42 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN March 2025 LEGENDARY SINCE 1971 ROZOL POCKET GOPHER BAIT Build your legacy with the legendary Rozol® Pocket Gopher Bait Burrow Builder Formula. Brought to you by Liphatech Ag, your Most Valuable Partner for effective rodent control. Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait Burrow Builder Formula is a restricted use pesticide. WE HAVE YOUR BACKS, BARNS AND BOTTOM LINES. “[Forage] won’t reset seed if you continue to graze it,” says Steve Swaffar, NRI regenerative ranching advisor. “Realistically, you’re talking about a lengthier restoration project if you’re just going to let it happen through rest. It is probably the most cost-effective way to do it just from an investment standpoint, but you’ve got a temporary loss in available forage as well.” Planting cover crops is a convenient choice when you want to add diversity and extend your grazing window. Warm-season planting mixes often contain 15 or 20 species for a variety of soil responses. “There are two windows in which to plant cover crops: in the fall and in the spring before the bermudagrass or other established, introduced grasses start to green up and grow,” Swaffar says. In the fall, “you can get some diversity through winter-hardy species, which are primarily small grains such as wheat, rye or barley,” Swaffar says. “The other opportunity is, as the bermudagrass starts to go back to a less-productive state and head toward dormancy, you can plant annuals that will give you latesummer-into-fall grazing as well as a lot of diversity.” On NRI’s Coffey Ranch, cover crops are used to support diversity and soil health. In October, the ranch manager plants a cool-season combination of winter wheat, rye, clover and/or vetch. Ideally, they will save warm-season native grasses from the previous summer to graze as winter forage, offering a holdover until air and soil temperatures start to warm. Developing a pasture full of resilient, lush forages is simpler than you think. Refocusing your management on building soil health through grazing management and species diversity sets up your pastures for success. Restoring soil health isn’t a quick fix. It takes time and patience, but the result is a vibrant, thriving pasture that will last for generations to come. ~NC~ TO IMPROVE LAND, MANAGE FOR SOIL HEALTH FIRST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40 When evaluating soil health conditions, don’t forget to look beneath the surface. You’re aiming for soil with a spongy texture and a rich, earthy, fresh aroma.
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