Validating a Simple Mechanistic Model That Describes Weather Impact on Pasture Growth.

Mathematical models have many uses. When input data is limited, simple models are required. This occurs in pasture agriculture when managers typically only have access to temperature and rainfall values.

Light Interception and the Growth of Pastures under Ideal and Stressful Growing Conditions on the Allegheny Plateau.

Pasture-based livestock production is impacted by management and weather. In pastures, there is conflict between leaf retention for plant growth and leaf harvest for animal nutrition. Defoliated pastures with low light interception (LI) may have a low forage growth rate (FGR), while excessive growth shades leaves, reducing FGR and resulting in an S-shaped regrowth curve.