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| ANIM0022-1 | Bromatology and the cultivation of animal fodder : part 1
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| Duration : | 35h Th |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Jérôme Bindelle |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the second semester |
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Course contents :
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| Ranges convert the energy from the sun and the atmospheric nitrogen into forage biomass available for ruminants. They are a resource that has been used by Man for millenia, from pastoral societies to ranch managers, to provide food and non-food products as well as services. Range management is a unique science dealing with the interface between plant and animal, rather than the plant or the animal alone. The key element in range management is manipulating the animal's grazing activities to maintain or improve range plant and animal productions. Many of those principles apply to the management of wild herbivores too.
Why agrostology? Because range management relies on the in depth knowledge of range pants and, among those, grasses or poaceae have an important place. However, to be a "good" range manager, you don't need to be good in pasture science only. The range manager must always combine his knowledge in management and feeding of wild and domesticated species, in climatology, hydrology, soil science, mapping, forestry, taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, economy, etc. This course is therefore multidisciplinary.
This course will teach you how to use pasture resources as animal feeds. The knowledge and competencies in this field are of utmost importance to people intending to work in fields related to animal production and game management.
This course aims at introducing the basics of natural and artificial pastures management as main roughage source for ruminants.
Basics of forage production and use (8 h)
Origin and botany of range plants
Grazing resistance mechanisms
Physiology of the growth of grasses
Pasture fertilization
Grasslands feeding value.
Practical basic knowledge for rangeland assessment and management (6 h).
Review of the most important warm- and cool-season forage grasses and legumes (6 h).
Conference on GIS and range management (2 h)
Practical exercise on range carrying capacity (4 h)
Practical exercise on pasture assessment (9 h). |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| At the end of the course you will:
- understand to biotic and abiotic elements influencing the composition of forage plants, their growth, and their nutritive value;
- understand how to use the tools required for range management in order to secure the long-term production potential of a range;
- be able to identify the most important grasses from temperate and tropical areas and know their interests in animal production;
- be able to measure the quality of forage plants and ranges, measure the production potential and determine their carrying capacity. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| The biological rules of digestive physiology and nutrient metabolism are supposed to be known by the students following this course, as well as the technical itinerary for ruminants and monogatsrics production. We also recommend you to be familiar with botany, plant physiology, and soil science. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| The theory sections are based on lectures using many pictures and clips from scientific papers, herbariums, as well as short videos in English.
Practical exercises are based on exercises in the classroom, a floristic assessment of a meadow in Gembloux and followed by a interpretation of the data in the classroom, a conference, and visits of farms.
We wish for interactive lectures are. Please don't be afraid to speak when we try to interact with the audience during the lectures. You are also free to interrupt us at any time for questions.
Besides videos in English, a part of the course will probably be taught in English. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| Lectures and practical exercises requiring the presence of the student.
Field exercises
Personnal work |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| There are no compulsory readings.
You will have access to the slides presented during the lectures as well as the exercises and their solutions via e-campus. You are likely to have a question on all the topics covered by these slides. You have access to the herbarium with the tropical grasses presented during the lectures. You can see them at any time during working hours in the teacher's office. In case of absence the secretary is there to let you in the office. You are free to take pictures of the plants, however, please don't move them from the office as they are quite precious and very fragile.
A reference list regarding the topics covered by the lectures will be issued so you'll be able to go further if you like with the topics of the course as well as getting familiar with the vocabulary of the discipline.
Moreover, as the course doesn't cover everything, if you need deeper knowledge, now or during your professional life, on specific topics, we advise you to start with the following references:
For botany and physiology of forage plants:
Barnes RF, Nelson CJ, Moore KJ, Collins M. 2007. Forages. The science of grassland agriculture. Volume II. 6th Ed. Blackwell publishing. Ames.
For extensive range management:
Holechek JL, Pieper RD, Herbel CH. 2011. Range management. Principles and practices. 6th Ed. Prentice Hall. Boston.
For the description of tropical forage plants we recommend the following website: www.tropicalforages.info
Ta access tables with the nutritive value of feed ingredients :
Sauvant D, Perez JM, Tran G. 2004. Tables de composition et de valeur nutritive des matières premières destinées aux animaux d'élevage. 2nd Ed. INRA. Paris (English version available)
The website Feedipedia : www.trc.zootechnie.fr |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| The final marks will be a mean of marks given for the different parts of the course.
Oral examination
The oral examination will cover 2 questions :
- - identification of a genus of a warm- and cool-season grass with the characteristics for its use
- open question on the basics of forage production or use or the range management or assessment methods
Written examination
One exercise regarding the calculation of the feeding value of an ingredient and the carrying capacity of a range. The student will be allowed to use any useful document during the exam.
Personal work
Each student will be asked to produce a reports on the floristic assessment. This report will yield a mark entering in the global mark for the course. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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| The slides will be made available at the beginning of the classes.
Participation at the practical exercises and visits are compulsory. Any student not able to attend those activities must warn the teachers.
The condition to participate to the examination is to fulfill the obligation regarding the written report a.o. to give in the report in due time. |
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Contacts :
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| You can always ask us questions during the classes or by making an appointment by phone or via email (jerome.bindelle@ulg.ac.be, +32 81 62 26 09; yves.beckers@ulg.ac.be, +32 81 62 21 19). If you have any question regarding the practical exercises on pastures, you can also contact the teacher's assistant Christine Poelaert (+32 81 62 21 17; christine.poelaert@ulg.ac.be) |
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