Pasture Management Requires Planning For Fall

AVA, MO.
   Even though summer is in full swing, now is the time for area farmers and ranchers to begin thinking about fall pasture management according to Ben Polley, an agronomy grad student with University of Missouri Extension.
   “The cooler temperatures and increased rainfall that is typically associated with autumn provide excellent growing conditions for cool-season grasses like tall fescue,” said Polley.
   This late-in-the-season growth has been referred to as Missouri's secret weapon when it comes to successful cattle ranching. For producers to reap the benefits of fall tall fescue, some planning in the summer is required.
   “For fertility, remember if the hay was cut off a field, significant levels of nutrients were also removed,” said Polley.
   For example, for every ton of clover/fescue hay that is removed from a field, eight pounds of phosphate and 38 pounds of potash are also removed.
   A soil test is recommended to determine what nutrient deficiencies exist. Nutrient removal can be mitigated if the hay that is cut from a field is unrolled back out onto the same field during the winter.
   High levels of nitrogen fertilizer can cause an increase in fescue toxicosis problems. The toxin-producing fungus that lives inside the plant uses nitrogen to make the toxin.
   Low levels of nitrogen reduce the amount of growth that can be stockpiled for winter grazing.
   “Producers have to find the right balance that works for their system. A general recommendation is around 40 pounds per acre for toxic fescue fields and 65 pounds per acre for non-toxic fields,” said Polley.
   With stockpiling, the tall fescue growth that accumulates during the latter part of August, September, October, and early November can be saved and fed to animals during December, January, February, and possibly into March.
   “Even late into the winter, this stockpiled forage will be of higher quality than the hay that was cut in June and July,” said Polley.
   Stockpiling can be achieved in three easy steps.
   First, in late July or early August, cut or graze fields that are going to be stockpiled to about three to four inches. Second, in mid- to late-August, fertilize appropriately. Fertilizing too soon feeds summer annual weeds and fertilizing to late limits the amount of growth that can be achieved before frost. Then third, shut the gate.
   Feeding stockpiled grass is another option. Tall fescue has a waxy coating on it that protects the integrity of the leaf well into winter if, and only if, animals are not allowed to trample it.
   “The effect of hooves on grass removes the wax coating. Once it is removed, forage quality declines rapidly. To get the most out of your efforts, stockpiled forages should be rationed out on an as-needed basis,” said Polley. “Using temporary or portable electric fences to strip graze pastures is the most common method of doing this.”
   For grazing efficiency, it is best to move the fence once per day. This can, however, be flexed based on the producer's wants and needs. The bigger the piece of pasture the animals are given at a time, the lower their grazing efficiency will be according to Polley.
   “During the winter, the forage is not actively growing. This means a back fence is not required, and that simplifies water management. An effective strategy is to start grazing from the water point and simply move the fence further and further from the water point. With no back fence, the animals can walk back to the water as needed without overgrazing the pasture,” said Polley.
   The final element to keep in mind is nutrient management by controlling the movement of the animals across the landscape. Strip grazing a field is a very effective way of spreading nutrients (in the form of manure), evenly across the field. This eliminates the hot spots created by feeding hay in a hay ring. It also reduces the waste sometimes associated with unrolling bales.
   “Remember, most of the nutrients that go in the front of a cow, come out the back. These are nutrients that will be available for plants during the next growing season and cycling them through your animals saves you money,” said Polley. ∆