mineral composition of sweet veld grasses is probably higher than that of the sour veld forage. This is likely to improve their palatability. Sweet veld does not provide good spring grazing and the sparse cover does not warrant the making of veld hay. Cattle weights are maintained and occasionally show small gains until about the end of September on sweet veld. The dry forage eaten by cattle has a digestible protein content of approximately 3%.

MIXED VELD

This type possesses the characteristics of both sour and sweet veld. Its management and properties will therefore depend on the relative percentage of annuals and perennials in the veld.

MATURE WEATHERED PASTURE

Range stock obtains most of their feed during the dry season by grazing on forage which has matured and dried. As we have seen, mature grass is always low in protein and phosphorus and has practically no carotene. If it is weathered by exposure to rains the value will be lessened still further by leaching. It is also lacking in palatability and is low in digestibility. If stock receives no other feed they suffer severely from nutritive deficiencies, i.e. protein, phosphorus and vitamin A deficiency.

2.    PASTURE GRASSES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

The characteristics of some of the more common grasses grown in Southern Africa are discussed below. The Protein, Digestible Protein, fibre and T.D.N. percentages which are given on a dry matter basis are average values derived from several reports.

RHODES GRASS. (CHLORIS GAYANA KUNTH)

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	Protein	Fibre
Young, leafy condition (up to 0.9 metres)	30	9	30
Early flowering	32	6	32
Full to late flowering	35	4	34

In Southern Africa, it is one of the most useful species for rotational grasslands and is undoubtedly the best hay grass, provided the hay is cut at the early flowering stage. It gives palatable, warm- season pasture that withstands grazing and trampling well, but rotational grazing is desirable, for continuous use of Rhodes Grass permits rapid invasion by weeds. Rhodes Grass is one of the few indigenous palatable grasses which seed profusely and is relatively easy to establish from seed and that forms a rapid cover. It does well under irrigation, and is considered valuable for rebuilding soil structure. It is a heavy yielder, and several cuts a year can be taken from a well-established sward. Unfortunately, it tends to die out after three years, but with good management it will persist. Most growth takes place fairly late in season and seeds late.

STAR GRASS. (CYNODON PLECTOSTACHYS PILG)

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	Protein	Fibre
Very young growth (15cms)	25	15	25
Early flowering (30 – 43cms)	30	6	32
Mature (0.6 metres)	40	4	32

Star Grass is a spreading perennial with stout, rapidly-growing stolons. It may be 0.6 – 0.9 metres high when fully mature. Once established, Star Grass covers the ground, grows luxuriantly and is very persistent withstanding hard grazing. It is not easy to eradicate. It is adapted to a warm climate with dry conditions of 500 to 750mm annual rainfall. It is usually propagated by means of stolons and supplies good grazing and hay if it is not too mature. Grazing is the most suitable use for Star Grass No.2.

NAPIER FODDER OR ELEPHANT GRASS. (PENNISETUM PURPUREUM, SCHUMACH.)

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	T.D.N.	Fibre	D.C.P.	C.Protein
Up to 2.44 metres	30	51	37	3.5	7.5
Up to 1.52 metres	18	56	33	4.5	8.5
Up to 0.90 metres	15	57	30	10.0	15

Napier Fodder is a tall, vigorous, erect, deep-rooted perennial which resembles sugar cane in growth habit. It spreads through short, stout rhizomes that form large clumps which are up to 0.9 metres across.

KIKUYU GRASS (PENNISETUM CLANDESTINUM, HOCHST.)

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	Protein	Fibre	Phosphate
About 10cm high 30 to 50cm long	16 25	24 12	20 32	1.00 0.40

Kikuyu is a nutritious palatable grass which produces good quality pasture with a relatively high protein content.

It is mainly used for permanent pastures that withstand close grazing and trampling. It is unsuitable for temporary leys since it is very difficult to eradicate. Furthermore, it is unsuitable for hay or silage, since it is difficult to cut and rake, but its high value probably justifies the use of a forage harvester. Kikuyu pasture, with or without wild white clover, is an excellent sward for pig grazing during the wet months when other leys would be severely damaged by trampling. If it is allowed to become rank, it becomes unpalatable owing to a musty condition developing.

COMMON PASPALUM (PASPALUM DILATATUM POIR)

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	T.D.N.	Protein	Fibre	D.C.P.
Pasture (22 – 30cm) In Flower	25 30	60 55	12 7	30 37	8 4

MANNA GRASS (SETARIA SPHACELATE)

Stage	Dry Matter	Protein	Fibre
20cm	20	16	29
0.7cm	20	11	30
Full Flower	25	6	45

BUFFALO GRASS (PANICUM MAXIMUM.)

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	Protein	Fibre	Digestible Protein
25 – 30cm	25	14	26	10
0.6 – 0.9 metres	30	8.5	33	3.5
2.74 metres	40	5.5	42	2.5

• LUCERNE

Stage	Percentage Composition
	Dry Matter	Protein	Fibre	Digestible Protein
Young, before flower	20	18	25	13
Early flower	25	15	28	11
Mature	35	12	33	8

Lucerne is the legume of the highest quality and it possesses to a marked degree the nutritive properties mentioned earlier. It possesses the ability to provide excellent grazing or green fodder for all classes of farm livestock. But it has the one great disadvantage of frequently causing cattle and sheep to bloat when they eat the green material in any considerable quantity. The danger of bloat is most acute when stock eats the young leafy fodder. Some prevention is possible by spraying the lucerne with peanut oil but this measure is impractical for use other than in small areas.