Now is the time to evaluate pasture conditions
As the growing season comes to an end, Kansas livestock producers have an opportunity to evaluate their pastures and make management decisions that could improve forage production and grazing conditions next year.
Kansas State University rangeland management specialist Molly Reichenborn and range scientist Keith Harmoney say fall is an important time to assess remaining forage, identify areas of overgrazing and monitor unwanted plant species. "Now that we're getting into (late) October, especially if we're talking about warm season rangeland, we're really getting towards the end of the production curve," Reichenborn said. "Now's a really good time to take inventory of your forage resources," Reichenborn said.
Evaluating residual forage
Harmoney, who works at K-State's Agricultural Research Center in Hays, said producers should pay close attention to the amount of vegetation remaining after grazing. Differing grass species require different amounts of residual leaf material to maintain healthy growth and recover the following spring.
• For short grasses, including buffalograss and blue grama, Harmoney recommends leaving approximately 2 to 4 inches of vegetation.
• Midgrasses, such as sideoats grama and little bluestem, should have 4 to 6 inches remaining.
• Taller grasses, including big bluestem, should retain at least 6 to 8 inches.
"Not enough residual is always a concern because that means that our forage demand and our forage supply probably was not balanced during the year," Harmoney said.
hen pastures are grazed too heavily, plants may enter winter with fewer energy reserves, potentially limiting their ability to recover when growing conditions improve.When we have more leaf removal than what we desire, those plants are going to be lower in energy going into the winter and potentially could start off next spring slower," Harmoney said.
Identifying grazing patterns
Along with measuring residual vegetation, producers should evaluate how evenly livestock utilized available forage throughout the pasture. Harmoney said identifying underutilized areas can help producers make changes to improve grazing distribution during the next growing season."This time of year is a great time to scout pastures and look for underutilized areas that receive less grazing and have a lot of residual growth," he said.Placing salt, mineral or protein supplements in underutilized areas may encourage cattle to graze locations they previously avoided.
Other management options include prescribed burning, adjusting fencing and improving water access.For areas experiencing excessive grazing pressure, Harmoney recommends allowing additional recovery time before livestock return. "You want them to have an adequate amount of leaf material produced in their recovery in order for them to get back to photosynthesis," Harmoney said.
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