Developing a predictive model for grass growth in grass-based milk production systems
2015
Paillette, C.A. | Delaby, Luc | Shalloo, Laurence | O'Connor, D. | Hennessy, David
In temperate regions grazed grass is the most economical means of feeding dairy cows. Grass growth ishighly variable within and between years. A model capable of simulating daily grass growth dependingnot only on weather conditions but also on N fertiliser application and farm management would providevaluable information allowing farmers to make better management decisions around supplementation,silage making, fertilisation and grazing. The Moorepark Grass Growth Model (MGGM) is a mechanisticgrass growth model developed to take into account weather, soil water and soil N dynamics. The responseof the model to weather conditions, frequency of harvesting, initial soil N content and N fertiliserapplication was evaluated. The responses from the model were comparable with published studies. TheMGGM responded coherently to grass harvesting and N fertiliser application and can predict the grassgrowth rate taking into account management and weather.
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