Forage resources and productivity of forest grassland in Jiangxi Province

By investigating herbage resources and continuously monitoring trends in herbage productivity, the productivity and dominant species of forage in different types of forest grass in Jiangxi were analyzed. Monitoring at the biomass peak periods of herbage revealed that good forage yields were obtained in all types of forest grassland. The hay yield was 1 085～4 650 kg·ha^–1, with an average of 2 027 kg·ha^–1, and the livestock carrying capacity was 3.1 sheep units per hectare. Annual dynamic monitoring showed a clear trend the annual forage yield trend of forest grassland. The forage yield in early June was approximately 1/3 of the annual yield, and the forage yield during the fast-growing periods (approximately July 30) was 69.3%～76.2%. The forage yield during peak growth periods (Mid-June to early September) was approximately 50% of that during the off seasons in November to April of the following year. Hay production was 11.991 million tons from 4.67 million hectares of available forest grassland in Jiangxi, giving an herbage utilization rate of only 36.7%. Thus, the utilization potential of forest grassland and benefits of using a forest–grass–livestock model are high.