Precision Management Techniques for Forage Production Systems

1. Precision Management Techniques for Forage Production Systems By Andy Clifford

2. The Value of Forage • In Oklahoma, excluding livestock, hay is the second most valuable crop, behind winter wheat. • Hay has a value of 302 million dollars annually just in the state of Oklahoma, wheat has a value of 386 million dollars. • There was 625,000 tons of silage cut in the year 2000 in Oklahoma.

3. The Value of Forage cont’d. • Livestock • Cattle, sheep, horses, and goats all spend the majority of their life on some type of pasture. • The 5.4 million head of cattle in Oklahoma account for 1.57 billion dollars added to the economy annually. • 300,000 horses and 55,000 sheep.

4. Pasture in Oklahoma • 27 million acres of Oklahoma is planted or used as some type of pasture • 44,020,480 acres in Oklahoma. • 61% of the surface area of Oklahoma is in some type of permanent or temporary pasture.

5. Grain and Fiber Crops • Production mainly focused on the production of seed or fiber associated with the seed. • Harvest does not usually occur until the plant has reached maturity. • Production aimed towards producing the most seed rather than the most green forage.

6. Forage Crops • Production mainly aimed towards the production of high quality green forage per unit of land area. • Harvest occurs over a longer period before and after the plant reaches maturity.

7. Traditional Forage Systems • Continuous Livestock Grazing • Hay Production • Greenchop Forage and Drylot Systems • Silage Production

8. Methods for increasing productivity or profitability through additional management • Decrease production costs and inputs • Increase total volume of forage produced • Increase quality of forage produced • Increase overall value of forage produced • Increased forage harvest efficiency

9. Precision Management • Nutrient Management • Soil Testing • Grid soil sampling • Sensor based nutrient mgmt. • Water Management • Natural Rainfall • Irrigation • MIG

10. What is MIG? • The use of additional management to improve profitability or sustainability of a livestock and forage operation. • Most often a combination of rotational grazing, improved forages, irrigation, and other types of intensive management techniques.

11. Forage Quantity and Quality

12. Rotational Grazing Systems

13. Stocking Rates • The number of animals placed in a paddock is determined by several factors related to the livestock and to the forage. • Weather and other environmental conditions • Forage • Quality • Quantity • Species • Livestock • Species • Age • Size

14. How stocking rates are determined • Stocking rates are usually determined based on the measure known as Animal Units (A.U.) or AUE. • One Animal Unit requires 26 pounds of dry matter per day.

15. Calculating AUE

16. Forage quality and quantity • Animal units are usually based just on the quantity of forage. • Could stocking rates be more accurately set if the quality of the forage was also taken into consideration?

17. Nutrient requirements of livestock. • Livestock’s nutrient requirements are less as they grow older. • Young calves require higher quality forage than older steers or heifers. • Yearling cattle require higher nutrient levels than mature stock cows. • Etc.

18. Determining forage availability. • Most common method is based on a combination of “eyeball” estimates and local averages. • A more accurate and precise method is a forage inventory.

19. Forage inventory What is a forage inventory? • An enclosure such as a quadrant or hula hoop of known dimensions is placed in a representative area of a field. • The forage from within the enclosure is clipped and sorted based on species and desirability of the forage.

20. Forage Inventory cont’d • The desirable forages are weighed and measure for quality. • This measure is taken in several other locations within the paddock or pasture to obtain a representative sample. • A stocking rate can be established based on these measurements.

21. Advantages • More precise and accurate stocking rates can be established. • Forage availability is known and there will be less of a need for purchased feed. • Prevents over- or underutilization of forage. • Reduces Spatial variability in paddocks or pastures. • Maintains ideal species balance in pastures. • Environmental benefits.

22. Disadvantages • Requires more time and management. • Requires more labor. • Additional knowledge of forage species, plant physiology and nutrient management is required. • Can create severe problems if producer neglects the system for extended periods.

23. Cattleman, grassfarmer, or Both? • Most ranchers view themselves as caretakers of livestock. • A more profitable approach might be to view yourself as a grassfarmer who utilizes livestock to harvest his forage.

24. Tools which might be useful if developed. • Sensors • On the go fertilizer applicators which use sensors. • A sensor which can provide an accurate quantitative and qualitative measure available forage in a paddock or pasture.

25. References • Oregon State University,Management Intensive Grazing Pagehttp://www.forages.css.orst.edu/Topics/Pastures/Grazing/Systems/Techniques/MIG/What.html • Gerrish, J.R., Basic Concepts of Management Intensive Grazing, Iowa State University Extention service, Beef Cattle Handbook,http://www.ibc.iastate.edu/PDFs/BCH/Bch06000.pdf • Rollins, Dale, Determining Native Range Stocking Rates, Oklahoma Sate University Extension service. Pub. # F-2855 http://www.agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/range/f-2855.pdf • Oklahoma Agricultural Statistics Service. http://www.nass.usda.gov/ok/

26. Questions