Grasses & Legumes
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Out with the new, in with the old: Patch-burn grazing

August 30, 2016

Someone once said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That may be a fitting adage to describe the newest old idea for managing native grass pastures. Beginning in the 1990s, a group of range scientists at Oklahoma State began exploring an approach to managing pastures based on the interaction of fire and grazing.

Fall calving herd grazes cool-season annuals

300 days of grazing

July 14, 2016

Melissa Beck

Mississippi State University Prairie Research Unit didn’t feed the 90 to 110 large round bales per week they usually do; this year they fed zero.

Unrealized revenue makes fescue seedhead management critical

July 13, 2016

Kelli Boylen

Sometimes the things we are unable to see can be the difference between a successful grazing operation and one that struggles; managing for the unseen makes the difference.

Toxic endophyte tall fescue renovation

May 26, 2016

Craig Roberts and Gene Schmitz

Tall fescue is an important cool-season forage in many parts of the U.S. It is high-yielding, persistent and adapted to a wide range of soil fertility conditions.

Why use native warm-season grasses in a forage program?

May 2, 2016

I have often written about how to best establish or manage native grass forages. However, here I want to discuss why producers may want to consider using these grasses in their forage programs.

Walking the fence: Spring hazards and pasture toxicities

April 29, 2016

Melissa A. Bravo

Every spring, usually around April, we get the itch to walk the fence and appraise pasture conditions for the long-anticipated turnout. Depending on your operation and location, that might mean a herd of freshening cows or cows with calves alongside.

Forage should be harvested for hay before stems become course

Tips for improved hay production

April 28, 2016

Robert Fears

Regardless of whether hay is raised for your own use or for sale, quality is important for obtaining the best value. Hay value is governed by its nutrient content, palatability, digestibility and absence of toxic plants and other foreign substances.

Quotes & Concepts: Livestock can be a stand-establishment tool

April 28, 2016

Don Ball

Grazing animals can often be used as a tool in obtaining a forage stand. When livestock are placed in a pasture in which seed has been broadcast, hoof action can improve seed-soil contact.

BMR sorghum-sundangrass to smother out weeds

Sorghum-sudan grazing pros and cons for an organic market

March 29, 2016

Kelli Boylen

Jim Hageman likes to keep his mind open to new ways of doing things. This past summer, he shared his experiences with BMR sorghum-sudangrass and grazing animals on corn at a pasture walk on his farm.

The no-nos of nitrogen application in pastures

March 23, 2016

Cassidy Woolsey

The number of times a parent says the word “no” in a day can feel almost endless. But as any parent or grown child knows, those “nos” are merely words of wisdom from someone who has, in a sense, “been there, done that.”