Leave a little leaf

Gary Sliworsky
Ag. Rep.

“Leave a little leaf” and “Pasture is a perennial crop, manage the root system”. You should try to keep these principles in mind when managing pastures at all times but especially during a drought!
All the principles of good pasture management will be rewarded during a drought, not by avoiding the drought but by keeping the effects less severe than they could be. Grazing management must be adjusted quickly to dry conditions but species and plant health will also have a major impact on the production.
Plants that are healthy because of good soil fertility programs and good rest periods preserving root reserves will be ready to respond quickly once the rains return. Nitrogen, especially, will need to be applied in conjunction with moisture to be of benefit. Natural fertility or applications of phosphorus and potash will help to keep root systems healthy. Healthy plants provide a more complete canopy which will reduce soil evaporation and keep the soil from drying out as quickly.
Subdividing fields will help you to manage the pastures better. Grazing management is really “harvest management” of the forage you have produced. Cattle tramp on, lie on and foul on too much material. In a continuous graze system 70% of the forage produced is wasted, in a rotational system this is reduced to 45% and in a strip grazing system only 30% or less of the material is wasted. If you can keep their heads all pointed in one direction and moving systematically across the field then you can greatly reduce losses from animal actions.
Smaller fields address many of the potential problems. You can restrict livestock from a section allowing it time to rest and to regrow. You can prevent livestock from regrazing and thus overgrazing forages. In this manner you will allow the plant to refill the root reserve system.
Plants that have a larger leaf area left after grazing can rebound more quickly. It provides more area for photosynthesis and helps to maintain a larger root system. Seven days of overgrazing can delay regrowth by 2 weeks. You can never afford that delay but especially during a drought it is too expensive!

Dates to Remember
·Aug. 17 to 19 - R.R. Valley Agricultural Society Fall Fair, Emo