Pastures for Florida


better feeding value than grasses, increase the grazing period
and improve grass growth and quality through the nitrogen
which they add to the soil. On muck soils grasses are very
productive, due to the high nitrogen supply.
 Data on beef animals, giving daily and annual gains per acre
 when grazing various pasture species, are the best criteria avail-
 able on measuring the value of improved permanent pastures.
 On the basis of data, various pasture plants when grazed with
 steers may be expected to yield the following seasonal gains
 per acre: Wiregrass 5 to 10 pounds; carpet, Bahia, Napier or
 Bermuda grass, 50 to 300 pounds; carpet and Lespedeza or other
 grass-lespedeza mixtures, 100 to 250 pounds; carpet and clover
 or other grass-clover mixtures, 200 to 675 pounds. The gains
 per acre vary widely, depending upon prevailing rainfall, soil
 type, fertilization and management. Higher gains occur on muck
 soils than on mineral soils.
 Average daily gains of beef animals may be expected to range
 between 0.2 to 0.4 of a pound for wiregrass, 0.4 to 1 pound for
 carpet, Bermuda, Dallis and Bahia grasses, 1 to 2 pounds for
 Napier grass, 0.8 to 2 pounds for grass-clover mixtures, and
 0.8 to 1.5 pounds for grass-lespedeza mixtures. The returns of
 pastures are greatly influenced by grazing management and
 other factors. These grazing records were produced under good
 management practices.
 The daily gains of steers and gains produced per acre are
 incomplete criteria for evaluating pastures. The quality of beef
 and breeding animals produced must be considered also. Records
 show that improved pastures have been instrumental in improv-
 ing quality as well as quantity of beef. Data also show that
 fertilization increases the mineral content of herbage; that
 animals prefer fertilized pasturage; and that better quality of
 beef results from fertilized pastures.
 Returns from improved permanent pastures depend upon
 prices of livestock and livestock commodities, as well as on the
 enterprise for which the pasture is used. Higher acre returns
 result from poultry and dairy enterprises than in beef enter-
 prises. More money can be invested in permanent pastures for
 the more specialized industries.
 It may be concluded that good quality cattle and livestock
products cannot be produced on a poor quality of feed. Highly
improved cattle require better feed than low grade cattle. The
development of high-producing milk cows, improved breeds of