Spring growth can be grazed if plants are given an opportunity to regrow without being used again. Sufficient photosynthetic tissue must remain on plants for production of carbohydrates to meet growth and respiration demands of the plant. A vegetative grass tiller. Leaf 1 is oldest and leaf 8 is just being exerted. The enlarged area of the crown shows the apical meristem that produces the leaves.
Grasses are the dominant plants in most forage-based enterprises throughout the world.
Whether livestock graze native rangeland or tame pastures, grasses usually are the basis of the energy and nutrients for animal growth and maintenance. Grazing livestock should harvest only part of the perennial forage crop to maintain the health and vigor of grasses. Energy and nutrients from forage-based diets produce approximately 80 percent of the red meat products consumed in the United States. Animal gains from forage-based programs usually are less expensive than from any other current program. Animal products come from lands that usually are not suited for production of other food or fiber for human consumption.