“Grass” and Grazing

Ron Morrow Fayetteville, AR

SoilAssessment

ManagementWhole Farm

Cattle &

ForageManagement

FarmGoals

Watershed Assessment

FarmResources

& Management

Inventory

Individual

PastureAssessment

Nutrition

HealthGenetics

Farm

& Marketing

Management

Traits that impact profitable use of forages

• What kind of plant it is

• How it grows

• When it grows

• Where it grows

• What it is made of

Forage life cycles and adaptations

8 potential forage types

GRASS LEGUME

Warm Cool Warm Cool Annual Perennial Annual Perennial Annual Perennial Annual Perennial

Taproot vs. fibrous root

Carrot-like taproot

with lateral branches

and secondary

woody growth.

Prone to heaving.

Long-lived.

Thin, fibrous

roots from base

of tillers, highly

branched,

short-lived.

Annual vs. Perennial

Perennials

• Slower and more expensive to establish but

cheaper in the long run

• Year-round protection of soil, build organic matter

Exa: tall fescue, bermudagrass, white clover,

orchardgrass

Annuals

• Higher quality forage

• Fills a production gap

• Emergency feed

Exa: ryegrass, wheat, sorghum-sudan, crabgrass,

pearl millet

From Roberts et al., 1999. Misouri Grazing Manual.

Requirements for Growth

Which ones limit pasture growth and when?

Temperature

Water

Nutrients

Soil oxygen

Light

Managing the canopy:

Don’t underutilize

• Light – quantity and quality

• Reduce grass and weed vigor

Don’t overutilize

• Growing points – axillary buds

• Leaf area – photosynthesis

• Seed production

300 Day Grazing Plan

1. Inventory pasture composition and seasonal productivity. Check the potential for grazing in each season.

2. Improve management of existing pastures. Grazing/Fertility/Hay

3. Manage pastures to reduce hay feeding. 4. Add complementary forages where

needed to fill in seasonal forage gaps. 5. Add legumes to improve forage quality

and reduce N need.

Inventory Pastures by Season

Spring Summer Fall Winter

100 days 100 days 100 days 65 days

Mar 1 – early June Early June – mid Sept. Mid Sept. – late Dec. Late Dec –

Mar 1

Seasonal Forage Options

Spring Summer Fall Winter

100 days 100 days 100 days 65 days

Improve Pasture Management

• Rotational grazing

• Planned grazing pressure to manage season

transitions

• Soil testing for fertility management

• Fertilizer and weed mgt plan based on inventory

• Determine if you can graze more and cut less hay

Plan your grazing system to manage the canopy for the season ahead!

Spring pasture

Control the canopy

Managing spring pasture canopy promotes emergence of reseeding summer annuals

like crabgrass and lespedeza

Opening the canopy of spring pastures early allows growth of bermuda and other

warm season grasses

Seasonal Forage Management

Winter Spring

Key Points:

Strip-graze stockpiled pasture

Allow winter annuals to reach 8”

before grazing – limit grazing with

hay feeding utilizes quality

Can graze annuals earlier if grazing

strips or paddocks

The Transition:

Some early fertilization can jump-

start spring grazing

Overseed legumes

Graze off winter weeds in bermuda

Set up spring paddocks for early

grazing

Seasonal Forage Management

Spring Summer

Key Points: Begin rotational grazing as early as possible Don’t fertilize more area than can be utilized To favor legumes, control the canopy by Rest / Graze / Rest Plan ahead to reduce hay need

The Transition: In mixed cool-warm season pastures, graze closely in late spring to release summer forage. Rotationally graze spring legumes to spread N for summer forage

Seasonal Forage Management

Summer Fall

Key Points:

Rotational grazing will maintain forage

availability longer into dry periods.

Don’t fertilize more than needed

Don’t graze lespedeza or crabgrass too

early or too short

Keep bermuda in vegetative stage

The Transition:

In early August graze bermuda short and

fertilize for stockpiling

In early Sept. graze fescue short and

fertilize for stockpiling

In September graze bermuda short to

prepare for interseeding annuals

Graze crabgrass, johnsongrass, and

lespedeza before frost

Seasonal Forage Management

Fall Winter

Key Points:

Managing for stockpiled pasture

is cheaper than feeding hay, but

feeding hay in fall may allow

better stockpiled forage growth

Strip-grazing stockpiled pasture

doubles the grazing time

Use lower quality forage for dry

cows and high quality forage for

weaned calves or lactating cows

The Transition:

Graze bermuda and fescue short

where annuals or clover will be

planted then go to stockpiled

pasture

Don’t graze winter annuals too

early

Stockpiling Forages

Fescue

Soil test

Clean off summer growth

by mid-August

Apply 50-60 lbs. N by

mid-September

Defer grazing until

December

Strip graze to extend

grazing period

Grazing period is Dec.-

Mar.

Bermudagrass

Soil test

Clean off summer growth

by August 1

Apply 50-60 lbs. N in

early August

Defer grazing until mid-

October

Strip graze to extend

grazing period

Grazing period is Oct.-

Dec.

Forages and Simple Forage Combinations to Improve the Grazing Season

Forages and Combinations* Grazing Season** Days

Fescue Apr 1-Jul 15; Oct 1-Dec 1 166

Bermudagrass May 1 – October 31 183

Bermuda + stockpiled bermuda May 1 – December 31 244

Fescue + stockpiled fescue Apr 1-Jul 15; Oct. 1 - Feb. 15 242

Fescue + stockpiled fescue and

Bermuda + stockpiled bermuda

April 1 – Feb. 15 320

Bermuda + bermuda/ryegrass/clover April 1 – October 31 213

Bermuda + bermuda/ryegrass/clover

and small grains

March 1 – October 31 244

Bermudagrass and fescue/clover April 1 – Dec. 1 244

Fescue and fescue/clover/lespedeza Apr 1-Aug 31; Oct 1-Dec 1 213

Bermuda+stockpiled bermuda,

fescue/clover + stockpiled fescue,

bermuda overseeded with

ryegrass/clover and small grains

Mar. 1 – Feb. 15 351

*Includes combinations on the farm, not in the same pasture **Indicates period when forage growth is sufficient for sustained grazing

Forages and Simple Forage Combinations to Improve the Grazing Season

Forages and Combinations* Grazing Season** Days

Fescue Apr 1-Jul 15; Oct 1-Dec 1 166

Bermudagrass May 1 – October 31 183

Bermuda + stockpiled bermuda May 1 – December 31 244

Fescue + stockpiled fescue Apr 1-Jul 15; Oct. 1 - Feb. 15 242

Fescue + stockpiled fescue and

Bermuda + stockpiled bermuda

April 1 – Feb. 15 320

Bermuda + bermuda/ryegrass/clover April 1 – October 31 213

Bermuda + bermuda/ryegrass/clover

and small grains

March 1 – October 31 244

Bermudagrass and fescue/clover April 1 – Dec. 1 244

Fescue and fescue/clover/lespedeza Apr 1-Aug 31; Oct 1-Dec 1 213

Bermuda+stockpiled bermuda,

fescue/clover + stockpiled fescue,

bermuda overseeded with

ryegrass/clover and small grains

Mar. 1 – Feb. 15 351

*Includes combinations on the farm, not in the same pasture **Indicates period when forage growth is sufficient for sustained grazing

Forages and Simple Forage Combinations to Improve the Grazing Season

Forages and Combinations* Grazing Season** Days

Fescue Apr 1-Jul 15; Oct 1-Dec 1 166

Bermudagrass May 1 – October 31 183

Bermuda + stockpiled bermuda May 1 – December 31 244

Fescue + stockpiled fescue Apr 1-Jul 15; Oct. 1 - Feb. 15 242

Fescue + stockpiled fescue and

Bermuda + stockpiled bermuda

April 1 – Feb. 15 320

Bermuda + bermuda/ryegrass/clover April 1 – October 31 213

Bermuda + bermuda/ryegrass/clover

and small grains

March 1 – October 31 244

Bermudagrass and fescue/clover April 1 – Dec. 1 244

Fescue and fescue/clover/lespedeza Apr 1-Aug 31; Oct 1-Dec 1 213

Bermuda+stockpiled bermuda,

fescue/clover + stockpiled fescue,

bermuda overseeded with

ryegrass/clover and small grains

Mar. 1 – Feb. 15 351

*Includes combinations on the farm, not in the same pasture **Indicates period when forage growth is sufficient for sustained grazing

Matching forage and livestock depends on

“Grass” you have to harvest.

Animals you have to harvest the grass.

What the animals need and how you can adjust.

How you want to sell the “grass”.

How can you consider economic and biological

efficiency to put a production system together.

Improving farm efficiency…

through grazing management: Rest the pasture Strengthens the plant Increases storage of CHO’s in roots Allows regrowth Increases plant vigor Builds organic matter

Increase the pasture utilization Wastes less “grass” Increases gain per acre of pasture Harvest more forage Improves nutrient distribution

Grazing Challenges

Diversify pastures Keep organic matter around 4% Maintain 30% legumes in pastures Use rotational grazing (move twice a week) Strip graze in the late fall and winter Graze weeds rather routinely spraying

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

0 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Relationship of number of paddocks to

percentage of time a pasture rests

% rest

Number of pastures

90%

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10%

1 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Length of grazing period in number of days

Relationship of number of paddocks to

per cent utilization of pasture

Two “tools” of grazing management: 1. Forage availability lbs of dry matter/acre (pouring a bag of feed into a trough..)

2. Stock density lbs of animal/acre for a day (how many, weight of animals there to eat it..)

Maximize intake

Most efficient grazing is

when the forage height is 6-

10 inches

Maximize intake

Remove livestock when forage

is grazed down to 3-4 inches.

Easy to get a mouthful!!

Hard to get a bite!!

Consider production curve: Amount of forage needed How management impacts availability quality Can it be saved? Acreage of various forages Fertility needs

Planned grazing systems: feed profiling feed budgeting

Grazing Strategies

Diversify pastures/include reseeding annuals Keep organic matter around 4% Maintain 30% legumes in pastures Use rotational grazing (move every 1-2 days) Strip graze in the late fall and winter Graze weeds rather than spraying

Ron’s Farm 100 acres Flat and square layout Little fescue and bermuda Soil fertility has increased over yrs

Leased park land 60 acres Rectangular layout Water a weakness Toxic fescue predominates

Price Farm 80 ac pastureland Illinois river bisects land Flooding occurs Bermuda/fescue mix Pasture more plentiful

Harvest efficiency:

Continuous 30%

Weekly 35%

4 days 40%

3 days 45%

2 days 50%

1 day 60%

12 hrs 70%

University of Arkansas estimates of cow herd costs:

Fertilizer/feed are the greatest expenses, 60% of total.

Nitrogen represents 95% of the fertilizer cost.

Hay represents more than 75% of feed cost.

IF these numbers fit your operation, you need to

totally change your farm management.

Feeding hay is a nutrient management practice. (actually, not baling hay is a better one…)

Ton of hay 42-14-48

Ton of poultry litter 56-48-36

Fertility Nutrient cycling

w

Week on

Spots are regrazed in the same grazing cycle—

this decreases stored carbohydrates and decreases vigor

8-8-10

Summary:

Know your forages

Manage pastures properly

Increase natural fertility

Increase pasture diversity

Extend the grazing season on both ends