Forage harvesting methods and beef production systems in the Charolais area

Abstract

This article presents the forage harvesting methods for a group of Charolais farms in Centre France where the grass is predominant. Eight combinations are identified : from the hay only to the association of the four harvesting methods: hay, grass-silage, wrapped haylage, maize-silage. There’s a coherence with the choice of the herd production (males and females) and the intensification level of the herd and of the main fodder area. This coherence takes into account the workforce, the available farm area and also the situation and the neighbourhood. Reinforced by the round-balers, the hay is still present. Since it has appeared (in 1989), the wrapped haylage takes an increasing place and is used for different functions according to its association (or not) with the grass-silage or/and the maize-silage. New techniques like the big-balers for the hay are in progress, raising new issues. Farmers must always arbitrate between the technological innovations and their own many-sided objectives.