Pasture Condition and Management for 2013

Many producers have concerns about productivity of pastures that were over grazed due to last year’s drought.  It may still be too early to make any firm decisions, but we should definitely have several alternative plans in mind depending on the weather we receive from now to spring.

Pastures that were severely overgrazed will likely need some renovation.  This may vary from fertilizer and interseeding to destroying the current vegetation and starting with a new establishment.  Pastures that were overgrazed for the summer but allowed to regrow ungrazed during the fall rains may only need some fertilizer and a chance to start growing.  Without adequate spring moisture additional pasture improvements may not be profitable and alternative summer feeding options may need to be considered until adequate rainfall is available. 

Here are some suggestions for preparing for the 2013 grazing season.  First, develop a plan now for severely limited forage/grazing or moderately limited due to drought and consider the effects if it occurs early or late or lasts through the grazing period.  Hopefully this won’t be needed, but getting a plan it place in case is the first step.  Also, determine what kind of forage production you would normally have with normal precipitation and determine how much less forage would be available with limited precipitation

Next, evaluate pasture regrowth and weed pressure as temperatures warm in the spring.  When plants reach the 2-4” size is a great time to evaluate the stand thickness and the health of legumes.

Now is the perfect time to frost seeding or overseed pastures that were overgrazed last year.  Broadcast seeds now or drill into thin stands after the frost is gone.  Red clover works the best for frost seeding, but other legumes and grasses can be drilled in the early spring.  One producer told me the best time to interseed was when it was soft enough for the drill to penetrate the soil, but firm enough to support the weight of the tractor, which I thought was a great description!

The most important thing to stress for 2013 pastures is to WAIT!  Do not start grazing too soon.  Much of the stressed pastures last fall will be slow to recover this spring, so give it time to produce some leaf tissue and get some health back to the root system before turning out the cows.  It may mean and extra week or two of feed this spring, but will drastically help the season long forage production for the pasture.

Finally, if you haven’t made the move to rotational grazing in the past, 2013 is the year to start!  Nothing will help your pastures more than a planned grazing system with adequate rest periods.  There is no one perfect system that fits all beef operations, but at a minimum I’d suggest at least 6 paddocks with moves about every 5 or 6 days.  That should give paddocks about a 30 day rest period which is a good goal to shoot for.  And don’t forget, if water availability is a concern NRCS and FSA offices can help with EQIP funds to help with water development.

Additional information and resources on pasture renovation can be found at: www.iowabeefcenter.org/forages_grazing.html