Pasture Plant Selection Pasture Plant Selection & Grazing Management& Grazing Management

T.C. GriggsT.C. GriggsDept. Plants, Soils, & Dept. Plants, Soils, &

BiometeorologyBiometeorology

Environment &site conditions

Availability ofsoil surveys:http://soils.usda.gov

NRCS, Bozeman, MT

Alfalfa,white clover,& red clover

Adapted pasture speciesAdapted pasture species ---- Grasses –Grasses –

• OrchardgrassOrchardgrass

• Tall fescueTall fescue

• BromegrassesBromegrasses

• RyegrassesRyegrasses

• Wet meadowland grassesWet meadowland grasses

• Kentucky bluegrassKentucky bluegrass

• WheatgrassesWheatgrasses

• WildryesWildryes

-- Legumes –-- Legumes –

• White cloverWhite clover

• Red cloverRed clover

• AlfalfaAlfalfa

• Birdsfoot trefoil (NB)Birdsfoot trefoil (NB)

• Cicer milkvetch (NB)Cicer milkvetch (NB)

• Sainfoin (NB)Sainfoin (NB)

• Alsike cloverAlsike clover

• Strawberry cloverStrawberry clover

Wet meadowland grassesWet meadowland grasses

•TimothyTimothy

•Reed canarygrassReed canarygrass

•Creeping foxtailCreeping foxtail

•Meadow foxtailMeadow foxtail

Basic grasses for Utah pasturesBasic grasses for Utah pastures

•Irrigated:Irrigated:Tall fescue (endophyte-free)Tall fescue (endophyte-free)Meadow bromeMeadow bromeOrchardgrassOrchardgrass

•Dryland:Dryland:Smooth bromegrassSmooth bromegrassIntermediate/pubescent wheatgrassIntermediate/pubescent wheatgrassThickspike/streambank wheatgrassThickspike/streambank wheatgrassCrested or Siberian wheatgrassCrested or Siberian wheatgrassRussian wildryeRussian wildrye

Species with more defoliation Species with more defoliation tolerance/rapid recoverytolerance/rapid recovery

•OrchardgrassOrchardgrass

•Tall fescueTall fescue

•Meadow bromeMeadow brome

•Perennial & Italian ryegrassesPerennial & Italian ryegrasses

•Kentucky bluegrassKentucky bluegrass

•Creeping & meadow foxtailsCreeping & meadow foxtails

•Crested & Siberian wheatgrassesCrested & Siberian wheatgrasses

•White cloverWhite clover

•Red cloverRed clover

Species with less defoliation Species with less defoliation tolerance/slower recoverytolerance/slower recovery

•Smooth bromeSmooth brome

•TimothyTimothy

•Reed canarygrassReed canarygrass

•Intermediate & pubescent wheatgrassesIntermediate & pubescent wheatgrasses

•QuackgrassQuackgrass

•Bluebunch wheatgrassBluebunch wheatgrass

•Warm-season perennial grassesWarm-season perennial grasses

•AlfalfaAlfalfa

•Birdsfoot trefoilBirdsfoot trefoil

Forage plant information resourcesForage plant information resources

•Comparative Characteristics of Forage Comparative Characteristics of Forage Species in MontanaSpecies in Montanahttp://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/Forage/forage.htmhttp://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/Forage/forage.htm

•Plant Guides & Fact Sheets in USDA NRCS Plant Guides & Fact Sheets in USDA NRCS National PLANTS databaseNational PLANTS databasehttp://plants.usda.gov/index.htmlhttp://plants.usda.gov/index.html

•Intermountain Planting Guide. USU Intermountain Planting Guide. USU Extension Publication AG 510.Extension Publication AG 510.

How many grasses can remain productive &compete with weeds when grazed this closely?

Pasture plant requirementsPasture plant requirements

•Green Green leaf arealeaf area for sunlight capture, or for sunlight capture, or energy reservesenergy reserves to support regrowth to support regrowth

•In grasses, energy In grasses, energy reserves arereserves are above above groundground in stubble in stubble

•Maintain Maintain stubble through winterstubble through winter for for survival & spring recoverysurvival & spring recovery

•Roots require Roots require energy from shootsenergy from shoots in order in order to absorb water & nutrients to potentialto absorb water & nutrients to potential

New tiller (shoot) = stack of phytomers from a bud

Vegetative shoot (where is the apicalmeristem?)

Reproductive shoot

Shift in status of shoot apex

Internode elongation creates true stem

Manage reservesor retain someleaf area

Orchardgrass, 30 hr

Timothy, 10 days

Residual leaf area & growing points;How much height or pasture mass to leave?

Impact of defoliation on root depth & function

Targets & monitoringTargets & monitoring

•Animal performanceAnimal performance

•Herbage mass & maturity stageHerbage mass & maturity stage

•Amounts to graze, stockpile, or conserveAmounts to graze, stockpile, or conserve

•Pasture growth ratePasture growth rate

•Residual leaf area or stubbleResidual leaf area or stubble

•Soil water & nutrient statusSoil water & nutrient status

•WeedsWeeds

•Market conditionsMarket conditions

Seasonal carrying capacitySeasonal carrying capacity

Annual forage prod.

Seasonalutilization level

Average dailyintake

Length ofgrazing season

x

x

Grazing systemsGrazing systems

•Continuous stocking:Continuous stocking: livestock have livestock have access to entire pasture all of the time. access to entire pasture all of the time. Potentially higher individual animal Potentially higher individual animal performance.performance.

•Rotational stocking:Rotational stocking: livestock are moved livestock are moved through a series of subdivisions through a series of subdivisions (paddocks) which are grazed & rested. (paddocks) which are grazed & rested. Potentially higher carrying capacity.Potentially higher carrying capacity.

Rotational stocking & dry lotRotational stocking & dry lot

NRCS, Bozeman, MT

General guidelinesGeneral guidelines

•Initiate grazing when plants are 6-10 in. Initiate grazing when plants are 6-10 in. talltall

•Limit grazing in a paddock to no more Limit grazing in a paddock to no more than 7 daysthan 7 days

•Terminate grazing when stubble is 3-4 in. Terminate grazing when stubble is 3-4 in. talltall

•Allow at least 14-28 days regrowthAllow at least 14-28 days regrowth