Abstract
One of the cheepest ways of pasture establishment may be sheep grazing method. Sheep is effective in two respects for establishing pasture: the hoofs press seeds into the ground and subsequent grazing protects seedlings from weeds. In the former experiment of 1961, an improved pasture was established by this method. But because of extremely heavy grazing, the body weight of sheep decreased remarkably. The present study was attempted to achieve both the establishment of an improved pasture and the increase of body weight of sheep by moderate grazing. But an improved pasture failed to be established due to the following reasons: (i) a mass of dead grasses (like mulch) had not been eliminated before sowing and so forage seedlings could not develop their root well into the ground. (ii) after sprouting, forages were covered by native grasses because of light grazing. But in the course of the present study some problems of pasture establishment., i.e., the behavior of sheep, grazing stress and grass species eaten by sheep were clarified.
