The variation in available forage mass is frequently observed in grazing experiments, conducted with fixed forage allowance. For better forage mass control, a new method is proposed to adjust stocking rate, based on forage mass and forage allowance, dry matter (DM) accumulation rate, herbage intake rate, and forage susceptible to refusal and lost parameters. This method was used in Departamento de Zootecnia, UFSM, in a pearl millet grazing experiment with different nitrogen levels (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600kg ha-1), intending to maintain a forage DM mass close to 2500kg ha-1 during the experimental period. The DM accumulation rate was evaluated every 28 days in grazing exclusion cages. The forage susceptible to be refused, evaluated in fixed quadrats, represented 33 to 57% of forage mass, being dependent on nitrogen levels and stocking rate. The used method was efficient in maintaining the intended forage mass, indicating its potential use in experiments aiming better control of the variables involved in plant-animal interface.
variable stocking rate; forage allowance; DM accumulation rate; herbage mass; grassland
