David B. Hannaway Forages Program Director Research, Teaching, Extension, and International Projects Crop & Soil

1. “Oregon Forages and Beyond” C&SS Seminar – 26 September 2005 David B. Hannaway Forages Program Director Research, Teaching, Extension, and International Projects Crop & Soil Science Department Oregon State University

2. Childhood and Interests/Activities: • Parents from Norristown, PA • (Irish, Swiss-German decent; Hannaway Ice Cream, Byron K. Hunsberger tutored Latin, Greek, Hebrew) • Born in Philadelphia, grew up in rural NJ (father was a minister, mother was a teacher, neighbors grew flowers, corn, and raised sheep) • High School football, baseball & piano; early interest in organic agriculture, horticulture & landscaping Background • Education: • B.S., Plant Science, University of Delaware, 1973 • M.S., Plant & Soil Science, University of Tennessee, 1975 • Ph.D., Plant Physiology, University of Kentucky, 1979 • Family: • Youngest of 3, brother Gordon and sister Beth • 1975:Married to Kimberly Eileen Jones (4 brothers and 4 sisters) • 1989: Kayleen and Kourtney born (skipped IGC that year)

3. 1979-1983: Extension Forage Specialist • (Extension & Research; 75/25) • 1983-1985: Extension Forage Specialist • (Extension, Research & Teaching; 50/26/24) • 1985-1992: Associate Professor, Forage Crops • (Research & Teaching; 74/26) • 1992-1995: Associate Professor, Forage Crops • (Extension, Research & Teaching; 39/35/26) • 1995-2005: Professor, Forage Crops • (Extension, Research, Teaching; 35/51/14) Professional Career – OSU and the world

4. Research: • Mineral nutrition (hypomagnesemia; soil, plant, animal inter-relationships: 28Mg, 86Rb, organic acids, K rate and date) • Biological Nitrogen Fixation (alfalfa N nutrition and Tunisia systems) • Agro-ecozones and optimal species selection (GIS-based mapping for the USA and PRC) Professional Focus Areas • Extension: • Fact sheets and circulars • Grass growth & regrowth understanding for improved management • Web-based information system development (FIS) • Teaching: • National Forage & Grasslands Curriculum development • Web-based and other media support for teaching and learning

5. Forages are: grasses, legumes, forbs, shrubs, and crop residues used for livestock and wildlife feed Introduction To Forages Forages are grown on: croplands, pasturelands, hill-lands, forestlands, and rangelands Forages are unique because: they are consumed by ruminant animals and other livestock and wildlife able to digest cellulose (ruminal microorganisms synthesize the beta 1-4 cellulase enzyme complex, allowing hydrolysis of plant cell walls) Four divisions of the ruminant stomach: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger Forages: the Rodney Dangerfield of Agriculture Sadly, despite their enormous importance, forages “get no respect.” Cash crops, with strong political support dominate the public funding arena and forages are without a political voice…… • Thus, the CSS forages program development strategy has been to find ways to contribute in a meaningful way without a significant budget; encouraging global collaboration, using computer-based tools, and reducing the duplication of effort nationwide.

7. Outline • This presentation will describe: • the importance of forages, • a bit of program philosophy, • some current activities, and • future ideas and recommendations.

8. Forages are consistently first in field crops value; second only to Nursery & Greenhouse products. • In Oregon, forage value exceeds $500 million per year for hay, silage, and pasture* • (greater than cattle and calves, grass seed, wheat, or potatoes). Importance of forages to Oregon Alfalfa is Oregon’s #1 hay crop. * Reference for value by commodity (2003 data): http://oregon.gov/ODA/docs/pdf/pubs/ff.pdf

9. Legumes: • Alfalfa • White clover • Sub clover • Grasses: • Ryegrasses (annual & perennial) • Orchardgrass • Tall fescue Key Oregon Forages

10. Commodity Values ($ Millions) *See following chart for forage value components.

11. Forage value components ($Millions)

12. Forages contribution to livestock values 75% Cattle & calves: Oregon’s #1 livestock commodity. 50% 80% 90%

13. Commodity Values ($ Millions)

14. Forages provide substantial environmental benefits: • Wildlife feed and habitat • Filtering and purifying water • Creating oxygen and filtering impurities from the air • Reducing soil erosion and recycling nutrients • Beautifying the landscape Green Benefits Additional information: http://www.forages.oregonstate.edu/posters/foragefundy.jpg

15. Here’s a summary of what we’ve covered to this point …. Oregon Forages - Summary http://www.forages.oregonstate.edu/posters/foragefundy.jpg

17. Relevance to OSU’s Mission and Emphasis Areas • Mission: OSU is Oregon’s principal source of knowledge relating to agricultural and food systems and a major source of knowledge for environmental quality, natural resources, and life sciences…* • Emphasis: Integrated management systems that help assure economically sustainable, environmentally sound agriculture…. • Forages are a key part of Oregon’s agricultural and natural resource systems. *http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/about/CAS-mission.html

18. On-Campus Departments Agricultural & Resource Economics Animal Sciences Bioengineering Botany & Plant Pathology Crop & Soil Science Fisheries & Wildlife Rangeland Ecology & Management Off-Campus Units County Extension Offices Branch Experiment Stations and Centers Personnel Involved Small portions of FTE from related departments: collaborating with other projects to make it work.  http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/depts.html http://extension.oregonstate.edu/

19. Project Support and Rationale for Choices • What could/should be done with limited support? How to determine? • Historical OSU planning documents • Research & extension workers • Farmers & ranchers • Oregon Hay Growers’ Association • CAST report • Winrock reports

20. Initial projects: • Applied agronomic trials (alfalfa variety trials) • Hay quality & testing (Klamath Falls, Ag. Chemistry Department) • Alfalfa N2 fixation (USDA Limiting Factors Grant, Tunisia) • Extension fact sheets for forage species (answered routine questions for years) Project Support and Rationale for Choices

21. Project Support and Rationale for Choices • Loss of technician • Need to extrapolate across the landscape • Desire to increase collaboration • Led to program re-evaluation using Grassland & Range National Goals as a guide. Areas chosen were: • Electronic technologies for improved communication, organization and dissemination of information • GIS/spatial data for modeling and mapping

22. Current Projects • Teaching • Research • Extension Outreach • International Projects

23. Teaching • University Classroom: • OSU Corvallis • CSS 310 • Distance Education: • National Forage & Grasslands Curriculum • Grant supported project • OUS E-campus • CSS 310 • Additional forage-related activities: • GIS Integration with Forages • Pastoral Themes Class Developed

24. Field-based: • Branch Experiment Stations Research • Computer-based: • Information systems • Decisions Support Systems • Expert Systems • GIS mapping

25. Oregon Seed Council: • USDA MAP, EMP, RSEP • Field-based • Computer-based • Workshops and seminars International Projects • OSU International Programs and USTDA: • People’s Republic of China • Africa, SE Asia • Republic of Georgia • Global cooperation: • Collaborators worldwide for teaching, research, and outreach projects

26. Optimal Forage Species Selection • State-of-the-Science Computer Tools: • Addressing practical agricultural questions • Fundable and important problems Problem solving using new techniques: GIS “Spatial Data Layers”

27. Drought, heat, cold pH, drainage, salinity Insects, diseases, & nematodes Fertilization, defoliation severity & intensity Forage Species Tolerances

28. Process developed over 13 years USA mapping for NRCS using 8600 climate stations PRISM software uses point data, DEM, and expert knowledge to create gridded estimates of climate elements Applied to China with OSC Climate Spatial Data Layers

29. USA Climate Data Stations

30. USA Annual Precipitation

31. USA Mean Minimum Temperature

32. USA Mean Maximum Temperature

33. PRC Species Evaluation Project(USDA FAS MAP / Oregon Seed Council)

34. Project Support and Rationale for Choices USDA FAS EMP Grant of <$700K to support OSC species suitability/marketing objectives $722,425/2 National average $320,000 total support; $225-$495K range

35. PRC Data Acquisition

36. PRC Digital Elevation Model

37. PRC Mean Annual Precipitation

38. PRC January Mean Minimum Temp.

39. PRC July Mean Maximum Temp.

40. Species Max. Temp (°C) Min. Temp. (°C) Annual Precipitation (mm) Well Adapted Tall Fescue 22 - 32  -10  625 Orchardgrass 22 - 31  -7.5  625 Perennial Ryegrass 22 - 30  -5  625 Moderately Adapted Tall Fescue 20 - 34  -15  450 Orchardgrass 20 - 33  -12.5  490 Perennial Ryegrass 20 - 32  -10  525 Marginally Adapted Tall Fescue 18 - 36  -20  300 Orchardgrass 18 – 35  -17.5  375 Perennial Ryegrass 18 - 34  -15  450 Climatic Quantitative Tolerances

41. PRC Tall Fescue Suitability Mapping

42. Similar Work for Oregon? • Oregon has a diversity of climates, soils, and many farming, ranching, and forestry systems • Climate, soils, species suitability, economics, sociological factors could/should be mapped • Some components available • Need funding for development and integration

43. Extension Outreach • Oregon outreach: • County Extension Offices / Programs • Regional outreach: • PNW Forage Workers Group • Western Alfalfa Conference • Global outreach: • Forage Information System

44. Extension Outreach • Forage Information System: • Re-design of the FIS • Tall Fescue On-line Monograph • Alfalfa Information System • Orchardgrass Information System • Tall Fescue Information System • Oregon Forage Information System • Comprehensive, peer-reviewed, global information resource for forages • Traditional approaches: • Numbered / printed and web-based pubs. • County-based educational programs • Routine response to information requests

45. Northwest Forage and Livestock Systems Research & Education Center • 1980 Dean’s White Paper Recommendation • Multiple disciplines, integrated approach • GIS Applications Center Idea • Agriculture & Natural Resource Management Future Plans

46. Pasture Land Management System (integration with NRCS “ToolBox”) • Alfalfa Modeling of types, cultivars, production, and economics (North America and PRC) • Orchardgrass Vendors Application • Announcement of FIS re-design Future Plans: Specific Projects

47. Pasture Land Management System (integration with NRCS “ToolBox”) Future Plans: Specific Projects Combining aerial photos, soil maps, pasture and animal production information. http://maps.google.com

49. Alfalfa Modeling of types, cultivars, production, and economics (NA and PRC) Future Plans: Specific Projects Combining crop simulation modeling techniques with spatial suitability, production, and economic mapping.

50. Orchardgrass Vendors Application Future Plans: Specific Projects Using FIS database structure and combining it with mapping technologies to help market Oregon-grown seed.