34 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN October 2024 GRAZING MANAGEMENT FOR PASTURE RESILIENCY U.S. MEAT ANIMAL RESEARCH CENTER COMMUNICATIONS PEERS There are many systems and practices that comprise the way we manage grazing livestock in the United States; however, one thing all producers can agree on is that green grass isn’t a static resource. There are dry years and wet years, and in the years in between, it always seems other challenges arise. Our management practices as well as our expectations must be flexible in order to keep up with the unpredictable environmental conditions that we and our cattle herds face. Last year, the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) and the surrounding area was plagued by a drought that was worse than the peak year of the Dust Bowl! As one can imagine, this made for difficult management decisions in order to adapt to and persevere through the year’s conditions. Many producers were faced with the same challenge and a consistent, direct result of drought – pastures with extremely diminished grazing capacity. In many cases, this challenge was narrowed down to producers having to decide on one of two options as a management solution: buy feed or sell cattle. The options were no different at USMARC but, as we do with every challenge, we sought to find an innovative solution. USMARC regularly practices high-intensity rotational grazing. The pastures are divided into multiple sections, utilizing temporary fence where cattle graze for typically two to three days before rotating to the next section. This helps avoid overgrazing and ensures abundant quality forage for a potentially longer grazing opportunity. Through the drought, this practice was intensified to its max, but the resilience of the pastures and forages had to be considered. Overgrazing a pasture can lead to irreparable damage. In situations like drought, overgrazing can sometimes be looked at as a sacrificial solution. However, this will only make for a new and potentially intensified problem in the next season. Though the high-intensity grazing program undeniably extended the utilization of USMARC’s pastures, the center did ultimately have to wean and feed earlier than a typical year. Because of ongoing research programs, USMARC does not have the option of reducing the cow herd. Consequently, with Range and Forage Production Manager Lance Schutte’s careful management and strategizing, the drought impact was mitigated and managed as effectively as possible. It would be an understatement to say that the spring and summer rains were much appreciated. The early and mid-year precipitation has put moisture levels just under average for the center, but the landscape and carrying capacities are vastly different than last year. Executing high-intensity rotational grazing along with strategic utilization of irrigated pastures made for a better outcome than expected in the drought year. However, keeping the integrity of forages and pastures at the forefront of the decision-making process is what led to the resilience that is being seen in USMARC pastures (and the precipitation helps too). The grazing and forage management team has predicted that the ninemonth season total carrying capacities of irrigated cool-season pastures and dryland cool- and warm-season pastures combined have increased by just more than 150 percent compared to 2023. Warm-season dryland pastures are estimated to have had the greatest CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
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