Demonstrating Cost-Effective, Low-Input Grazing Management Systems using Stockpiled Native Forages

In the Southeast, tall-fescue is the primary forage base grazed by cow-calf producers, which means limited forage production during the summer and winter months. Frequent short-term droughts during the summer can result in overgrazed pastures and stand loss. Therefore, many producers in the Mid-South have begun incorporating warm-season grasses into their programs to reduce the impact of drought and overgrazing. During the winter months, cold temperatures result in poor forage growth. Due to their low nutritional quality once dormant, native warm-season grasses (NWSG) are not being utilized during fall and winter grazing in beef production in the Mid-South and Southeast. This lack of expertise in managing beef cattle on low-quality forages leads to only grazing NWSG for approximately 90 days during the summer, resulting in hesitation of landowners to establish and utilize NWSG in their livestock operations. This project will demonstrate and educate producers, farm managers and the general public on the benefits of using NWSGs (i.e., switchgrass and/or indiangrass/big bluestem combo) in a conservative, low-input grazing management program that will extend the grazing season and decrease the need for feeding harvested feedstuffs. Side-by-side demonstrations will be used to monitor cattle performance, forage quality and quantity, soil health and input costs to demonstrate cost-effective and strategic grazing management for livestock producers. Altogether, this demonstration will educate producers on effectively use stockpiled NWSGs in their grazing management plans their livestock operation and production goals while reducing expensive feed costs and improving soil health. This information on management of NWSGs for winter grazing, heifer production and economic implications will be delivered to educators and industry supporters with in-service trainings, directly to beef cattle producers at field days and beef and forage associations, and through a web-based reference library of written materials and videos for easy access and increased audience.