VELD MANAGEMENT

VEGETATION TYPES
 THE IMPORTANCE OF VELD
MANAGEMENT AND SOIL
CONSERVATION

 The natural veld of the RSA supports

the extensive stock industries.
 Of the 101 million ha of agricultural
soil, 87 million (86%) is under
natural pastures.
 OBJECTIVES OF VELD
MANAGEMENT
 Maximum animal production
- A high production of forage on the veld.
- A high quality of forage on the veld.
- A constant and sustainable production.
- Efficient utilisation of the available veld.

 Maximum protection of soil

 Economical way
 PRINCIPLES OF VELD
MANAGEMENT
 Efficient resting of veld
- To make provision for seed production.
- To make provision for seedling establishment.
- To make provision for the accumulation of a
quantity forage.
- To change the botanical composition of the veld.
- To ensure fast-growing and vital plants.
 PRINCIPLES OF VELD
MANAGEMENT (cont.)

 Efficient utilisation of veld

- Production of the maximum quantity of
digestible nutrients per unit area of the
pasture.
- Optimal utilisation of produced forage on the
veld.
- Efficient conversion of the produced and utilised
forage into animal products like meat, wool,
milk etc.
TYPE AND CLASS OF ANIMALS

 Climatic conditions

 Veld type

 Topographical factors

 Economical considerations

 Personal preference
 SUCCESFULL MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES
1. Proper separation of veld types and soil types and
sufficient water supply for animals.
2. The stock type must be adapted to veld and
environmental conditions.
3. The stocking rate must be in relation to the production
ability of the veld.
4. The stock must be of good quality.
5. Stock herds must be limited as far as possible, without
having the animals suffer or making management too
difficult.
6. The necessary soil conservation measures must be
applied.
7. Provision for critical times must be made.
8. Parasite and sickness control programmes must be
executed regularly.
9. Thorough records must be kept.
 GRAZING SYSTEMS
 Continuous grazing
- In this type of grazing the animals have the
whole surface of the farm or camp available
to them for the whole length of the grazeable
period.
 Rotational grazing
- This is a method of grazing where there are
more camps than herds and the herds rotate
in the camps during the grazing period, so
that the same camps are successively grazed
and rested.
 GRAZING CAPACITY AND
STOCKING RATE
 GRAZING CAPACITY (Def)
- This term describes the productivity of an area
of vegetation in terms of the surface
necessary to support a certain number of
animals for long periods of time. It is
expressed as area per stock unit per length of
the grazeable period (ha/LSU or LSU/ha).
 GRAZING CAPACITY AND
STOCKING RATE

 STOCKING RATE (def)

- This is the area of pasture (veld) assigned
by the farmer to every stock unit for the
length of the grazeable period.
 METHODS TO DETERMINE
GRAZING CAPACITY
 In determining GC the following three important
aspects in the production of animal products
must be remembered, namely:

1.- The quantity and quality of produced

material.
2.- The extent of utilisation of this produced
material.
3.- The efficiency of conversion of utilised
material.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRODUCTION
PER ANIMAL, PRODUCTION PER HECTARE
AND STOCKING RATE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRODUCTION PER
ANIMAL, PRODUCTION PER HECTARE AND
STOCKING RATE
 FACTORS INFLUENCING
STOCKING RATE
 Climate
- The two climatic factors which have a major
influence on grass production are rainfall and
temperature
 Veld condition
- Veld condition has a influence on the amount
and the quality of the forage produced. In
mixed veld and sweetveld forage production
is far greater than from veld in poor
condition.
- In the sourveld the quantity of unacceptable
material is far greater in veld in poor
condition than veld in good condition
EFFECT OF STOCKING RATE ON
VELD CONDITION
 Sourveld
- Relatively high production
- Low quality herbage - lower nutritional value
- Sourveld has a high stability

 Sweetveld
- Average to low production
- High quality herbage – higher nutritional value
- Sweetveld has a low stability
RAINFALL
FENCELINE GRAZING
COMMUNAL
COMMERCIAL
UNPLANNED FARM
 Groep 1 218ha
Groep 2 215ha
Groep 3 221ha
K4 28ha
Reserwe 138ha
Lande 160ha
K5 53ha
K1 45ha
K6 50ha
PLANNED FARM

K2 79ha
K7 38ha
K8 32ha
Lande 160ha
K18 31ha
K3 58ha
K9 45ha
K17 23ha
K15 53ha
K16 31ha
K10 32ha
K13 53ha
K14 58ha
K11 38ha
K12 50ha
 SOIL EROSION
 REASONS FOR SOIL LOSS:
- Unstable terrain, with steep slopes
- Highly erodible and shallow soils
- High rainfall intensities in summer rainfall area
- Poor land user conservation
- Wrong land use practises
- Socio-economic factors
- Subsidy support
DROUGHT IN SOUTHERN
AFRICA
ERODIBILITY INDEX
SOIL EROSION
SOIL EROSION
SOIL EROSION
SOIL EROSION
BARE SOIL
POOR VELD CONDITION
MODERATE VELD CONDITION
GOOD VELD CONDITION
 VELD CONDITION
Veld Runoff WUE Soil Loss Fodder
Condition % Index Index Production

Good 4 100 100 100

Moderate 6 57 237 57

Poor 10 28 643 29
 VELD CONDITION
Good Average Poor
Condition condition Condition
Rangeland condition 90 50 30
Score
Recommended stocking rate
(Grazing days/ha) 90.49 44.01 20.77
(ha/AU)* 4.0 8.2 17.6
Live wieght gain/AU/year 365 365 365
Live weight 90.49 44.01 20.77
gain/ha/year/(kg/beef)
Gross Inkome/ha (Rands) 90.49 44.01 20.77
Variable costs/ha 11.19 5.49 2.59
Interest on purchase of 13.38 6.51 3.07
animals/ha 12.13 12.13 12.13
Fixed costs/ha 36.80 24.13 17.79
Total costs/ha
Profit/ha (Rand) 53.69 19.88 2.98
 VELD CONDITION
Good Moderate Poor
WUE
(kg DM ha mm) 2.5 1.60 0.80
(kg ruprotein ha mm) 0.10 0.07 0.04

GRAZING CAPASITY
(ha KVE) 0.87 1.39 3.23
(ha GVE) 5.22 8.34 19.38

INCOME

Wool sheep R ha 242 151 64

R ha mm 0.46 0.28 0.12

Beef cattle R ha 153 96 41

R ha mm 0.29 0.18 0.08
GRASSVELD OR KAROO?
MIXED VELD