Selection of (changes in) livestock management patterns: Monocropping

Abstract

Not too long ago, North American milk costed six times as much to produce as New Zealand milk (Nation 2004). One pound of dry matter from quality pasture could replace one pound of dry matter from grain at one-fourth to one-fifth the cost (Nation 2004). Grain-finished North American beef costed three times as much as grass-finished beef from Argentina, Australia and New Zealand (Nation 2004). Agrometeorological information has impact on grass ecology and management (e.g. Babushkin and Lebed 2002; Lebed et al. 2004) as well as fodder crops management (examples in Vilela et al. 2003 and Kleschenko et al. 2004). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.