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Pasture Management. Terry E. Poole Extension Agent Frederick County, MD. Why Manage Pastures?. Pastures are profitable * Grazed forage is a good, cheap feed. * Pastures are inexpensive to develop and maintain.
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Pasture Management Terry E. Poole Extension Agent Frederick County, MD
Why Manage Pastures? • Pastures are profitable * Grazed forage is a good, cheap feed. * Pastures are inexpensive to develop and maintain. * Animals do the harvesting, therefore there is a reduction in the need for machine harvesting, and forage handling. * While on pasture, animals spread manure in the field, reducing hauling.
Why Manage Pastures? • Protects surface and groundwater from nutrient pollution. * Pastures act as a filler to screen out and trap soil particles, which contain nutrients such as N and P. * The captured nutrients are then utilized by the pasture plants once these nutrients have moved into the root zone of the soil.
Why Manage Pastures? • Reduces soil erosion * The above ground growth of pasture plants lessons the impact of rain drops on the soil surface and also slows down the surface runoff of water across the field. * Pasture plant root systems bind the soil together, thereby holding it in place. * Most pastures keep the soil covered year around, unlike annual crops.
Why Manage Pastures? • Improves forage yield and quality * Plants that are maintained at the optimum fertility level and are not stressed by pests or by poor grazing management will be more productive. * Healthy, productive plants will provide a quality product. * Healthy plants will have a higher nutritional value for grazing animals.
Why Manage Pastures? • Reduces weeds and improves esthetics * Weeds are opportunistic; they will move rapidly into an open area or an area occupied by a weaker plant. * Weeds cannot gain a foothold in a field with vigorously growing plants. * A clean, weed free pasture reflects well on your farm management skills and how people passing by view your farm.
Grazing Management • Protecting pasture plant root reserves and maintaining plants in a vegetativestate are keys to a good pasture. • Overgrazing reduces root reserves, which shrinks the root system and leads to fewer leaves being produced; plants also take longer to recover from grazing. • Under grazing reduces quality and yield as over-mature plants become less vigorous and more fibrous.
Grazing Affects Plant Growth Wow, that stuff I learned in the pasture management class sure did work!
Forage Regrowth Slow to recover at first Rapid growth after recovery Slow after rapid growth period
A Good GrazingRule of Thumb Take half -----------------------------Leave half • In the long run, the animals will have more forage to graze. It is similar to priming the pump. • Do you drink that cup of water, or do you risk it priming the pump for an unlimited supply?
Grass Morphology • Each grass species tolerates grazing differently.
Influence of Stage of Growthon Plant Nutrient Content Red Clover Nutrients Stages of Growth %DM Leafy Bud E. Blm L. Blm C.P.29.3 20.5 19.5 14.0 P 0.32 0.25 0.21 0.15 K 3.48 3.17 2.14 1.39 Mg 0.38 0.41 0.37 0.43 Ca 1.38 1.31 1.42 1.61 Source: Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser
Influence of Stage of Growthon Plant Nutrient Content Orchardgrass Nutrient Stage of Growth %DM Leafy Boot Head Bloom C.P. 33.9 17.6 10.1 7.8 P 0.41 0.30 0.23 0.23 K 3.90 2.86 2.47 1.87 Mg 0.21 0.19 0.13 0.14 Ca 0.47 0.36 0.26 0.35 Source: Forage-Animal Management Systems by Roy Blaser
Grazing Management Controls Plant Growth and Pasture Composition Clover will overtake grasses grazed down below 2 inches. Clovers recover more rapidly from close grazing than our cool season grasses, allowing a head start in growth.
Why Timely Mowing? • Mowing prevents plants from becoming over mature. • Vegetative plants are more palatable and more nutritious. • Mowing helps to control weeds. • Flash grazing can work in place of mowing to help reduce excess forage in paddocks. • Harvesting excess forage for hay is a good way to fully utilize forage resources.
Why Control Weeds? Weeds: • Can get you in trouble, since some have been declared illegal noxious weeds by the State of Maryland. • Will make you look bad, since they reflect poorly on your management.
Why Control Weeds? Weeds will: • Reduce the stand of desirable plants. • Reduce overall quality and yield. • Reduce overall animal yield. • Poison animals, or affect the animal product when dangerous plant species are present in the pasture. • Spread their seeds through manure.
WeedManagement • Cultural Control * mowing * grazing * over seeding * improving fertility
Weed Management • Chemical Control * 2,4-D * Banvel * Crossbow * Ally * Stinger * Spike * Roundup
Chemical Weed ControlGrazing Restrictions • Ally…………………..none • 2,4-D…………………milk cows, 7 days+ • Crossbow…………..milk cows, 14 days+ • Banvel……………….milk cows, 7 days+ • Roundup…………….livestock, 8 weeks • Spike…………………none • Stinger……………….none
Why Plant Fertility Management? • Soil testing forms the base of pasture fertility management. • Nutrient management planning not only pays, but is now the law. • Fertility promotes healthy forage. • Healthy forage resists disease and pests and speeds plant recovery.
Why Plant Fertility Management? • Healthy forage recovers more rapidly from grazing, stress, and winter. • Healthy forage is a more nutritious feed. • Healthy forage stands resist weed infestations. • Healthy forage stands produce higher yields. • Healthy forage stands persist longer.
Grasses Need Nitrogen Applications • Pure grass stands require timely applications of nitrogen (N). • Pastures with less than 25% legumes are considered grass pastures. • Pastures with 25% or more legumes do not require additional N. • Legumes fix N2 into a form plants can use (clovers,lespedeza, alfalfa, vetch, trefoil).
Animal Grazing Habits • Different animal species have different grazing styles. *cattle and horses cannot eat forage less than one-half inch tall. *sheep and goats can graze level with the soil surface. *fowl will strip the soil bare, eating everything including roots, and insects.
Animal Grazing Habits • Grazing animals have varied diet selections. *horses are picky eaters, rarely touching weeds and woody plants *goats prefer browse (woody plants) over grass Horses Cattle SheepGoats Forage 90% 70% 60% 20% Weeds 4% 20% 30% 20% Browse 6% 10% 10% 60% Don’t even think about it!
Animal Grazing Patterns • The time spent grazing differs with animal species: *cattle graze about 8 hrs/day *sheep graze about 7 hrs/day or less *goats graze about 6 hrs/day or less *horses graze between 12 to 16 hrs/day
Animal Grazing Patterns • Most animals prefer not to graze when it is hot: *heaviest grazing occurs 2 to 3 hours after sunset *another preferred grazing period occurs around midnight *on average, 60% of grazing occurs during the day *the other 40% occurs during periods of the night
Animal Grazing Patterns • Grazing periods are not a factor of forage quality or yield. • Forage quality is important so that good nutrition can be obtained by the animals during periods of grazing.
Animal Water Needs • Grazing animals can get 70-90% of their water from lush forage, however a good supply of clean water is essential. • Animal water needs vary with temperature, humidity, milk production, and diet. • Average daily requirements: beef……………………………..8-10 gal/day milk cow…………………………. 30 gal/day sheep……………………………... 1 gal/day horses…………………………….. 8 gal/day
Why a Sacrificial Area? • It protects pastures from damage. • Sacrificial areas are for heavy use. • Animals are held in this area when conditions are unsuitable for the pasture. • It helps to minimize soil compaction and trampling of the sod. • It provides an area for supplemental feeding and animal management. You cows sure make a mess!
Pasture Seeding • New pasture - converting a crop field to pasture • Pasture renovation - partial (over seeding) - complete (new seeding)
Pasture Seeding Considerations • Complete vs partial renovation *slope of field (erosion potential) *existing weed population *existing forage base *conventional or no till seeding • Spring vs Fall seeding *spring seeding can be challenging with weed competition, early heat
No Till Seeding • Chemically destroys existing vegetation - Roundup, Gramoxone (Paraquat) • These herbicides will not contaminate the soil, so seeding can be done immediately. • No till protects against soil erosion. • “Poor Man’s No Till” or “Frost Seeding” - in late winter, graze down field, over seed field (animals and weather will work in seed), keep down vegetation until new plants can compete.
Conventional Seeding • Mechanically disturbs soil and destroys existing plants (plow, disk). • Usually requires complete renovation. • Can be done without chemicals. • Requires a lot of field work and trips over the field. • Will bring up rocks. • Soil erosion is a concern. • Usually creates an excellent seedbed.
Pastures add to the pastoral beauty of farmland. They also help to protect the land by holding the soil in place.
Pasture Seeding Considerations • Can animals be removed during the renovation process and forage establishment period? *often the overgrazing of new seedlings results in the subsequent loss of the new pasture. *new seedlings need time to develop a good root system and store energy for regrowth.
Pasture Seeding Considerations • What is the purpose of your pasture? • Hay or play? • Will the pasture be expected to supply a significant portion of the feed ration? • What are your forage management skills? • These are questions that need to be addressed when selecting forage species to be seeded in your pasture.
Walking Your Fields Look at Your Soil • Previously row cropped fields *If the previous crop was corn, soybeans, or another crop that may have had herbicides applied, investigate. What was used? *If you can’t, be cautious. Carryover herbicides can be a problem. -consider planting a non-sensitive crop -care should be taken with liming the field (lime can release chemicals attached to soil particles)
Walking Your FieldLook at Your Soil • Drainage *poorly drained soils limit what you can grow *soils that stay wet during peak times of the year will hamper pasture rotation *consider these fields for hay or strip grazing
Walking Your FieldsLook at Your Soil • Stony *unless you like picking up rocks, consider no till establishment/renovation in these types of fields • Fertility *unless money is not a problem, consider forages with low fertility requirements and gradually add fertilizer inputs to build up your poor soil so that it can support better forages
Walking Your FieldsLook at Field Location • Wooded *beware of grazing in, or around wooded areas. Some poisonous plants can be found in these areas. • Potential Winter Pasture *fields that have natural northern wind shelter (trees, hills), or are adjacent to a barn are good. * winter pastures need to be visible
Walking Your FieldsLook at Field Location • Slope * consider soil erosion potential if you need to renovate the field * the use of no till, forage selection (fast germinating species), or a nurse crop can minimize soil loss * will the slope limit the use of field equipment?
Walking Your FieldLook at Existing Vegetation • Forage base *unless money is not a problem, try to work within the existing forage base. *if it has been there awhile, it is adapted to your site. *over seeding can improve on the existing forage base.
Walking Your FieldLook at Existing Vegetation • Reclaiming a field *if a field is wild, or grown up in weeds, regular mowing will do wonders to reclaim an area. *spot treatment for perennial weeds may be needed. *if the field is still too trashy after mowing, reseed it. Natural regeneration is very slow and inefficient in this region.
Walking Your FieldsLook at the Fences • Existing fences *unless the existing fence is too decayed or simply cannot be worked into your plan, use it. *in some cases you will need to clean out trees, bushes, and weeds from around old fences *do not forget about gates; they need to be wide enough for equipment to pass