@conference {41864,
	title = {Clover-rich diets and production, behaviour and nutrient use by cows in late lactation},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {66},
	year = {2006},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {42-49},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Napier},
	abstract = {The nutritional value of legumes for high milk production is seldom captured because grazed dairy pastures in NZ typically contain insufficient legume to satisfy the cows{\textquoteright} requirements. This paper reports interim results from a project investigating novel methods of forage presentation to cows, to enhance the contribution of legume to their diet. Four groups of spring-calving cows (n=5) in late-lactation were allocated to four treatments in a balanced, cross-over design. Two treatments consisted of spatial and temporal arrangements of grass and white clover allocated to cows as follows: i) continuous free access to grass and white clover growing separately as side-by-side monocultures (G/C) and ii) grass-only at {\textquoteleft}night{\textquoteleft} between the afternoon and morning milking and clover-only during the {\textquoteleft}day{\textquoteleft} between morning and afternoon milking (GnCd). These were compared against controls of iii) a typical mixed ryegrass-white clover pasture (Mix; an industry standard) and iv) a ryegrass-only pasture (Grass; a forage standard). Cows grazed each treatment for 8 days before moving to the next treatment in the pre-determined sequence. Measurements included milk production and composition, the time spent grazing during the day and the night (separately for grass and white clover in G/C) and the concentrations in the milk of skatole and indole, as metabolic indicators of nutrient acquisition and utilisation in the contrasting forage treatments. Cows offered G/C or GnCd produced 19.4 and 17.9 kg milk/cow/day, respectively, compared with 15.0 and 14.6 kg/cow/day when offered Mix or Grass, respectively (P=0.01, SEM=0.74). The diurnal distribution of grazing was influenced by pasture treatment (treatment x time interaction P <0.001). Cows on G/C grazed proportionately more at {\textquoteleft}night{\textquoteright} and cows on GnCd proportionately less at {\textquoteleft}night{\textquoteright} compared with Grass or Mix. GnCd constrained the cows to spend less time grazing clover than those offered G/C (245 vs. 408 mins grazing clover during 24 hrs) and more time grazing grass (253 vs. 105 mins in 24 hrs). The apparent {\textquoteleft}restriction{\textquoteleft} in GnCd to grazing clover-only during the day did not significantly reduce milk yield compared with G/C. The spatial and temporal allocations of grass and clover affected the concentrations of indolic compounds in PM and AM milk, suggesting there is scope to improve the efficiency of protein utilisation in the rumen. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Cosgrove GP and Burke JL and Death AF and Lane GA and Fraser K and Pacheco D and Parsons AJ}
}
@conference {41340,
	title = {The effect of endophyte alkaloids on diet selection by sheep},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {62},
	year = {2002},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {167-170},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {Sheep have a strong preference for clover in summer. One explanation for this may be the avoidance of alkaloids such as lolitrem B, ergovaline and peramine that are produced at that time of the year by endophytic fungi in ryegrass. We tested this hypothesis by exposing groups of three sheep to three food items (ryegrass with wild-type endophyte (E+), ryegrass with no endophyte (E-), and white clover (CL)), in December and in February. Each food was offered singly and in pairs, and time spent grazing on each food, short-term dry matter (DM) intake rate, and preference was measured. In February, sheep given E+ or E- ryegrass alone, grazed for 400 mins/day, compared with 370 mins/day when given a choice between them (P=0.15, SEM=14). The time spent grazing on the E+/E- choice was comprised of 280 mins/day on E- and 90 mins/day on E+ indicating a strong preference for E-. When offered ryegrass and white clover, the total grazing time (335 mins/day), and the grazing time on clover (285 mins/day) and on ryegrass (50 mins/day), were similar for E+/CL and E-/CL. Short-term dry matter intake rate of grass (3.4 g DM/min), and the strong preference for clover in this study, were unaffected by the presence of endophyte. We conclude that while sheep detect endophyte alkaloids, they avoid eating them only when doing so does not reduce daily intake or change the proportion of grass and clover in their diet. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Cosgrove GP and Anderson CB and Phillot M and Nyfeler D and Hume DE and Parsons AJ and Lane GA}
}
@conference {41339,
	title = {Growing grass and clover separately allows animals to sustain a high nutrient intake},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {62},
	year = {2002},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {163-166},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {White clover has high nutritive value but the proportion in mixed pasture and therefore the diet, is often low. Offering sheep ryegrass and clover growing side-by-side, for short periods, increases the proportion of clover in the diet and daily intake compared to a mixed pasture. This experiment tested whether sheep offered ryegrass and clover side-by-side could sustain a high proportion of clover in their diet and a high daily intake, compared with sheep grazing ryegrass alone, clover alone and ryegrass and white clover growing as a mixed sward. Forty-eight dry, non-pregnant Romney ewes (56 {\textpm} 1.8kg live weight) were randomly allocated to four replicates (two spatial x two temporal) of each treatment (n=3) for 12 days. Average grazing time was 292 {\textpm} 16.2 min/day and did not differ significantly among treatments. Short-term intake rate on clover (5.0 g/min) was higher than ryegrass (3.5 g/min) (P=0.02). As a result, clover dominant diets supported higher daily intake (1.36 kg/d for clover alone vs. 1.08 kg/d for ryegrass alone). Sheep sustained a diet of 70\% clover and 30\% ryegrass, showing that predominance of clover in the diet was not a result of novelty. This improved daily intake would provide significant benefit to animal production systems and can be achieved simply by growing grass and clover separately. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Marotti DM and Cosgrove GP and Chapman DF and Parsons AJ and Egan AR and Anderson CB}
}
@conference {41366,
	title = {New opportunities to improve forage- based production systems},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {62},
	year = {2002},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {273-277},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {<p>Pasture based grazing systems in New Zealand provide many benefits such as low costs of production but there are also limitations to current high stocking rate systems. These include inconsistent quality and composition of pasture and therefore animal diet. The requirements for high production and tolerance to frequent grazing limit the number of species which can be successfully grown. The rate of productivity improvement has declined in recent years and new methods of management are needed to increase production and meet changing market requirements. Altering methods of forage presentation has been shown to improve production of milk and meat from pasture by allowing animals to achieve a high daily intake of desirable species such as clover. Further new evidence of the capacity of animals to regulate their intake toward goals other than maximizing daily dry matter intake is presented. It is argued that new opportunities for increasing grassland productivity will need to consider the behavioural responses of animals grazing pasture.</p>},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Marotti DM and Chapman DF and Cosgrove GP and Parsons AJ and Egan AR}
}
@conference {41233,
	title = {Opportunities for enhancing the delivery of novel forage attributes},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {61},
	year = {2001},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {16-19},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {Allocating spatially separated forage choices to grazing animals overcomes constraints inherent in mixed pastures and   sustainably delivers the required diet composition, satisfies their desire for mixed diets, and so offers a simple way to   enhance the delivery of the benefits of current and novel forage attributes.  Sheep offered grass and clover in this way   increased daily dry matter intake by 265 g/day (25\%, P<0.05) compared with conventional pasture and sustained 60-70\%  clover in their diet.   Milk production by cows was boosted by 11\% (2.4 kg/cow/day, P<0.01).},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Cosgrove GP and Parsons AJ and Marotti DM and Rutter SM and Chapman DF}
}
